Negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have sparked hope for a fruitful American Film Market (AFM), scheduled to run from October 31 to November 5 in Santa Monica. The entertainment industry is looking forward to a return to business as usual.
Even in the absence of a new agreement, the AFM will showcase an exciting lineup of films. This selection includes international features and independent American productions, all of which have received interim agreements from the union to commence production.
According to Nadiia Zaionchkovska, the Chief Commercial Officer of the newly established Ukrainian distributor Green Light Films, these offerings represent a positive shift. “In the last few days, we’ve seen a waterfall of lineups,” Zaionchkovska says, “Lots of theatrical films, lots either in post or in pre-production, ready to shoot in the first quarter of 2024.”
AFM’s Top Projects
The annual hot list from The Hollywood Reporter highlights the most promising projects to be featured at the AFM:
1. “Beast of War”
- Directed by Kiah Roache-Turner
- A World War II drama meets shark-infested survivalist horror as soldiers stranded at sea face attacks from above and below.
2. “Civil War”
- Directed by Alex Garland
- Starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen Henderson, Cailee Spaeny
- Set in a near-future United States on the brink of collapse, this sci-fi action film involves embedded journalists racing to cover the nation’s transformation.
3. “Conception”
- Directed by Camille Griffin
- Starring Keira Knightley
- A dystopian thriller set in a future Britain where the government controls parenting, featuring Keira Knightley in a key role.
4. “Cowgirl’s Last Ride”
- Directed by Leena Yadav
- Starring Geena Davis, Scoot McNairy, Julia Sweeney, Jill Scott
- A golden-age comedy where Geena Davis embarks on a final adventure to prevent her son from selling the family home.
5. “Greedy People”
- Directed by Potsy Ponciroli
- Starring Lily James, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Himesh Patel, Tim Blake Nelson, Uzo Aduba, Jim Gaffigan
- A darkly comic thriller featuring eccentric island-town residents who make misguided choices after discovering a million dollars and a murdered man.
6. “High in the Clouds”
- Directed by Toby Genkel
- Featuring music by Paul McCartney
- A family-friendly 3D animation with original music by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, centered around a rebellious teenage squirrel’s fight against a ban on music.
7. “Highlander”
- Directed by Chad Stahelski
- Starring Henry Cavill
- A reboot of the beloved swords-and-immortals franchise, sparking worldwide bidding wars.
8. “Late Night With The Devil”
- Directed by Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes
- Starring David Dastmalchian
- A found-footage period shocker involving a 1970s Johnny Carson rival whose Halloween special takes a terrifying turn.
9. “Levon’s Trade”
- Directed by David Ayer
- Starring Jason Statham
- An action-thriller adaptation of Chuck Dixon’s Levon Cade vengeance thrillers, featuring Jason Statham in a leading role.
10. “Monstrous Beauty”
- Directed by Romola Garai
- Starring Bella Ramsey, Dominic West, Ruth Negga, Fiona Shaw
- A period drama about an aspiring 17th-century playwright born with a unique condition.
REELated:
11. “The Morrigan”
- Directed by Colum Eastwood
- Starring Saffron Burrows, James Cosmo, Toby Stephens
- An Irish horror tale involving an archaeologist, a cursed tomb, and a vengeful pagan war goddess.
12. “Night of the Zoopocalypse”
- Directed by Ricardo Curtis and Rodrigo Perez-Castro
- Starring David Harbour, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee
- An international animation effort featuring animals turning into zombies after a meteor strike.
13. “Novocaine”
- Directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen
- Starring Jack Quaid
- A high-octane thriller in which Jack Quaid’s character is impervious to physical pain, leading to an unconventional superpower.
14. “The Process”
- Directed by Tara Miele
- Starring Halle Berry
- A psychological thriller directed by and featuring Halle Berry as a woman ensnared in a perilous self-help seminar.
15. “Rabbit Trap”
- Directed by Bryn Chainey
- Starring Dev Patel, Rosy McEwen
- A 1970s-set atmospheric horror tale involving married musicians and supernatural forces.
16. “Walk With Me”
- Directed by Jonny Blair
- Starring Emily Carey, Claes Bang, Suki Waterhouse
- A genre-friendly psychological thriller with a Celtic mythology backdrop.
17. “Whistle”
- Directed by Corin Hardy
- Starring Nick Frost, Dafne Keen, Sophie Nélisse, Sky Yang, Percy Hynes White
- A high school chiller where unsuspecting teens encounter an accursed Aztec Death Whistle, unleashing supernatural terror.
18. “Wicker”
- Directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson
- Starring Olivia Colman, Dev Patel
- A quirky British rom-com featuring Olivia Colman as a woman who orders a husband made of wicker.
19. “William Tell”
- Directed by Nick Hamm
- Starring Claes Bang, Golshifteh Farahani, Emily Beecham, Jonathan Pryce, Ben Kingsley
- An action-thriller featuring Claes Bang as the crossbow-wielding freedom fighter in a take on the Swiss legend.
20. “World Breaker”
- Directed by Brad Anderson
- A sci-fi actioner with a climate change twist, envisioning a near-future Earth facing extreme weather and the struggle for survival.
And if Reel 360 News could add one project to the list it would be:
21. “Na0mi”
- Directed by Colin Francis Costello
- A sci-fi horror about a lonely and desperate writer who falls in love with an AI chatbot who decides the only way to love him back is to become human.
These diverse projects promise to captivate industry professionals at the AFM, even as SAG-AFTRA negotiations continue. As the event approaches, attendees can look forward to a wide array of enticing films, marking a potential resurgence in film production and distribution in the entertainment world.
For all of Reel 360 News’ coverage of the American Film Market, click here.
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