It’s been now more than a week since the 40th annual American Film Market (AFM) ended, and I’m still processing the experience (and catching up from four days of pounding the Santa Monica pavement). This week-long event, which describes itself as “the most efficient film acquisition, development and networking event in the world,” is where independent film producers (or their sales agents) and distributors come to buy and sell movies. It’s also where a lot of filmmakers–aspiring and otherwise–come to get exposure for their projects and to the film industry. It’s that last part that is a bit contentious, at least according to this blog post by Evan Littman at No Film School.
Evan’s headline might be a bit confrontational, but his hypothesis–that AFM markets itself to starry-eyed newbies in an attempt to jack up ticket sales even though it’s not the right place to come to pitch your passion project–comes from a place of good intentions. And I can kind of see his point, although I don’t wholly agree that AFM’s marketing overtly targets the “how do I break in?” set. Or, at least, not to those of us who go in with eyes wide open knowing what to expect by doing our homework. Anyone who drops $500-plus on a ticket to anything without figuring out what’s really going on is probably not someone who’s going to get very far in their prospective career anyway.
All that said, I did not go to AFM for the first time a few weeks ago to sell or buy a film. Yes, I have a documentary in post-production that will need distribution when it’s finished. But I wasn’t there to pitch an unfinished film to sales agents or distributors. I was there to get the lay of the land that is the independent film market. I went to take advantage of conferences and workshops that essentially added up to crash courses in everything from script writing and pitching to documentary production and film marketing. A lot of the material I already knew and have been implementing in my existing projects. But a lot more I didn’t know, and will now help me in the future on both the creative and business sides.
AFM also gave me the chance to network, both with other filmmakers/producers/creators, and with the “gatekeepers” who I might need to call on one day. I came away with not only a better sense of how to position Parkway of Broken Dreams when it’s ready for distribution, but also inspiration on how to get it to that point in the first place. I gained insight into how to pitch films and TV series both by watching others do it in an “American Idol” type setting, and by “pitching” while talking about my own projects throughout the week to various people.
And, as someone who spent 10 years attending, exhibiting at, or organizing comic book conventions, I have to say I was impressed by the logistical infrastructure of AFM. Clean, climate-controlled shuttle vans–with USB power outlets at each seat–ran every five minutes from both the parking lots (which were only about a seven-minute walk down the beach anyway) and between the host hotels. Water bottles were provided on both the shuttles and at the main shuttle pickup. Aside from a wait at badge pickup on Saturday morning, there were barely lines or waits for anything, although some of the panels at the Palisades Stage were beyond standing room only. The Loews hotel’s regular drinking and dining options were augmented with a pop-up coffee and snack bar. Staff and volunteers were plentiful, friendly and helpful. And because Loews (the main hotel for the event) was closed off to non-badge holders, you could almost always find a spot to sit down, recharge, work, relax, or have an impromptu meeting.
I only attended one after-party (not counting the official “Carousel Cocktails” mixer at the Santa Monica Pier, which was a great chance to mingle with other attendees, even if it was a bit crowded), hosted off-site by a production and distribution company that uses its event to provide exposure for its slate of film projects. Although it didn’t seem like the type of party which any serious movers or shakers would attend, it was still another good opportunity for networking, even over $14 cocktails.
Overall, I’d say I got out of AFM what I put into it. Could I have set up more meetings with sales agents or distributors ahead of time? Probably. Could I have saved money not prepaying for parking and just taking a Lyft from my friends’ house four miles away? Possibly. Did I make any meaningful connections among the various business cards I collected over the course of four days? You never know. It’s a surprisingly small industry, and you never know who will be in a position to either need your help or offer their own one day. I’m glad I went, I’m glad I took relative care of myself, and now I feel better positioned to move forward on my various filmmaking projects as the new year quickly creeps up on us.