2009 was our first year reporting about the American Film Market (AFM). As a small online financial journal, reference site, and investor community, getting there was not exactly a trivial task. Nevertheless by the kindness of the event staff and our insistence to make good on our promise and write a proper event coverage, we were able to attend and hence able to give our valued readers (you) an inside look into this fascinating movie industry deal-making event.

For me personally covering a movie event the scale of the AFM was quite a stretch. For the most part this had to do with the fact that my goal was to write a detailed report from which our readers can actually learn as opposed to just looking at some pictures and reading a handful of superficially written paragraphs. Having very limited exposure to the movie industry the task for me meant learning a lot of new stuff about what was going on at the AFM at first, and then carefully thinking out a way to structure the article and explain what I learned from being there.

Hopefully by reading this article you will gain new insight into the deal-making aspect of the movie business and can use it to further your investment objectives within this industry. Since there may be readers who know more about the AFM than I do, or have additional information that is worth mentioning, but wasn’t discussed, I welcome that they post their comments to this article on our site and share their knowledge with all the other readers.

About the American Film Market (AFM)

The AFM (“Home of the Independents”) or by its proper name the American Film Market (www.ifta-online.org/afm/ ) is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) (www.ifta-online.org). The IFTA is a trade association representing the world’s producers and distributors of independent motion pictures and television programs.

The AFM is the largest motion picture trade show in the world. The event includes eight days of Deal-making, screenings, seminars, premieres, networking, and parties for independent motion picture production and distribution. The AFM is also the premiere global marketplace which includes all of Hollywood’s decision-makers. Unlike a film festival, the AFM is a marketplace where production and distribution deals are closed. According to the The Lippin Group (AFM’s marketing agency) in just eight days approximately $800 million worth of deals are sealed.

Participants if the AFM include 8000+ film buyers and industry professionals from 70 countries consisting of: acquisition and development executives, agents, attorneys, directors, distributors, festival directors, financiers, film commissioners, producers, writers, the world’s press, and motion picture industry service providers.

The scale of the venue roughly is 31 theater screening rooms which screen up to 6 movies each day from 9am to 9pm. 365 Exhibitors (128 IFTA members) filling up all the rooms and hallways on each of the 8 floors at the Loews hotel and also 3 floors of the neighboring Le Merigot hotel.

Further information about the event and the movie lineup can be obtained from www.TheFilmCatalogue.com which lists more than 4,000 recent motion pictures and projects. The web site is also one of the most extensive online resources for distributors and buyers.

What is an independent film?

To those that aren’t familiar with the concept, an independent film is any movie that was financed at least 51% by sources other than the seven U.S. major studios. The term “independent film” has gotten a bad rap over the years because it has been incorrectly used to describe non-mainstream art-house films. In reality, independent films range from big budget features to small alternative flicks. Collectively IFTA members produce more than 500 movies and a huge volume of TV programming each year, and generate over $4 billion in distribution revenues each year. The number of independent movie productions is substantially larger than that of major studio productions, so it provides a lot more job opportunities worldwide than the majors.

What This Year’s Event Had to Offer

Seminars and Conferences

• AFM Finance Conference
  • Current State of the Independent Film Business
  • Foreign Investment: A Growing Source of Film Financing
  • Hong Kong: Your Ideal Co-production Partner and Gateway to the China Market
  • Pitch Me!
  • Produce & Sell Your Film with Dov S-S Simens
  • No Direction Home – Changing Indie Distribution Strategies
  • The DIY Distribution Playbook – What’s Working Now, and What’s Coming Next
  • Screen Actors Guild: A Filmmaker’s Resource
  • Writing for the Genre World
  • Walking the Digital Plank: How to Out-Swashbuckle Online Pirates
  • Case Study: How to Package and Finance Your Independent Project Overseas
  • The New Rules of Indie Marketing
  • The New Hollywood Movie Studio: New Power for the Independent Filmmaker Found in the World of New Media & Social Networking
  • Film or Digital… That’s the Question – Beautiful Images on a Shoestring Budget

World Premieres

The following movie titles were shown to the public for the first time in the world.

