The American Film Market concluded its 46th edition on Sunday, marking a triumphant return to Los Angeles and its first year at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Century City. After a decade in Santa Monica, AFM’s homecoming drew enthusiasm from across the independent film sector, delivering a packed week of screenings, dealmaking, panels, and programming.
More than 6,100 attendees from 83 countries filled the Market, including sales and production companies, buyers, financiers, film commissions, and other industry representatives. Exhibition space at the Fairmont fully sold out, hosting 285 registered companies from 35 countries. Outside of the U.S., the strongest exhibitor presence came from the U.K. (23), France (20), Italy (17), Thailand (17), and Germany (11).
Buyer turnout remained on par with 2024 totals, bolstered by a 17 percent increase in U.S. buyers, the top-attending territory. Distribution companies from 61 countries — among them Germany, South Korea, the U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Canada, Japan, Turkey, Brazil, Australia, China, Mexico, India, Belgium, Hungary, Ukraine, and the Netherlands — sent teams to shop for new films across all genres and budgets.
AFM Introduces Innovation Hub and AI Track
A major addition this year was the Innovation Hub, created in partnership with Marché du Film / Cannes Next. With nine participating companies and AFM’s first slate of AI-focused programming, the Hub brought together leading voices in emerging technology, including Darren Frankel (Adobe), Scott Greenberg (Othelia Technologies), Lori McCreary (Revelations Entertainment), Ted Schilowitz, and Bryn Mooser (Asteria/Moonvalley).
Discussions explored the evolving intersection of AI with financing, production, legal frameworks, creative development, and distribution.
A Record Year for the AFM Sessions
The AFM Sessions, presented by Wrapbook and IMDbPro, continued to expand with a record 35 sessions across two stages. 135 speakers from across film, TV, streaming, gaming, and tech led conversations on global production incentives, film finance, modern distribution pipelines, genre trends, gaming integrations, and the rise of short-form storytelling.
Featured speakers included Stephanie Allain (Homegrown Pictures), Lourdes Diaz (AGC Studios), Jacob Jaffke (MaXXXine), Amanda Krouse (Blumhouse), Laura Lewis (Rebelle Media), Jay Roewe (HBO/Max/WBD), Gabrielle Stewart (HanWay Films), Susan Wendt (TrustNordisk), and Christopher Woodrow (MCT).
Australia’s Paul Andersen Takes Top Prize at AFM Pitch Conference
The 12th Annual AFM Pitch Conference, led by Cassian Elwes and Lee Jessup with producer Loni Rodgers, selected 20 finalists from more than 150 video submissions to pitch live on stage. This year’s top honor went to Paul Andersen of Australia for Disconnect, a family-friendly comedy written by Joey Day Hargrove about a dysfunctional family forced to unite when aliens invade through their screens.
As AFM closes out its 2025 edition, the Market’s return to its longtime home in Los Angeles — and its expanded embrace of emerging technology — sets the stage for what many attendees called one of the most energized and forward-looking AFM events in years. Below are some pics from the market:
REELated:
AFM 2025 rediscovers its swagger at the Fairmont
