Old Models, New Tricks at AFM: The Film Market's Comeback

The American Film Market (AFM) is making a comeback this November in Las Vegas. After years of streaming platforms dominating the scene, indie producers are now looking back to older business models. This shift is giving AFM a new lease on life. In the past, AFM wasn't as relevant because streaming services like Netflix and Amazon would snap up hot titles before they even reached the market. This left smaller buyers and AFM in the cold. But times have changed. Attorney Marc H. Simon notes that the streamers’ influence has waned, and now filmmakers can finance projects independently. This means they don’t have to answer to big names like Netflix or Apple. Matthew Helderman, CEO of Bondit Media Capital, agrees. He mentions that out of the 500+ films his company has financed, only 10% had theatrical releases. Theaters just aren’t as important as they used to be. However, a theatrical release still matters for promotion and legitimacy. JJ Caruth from Highland Film Group highlights this with their recent film “Land of Bad, ” which did well after a theatrical release. These days, AFM is buzzing with new strategies. Filmmakers premiere their work at festivals like Venice and Toronto, then bring them to AFM for global sales. Buyers now want all rights, from theatrical to VOD. This is a shift from AFM’s early days when home video was king. Back then, a poster with B-list actors could secure pre-sales easily. But those days are gone with the rise of streaming and piracy. Companies like Millennium Films had to pivot their strategy. They started making bigger-budget films with bigger stars. But this comes with its own challenges, like finding distribution partners with deep pockets. Bondit Media Capital also navigated this change. They shifted from low-budget late-career action movies to more premium content. Today, the market favors “elevated” genres like horror and thriller. Dramas and biopics need big names to sell. AFM’s future looks promising, but there’s competition brewing with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) planning its own marketplace.