The Exhibitors

The AFM had close to 400 exhibitors this year. The majority of the exhibitors were domestic and international film distributors. There were also a lot of independent film production companies seeking buyers and distributors for their films and government agencies from around the world promoting government subsidized movie production services for their states or countries. This section briefly explains what the exhibitors whom I had the opportunity to meet had to offer to the attendees of this year’s film market.

Distributors and Film Production Companies

Eleven Arts
Established in Los Angeles, Eleven Arts is a production and distribution company that makes movies as well as provides distribution services to and from Japan and other Asian countries. The company has worldwide rights to a short list of original titles which includes Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl, Tokyo Gore Police, Cobalt Blue, Chocolate Underground, ICE, Vacation, and The Heart Is a Drum Machine. One of the company’s recent accomplishments is the production of a drama film called The Harimaya Bridge which was completed earlier this year and features Dany Glover as part of the cast and executive producer.
Web Site: http://www.elevenarts.net/

Inferno Film Productions
This Austin, Texas based company is a full-service commercial film production and distribution company that was started 10 years ago by three movie production executives and since then acquired the distribution rights to about two dozen movies as well as produced some of its own. During my conversation with screenplay writer and promoter Darlene Cypser, I found out that besides specializing in scary movie titles such as The Tower, Hurt, and The Awakening the company is also equipped to cost-effectively produce special effects and create virtual sets with the use of green screen (color separation) technology. She also mentioned that the company currently has a movie called The Highwayman in production which is expected to be ready sometime next year and that luckily they own all of their means of production and therefore are capable to produce high quality work on tight budgets.
Web Site: http://www.infernofilms.com/

Twenty One Inc
This Canadian company provides cross-media development & preproduction services to film productions during the early planning and development stages of movie production. They utilize 3D animation technologies to support the previsualization (previs) stage of live-action and computer-animated movie production. The company’s take on project development is that, thorough planning translates into big bucks at the box offices. Essentially the guys at this company are computer animations experts capable of creating cost effective 3D animations which go well beyond basic storyboarding. The resulting “rough draft” previsualizations give movie producers the opportunity to experiment and better understand the resource requirements, timing, and psychological effect of the developed scenes.
Web Site: http://www.twentyoneinc.com/

NeoClassics Films
NeoClassics Films and its second label Tigertail Flix is an independent film distributor of acquired movies and aims to become a viable long-term competitor to the major quality distribution companies. The company distributes and licenses its acquired products worldwide through initial theatrical releases and secondary markets. The main focus of the business is direct distribution in all media for the U.S., Canada, and U.K. markets and licensing in all other markets. Based in Vancouver and with a major office in Los Angeles and a satellite office in London the company is well-positioned to identify and acquire movies with great potential from English speaking and European countries. Its current lineup includes: The Misfortunates, L’Affaire Farewell, The Over The Hill Band, The Black Balloon, Moscow, Belgium, Captain Abu Raed, Surviving Crooked Lake, and St. Trinians. For the purposes of distribution the company segments its business into two labels, NeoClassics and Tigertail Flix. The NeoClassics label is used for traditional, high-quality independent films such as those presented at film festivals, while Tigertail Flix is used for marketing youth oriented films, and genre films such as horror and adventure. The Tigertail Flix label is also used for digital products such as shorts and student films and has a high profile Internet presence.
Web Site: http://www.neoclassicsfilms.com/

Alpine Pictures
Alpine Pictures is an independent movie production house that was founded and currently run by two brothers Ryan and Roland Carroll. Prior to starting their company both Carroll brothers worked on feature films independently and together and produced movies such as the Halloween favorite Witchboard and Season of Fear which was released by MGM/UA. Since the inception of the company in 1995 the Carroll Brothers produced a series of independent movies. The list includes: Love Is The Drug, An Angel On Abbey Street, The Convent, The Blue Light, and Dark Honeymoon. This year Alpine Pictures also had their World Premiere for their new movie The Gold Retrievers at the AFM which it was promoting extensively at the show. In addition the company was giving prospective buyers and licensors an opportunity to look as some of the development artwork of the company’s first feature length computer animation film The Dorothy of Oz which is expected to be a big box office hit when it’s released in 2011. Foretelling its box office potential is the production team that is lead by producer Bonne Radford and director Daniel St. Pierre, and a cast of voice talents that includes: Jim Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short, and Kelsey Grammer.
Web Site: http://www.alpinepix.com/, http://www.thegoldretrievers.com/, http://www.dorothyofozthemovie.com/.

