ICWTR AT THE AMERICAN FILM MARKET 2009 (Santa Monica, November 4-11)

It seems TF1 International has finally decided to make the jump to the North American market to sell the rights of Josh's thriler ...
The business of independent motion picture production and distribution - a truly collaborative process - reaches its peak every year at the American Film Market. Over 8,000 industry leaders converge in Santa Monica for eight days of deal-making, screenings, seminars, red carpet premieres, networking and parties. Participants come from over 70 countries and include acquisition and development executives, agents, attorneys, directors, distributors, festival directors, financiers, film commissioners, producers, writers, the world’s press all those who provide services to the motion picture industry.

Founded in 1981, the American Film Market (AFM) has grown steadily to become the premiere global marketplace where Hollywood’s decision-makers and trendsetters all gather under one roof. Unlike a film festival, the AFM is a marketplace where production and distribution deals are closed. In just eight days, more than $800 million in deals will be sealed — on both completed films and those that haven’t started shooting yet — making AFM the must-attend industry event.

The AFM transforms Santa Monica. The Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel and the Le Merigot Beach Hotel are converted into a busy marketplace. All 23 screens on the Santa Monica Promenade and the surrounding community become AFM screening rooms for the entire eight-day event and eight digital and video screening rooms are added just for the AFM. Participants may view more than 900 screenings of approximately 500 films - 31 new films every two hours - the majority of them world or U.S. premieres. Titles range from big budget blockbusters that will be released by the major studios in the U.S., to lower budget art and genre films recognized at international film festivals, all destined for theaters and television around the world.

With 8,000 attendees, 900 screenings, and seminars programmed by leading industry organizations, the American Film Market continues to be the pivotal destination for independent filmmakers and business people from all over the world.

Here’s some inside baseball about Hollywood that your average moviegoer may not know: movies do not get made solely from investors or studios nor do they make money solely from domestic box office. A large majority of films, especially true indie films (i.e. no name stars), require the sale of their foreign distribution rights to finish the film they’re selling or to secure a profit that will provide investors with a good return on their investment. However, films with name actors like Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Val Kilmer, and Christopher Walken also have to play this game...
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