Screen Media Ventures
Perhaps the largest film distributor at AFM, but definitely the largest one that I visited Screen Media Ventures prides itself of owning distribution rights to a library of over 900 movies. The company owns rights to titles such as the first Austin Power’s movie, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, The Real McCoy, Nobody’s Fool, Mistress, My Life, House on Haunted Hill, The Great Waldo Pepper, I Sell The Dead, and Swimming With Sharks. Since its inception in 1999 the company launched over 16 syndication packages to broadcast TV stations, and licenses programming to basic and pay cable outlets such as: Lifetime, HBO, Showtime, Encore, the Sci-Fi Channel, Court TV, Starz, Turner, A&E, and U.S.A. Networks. Screen Media Networks focuses its sales efforts in the following key areas: U.S. Home Video through its Screen Media Films label, International Television and Video, U.S. Television and Cable, and New Media. A great deal of Screen Media Venture’s success can be attributed to the fact that the company concentrates on building a library of high-performance titles with proven box-office records and strong cast appeal.
Web Site: http://www.screenmedia.net/

Echo Bridge Entertainment
Echo Bridge Entertainment is a large distributor of with a library of over 5,000 movie titles. It’s an independent content company that acquires and distributes motion pictures, TV series, home entertainment, video-on-demand, and PC games throughout the world. The company’s primary business consists of acquiring feature length English films for North American and international distribution. Some of the recent titles that the company purchased and is heavily promoting are: American Virgin (starring Jenna Davis, Brianne Davis, Chase Ryan Jeffery, and Rob Schneider), and Haven (starring Natasha Richardson, William Petersen, Colm Feore, Martin Landau, Anne Bancroft, and Hal Holbrook).
Web Site: https://www.echobridgeentertainment.com/

Cinema Vault
This Toronto, Canada based company specializes in the distribution of diverse and independent movie titles and has a library of over 300 titles. The company’s objective is to identify and acquire movies with style and substance and a worldwide appeal. The company’s current lineup consist of: Lymelife, Who Do You Love, Lovely, Still, Newsmakers, My Dog Tulip, Home, A Christmas Wish, Trucker, The Last Lullaby, Loins of Punjab Presents, The Blackout, Gangster Exchange, A Previous Engagement, The Seven of Daran: The Battle of Pareo Rock, The Golden Boys, Harrison Montgomery, Return to Hansala, The Hammer, Mirageman, and Alarm.
Web Site: http://www.cinemavault.com/

Myriad Pictures
This Santa Monica, California based production and distribution company specializes in the production, financing and worldwide sales/distribution of feature films and TV programming. The company is run by Emmy Award-nominated producer Kirk D’Amico who recognized as one of the Hollywood Reporter’s Top 50 independent producers and also a board member of the IFTA. The company’s diverse library of films includes: Kinsey, The Good Girl, Little Fish, Factory Girl, the Van Wilder series, Jeepers Creepers 2, Death Defying Acts, and Dario Argento’s Mother of Tears. At the AFM Myriad Pictures the company’s lineup included: Women in Trouble, Serious Moonlight, Main Street, The Steal Artist, DinoMom, The Cup, Breaking The Girl, A Great Education, The Electric Slide, Hybrid, Birds of America, and Uncertainty.
Web Site: http://www.myriadpictures.com/

European Film Productions
European Film Productions is a service company that represents European movie productions throughout the world. The company is a leading network promotion organization for European film companies that collectively address the marketing challenges and networking needs of movie producers abroad. Currently the company represents film producers from 31 European countries and helps them with their marketing needs in international markets. Some of the titles the company was actively promoting during the AFM include: For a Moment Freedom, Un Lugar Lejano, The World Is Big, Bollywood Hero, Crayfish, Hunting Park, Moon Lake, The Goat, Eastern Plays, Zift, Three Sisters and Andrey, A Farewell to Hemingway, Forecast, and Prima Primavera.
Web Site: http://www.efp-online.com/

Governments, Organizations, and Service Providers

Raleigh Studios
As the longest continuously operating studio in the country, Raleigh has played a central role in creating and supporting the entertainment industry. Together with its sister company Hollywood Rentals, the premiere lighting equipment rental company in the country; Raleigh’s entertainment companies make the largest independent studio and production support operation in the U.S. With operations in Hollywood (CA), Manhattan Beach (CA), Playa Vista (CA), Baton Rouge (LA), Detroit (MI), Troy (MI), and Budapest, Hungary and 2 million square feet of production space, Raleigh Studios is prepared to service a production of any size.
Web Site: http://www.raleighstudios.com/, http://www.hollywoodrentals.com/

Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART)

Organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) the Hong Kong International Film & TV Marktet is Asia’s World Entertainment Market. The event organizers had an exhibit at the AFM to build interest and accept early-bird registrations to the March 22-25, 2010 event. The event is expected to have over 500 exhibitors and more than 4,500 buyers from 50 countries. To increase the appeal of going to Hong Kong next March it may be useful to know that the FILMART event coincides with a number of other film industry events:

• The 8^th Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) (March 22-24, 2010): Held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre the HAF is Asia’s leading project market connecting Asian filmmakers with internationally prominent film financiers for co-production ventures. (http://www.haf.org.hk/)
• The 34^th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) (March 21-April 6, 2010): The HKIFF is Asia’s most reputable event for movie industry professionals to discover Asian talent and launch films in Asia. Each year the event attracts about 500,000 attendees who visit the show to watch over 300 movie titles from 50 countries on the Island of Kowloon, and be a part of the area’s largest cultural event. (http://www.hkiff.org.hk/)
• The 4^th Asian Film Awards (AFA) (March 22, 2010): The AFA is a pioneering event to honor outstanding filmmakers in the field of Asian Cinema. (http://www.asianfilmawards.org/)

Web Site: http://www.hkfilmart.com/filmart/

Quebec
The movie industry of Canada’s largest French-speaking province was represented by the Québec Film and Television Council (QFTC). Currently the QFTC offers up to 41% effective tax credit cash rebate on all production money spent in the province of Quebec. To illustrate the production capabilities of the area here is a list of very successful movie productions that were at least in part financed by the QFTC: 300, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Get Smart, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Mummy, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Terminator: Salvation, X-Men Origins, and Avatar. Anyone interested in exploring the opportunities of filming in the area in more detail can visit the QFTCs web site and order a copy of the annually published Québec Shooting Guide.
Web Site: http://www.qftc.ca/

Louisiana
The state of Louisiana is one of the U.S. states that offer incentives to boost movie production in their state. The state government has a 30% transferable credit for direct in-state movie production related expenditures. The government also has an additional 5% labor tax credit that can be earned on the payroll of Louisiana residents employed by a state certified motion picture production. In addition the Jefferson Parish Film Office and the St. John Center Sound Stage have teamed up to form the Southeast Louisiana Film District, which according to the promotional materials has the recipe for the perfect gumbo of experience, incentives, resources, and locations to make movie production in Louisiana a success. The Jefferson Parish Film Office also has an additional 3% Local Cash Rebate program in place for qualified local spend, that includes payroll for residents and lodging expenses.
Web Site: http://www.FilmJeffersonLa.com/, http://www.louisianaentertainment.gov/film/default.cfm

Turkey
Represented by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Turkey presents itself as an alternative Eurasian filming site in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. Although Turkey doesn’t have any movie rebate programs or film funds in place to lure movie crews away from other location alternatives the representative at the exhibit said that Turkey’s movie industry is producing a great selection of quality movies and TV programming each year. Despite the lack of incentives the country’s rich cultural heritage and affordable labor makes it a good production site for a variety of movies. To illustrate the country’s movie making capabilities and available scenery a number of movies such as “I Saw The Sun” and “Kelebek” was showcased at the exhibit, along with video footage showing off a variety of prime locations.
Web Site: http://www.tourismturkey.org/

Jordan
Represented by the Royal Film Commission (RFC) the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has some very unique locations and services to offer to movie productions. The landlocked country of Jordan (bordered with Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Israel) has been the home of some large scale productions in the past. Namely these are: Fair Game (2009), Transformers (2008), The Mummy Returns (2001), Red Planet (2000), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1993), and Lawrence of Arabia (1962). The RFC provides movie producers with assistance to obtain filming permits, and security clearances and help with location scouting. Some of the most sought after locations of the country are:

• Petra: The remains of the ancient city of Petra are now a part of an archeological site that is known as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
• Wadi Rum: One of the main tourist attractions of Jordan (the Wadi Rum) is a large sandy valley that is cut between massive sandstone and granite rock formations with many ancient petroglyps carved on them. This location has been the site for movie productions such as Lawrence of Arabia, Red Planet, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
• Jerash: Situated just north of the capital city Amman over time Jerash became the second-most popular tourist location in Jordan. The city features a large selection of thoroughly excavated and exceptionally well preserved ruins of Roman forums, Christian temples, baths, and theaters.
• Madaba: Also known as the City of Mosaics, this locality is most known for Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics and the mosaic Map of Madaba which is located in the Greek Orthodox Basilica of Saint George. The sixth century mosaic map that is made up of about two million pieces of colored stone depicts the earliest remaining representation of Byzantine Jerusalem (the Holy City).Dana Natural Reserve: This 120 square mile region composed of a chain of mountains and valleys contains an area of highly diverse landscapes ranging from wooded highlands to rocky slopes, gravel plains, and dunes of sand.
• The Dead Sea: Besides being the lowest body of water and the lowest elevation point of dry land on Earth (1,385 ft below sea level), this sea of salt is one of the most spectacular natural and spiritual landscapes. Its 42 miles long and 11 miles wide at its widest point.
• The Dibeen reserve.

Web Site: http://www.film.jo/

Puerto Rico
The small Caribbean island of Puerto Rico (represented by the Puerto Rico Film Commission) is one of the most ambitious countries in the world in terms of the economic incentives offered to film productions for using local resources. The country whose list of recent productions includes: The Loosers, The Men Who Stare at Goats, and Life During Wartime passed an important film industry law back in late 1999 called the Puerto Rico Law for the Development of the Film Industry. This law offers a tax credit that is equivalent to 40% of budget items paid to Puerto Rico entities or residents, or up to 50% of the cash invested as equity in the project. As a self-governing unincorporated territory of the U.S. the country provides some additional benefits also. These are the use of US currency, lack of federal taxes, and the fact that Puerto Rico implements US commercial, banking and intellectual property laws.
Web Site: http://www.puertoricofilm.com/

Colombia
The Republic of Colombia was represented by The Colombian Film Commission (Comisión Fílmica Colombiana).  The tropical country that got its name after Christopher Columbus is located just south of Panama in the most north-western region of the South American continent. The country has access to the Caribbean Sea on the north, the Pacific Ocean on the West, and about 50% of its land area in the southern region of the country is covered by the Amazon rainforest. According to Variety magazine (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003778.html) country officials are working hard on reversing the country’s lawless image by boosting domestic security. The country seeks to lure filming crews by offering a 16% tax rebate to both local and international productions.
Web Site: http://www.locationcolombia.com/

Fiji Islands
Fiji was represented by the Fiji Audio Video Commission. Located north of New Zealand and East of Australia the Fiji Islands offer breathtaking views of a tropical paradise. The islands have a local film production area called Bulawood that is similar to Hollywood in the sense that a lot of movie production activity takes place there.  The commissions’ main news for film makers this year was that it increased its film rebate incentive from 15% to 35%. The country also offers partially (first 60% of income) tax-free status for foreign companies operating in one of the established Studio City Zones or Technological Parks.
Web Site: http://www.fijiaudiovisual.com/

The Complete Exhibitor Listing

Event Photographs

Corridors and Meeting Areas
Government Agencies
Other Exhibits
Alpine Pictures
Myriad Pictures
Inferno Film Productions
Socializing