The American Film Market® (AFM®) concluded its 46th edition in the new LA venue at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel

Four Days of Programming Featured 135 Industry Leaders, Experts, Creatives, and Innovators Across Film, TV and AI Technology.

Australian Filmmaker Paul Andersen Awarded Top Honors at AFM Pitch Conference for Family-Friendly Feature Comedy “Disconnect”

The American Film Market® (AFM®) concluded its 46th edition on Sunday, November 16, 2025 marking the Market’s return home to Los Angeles and its first-ever staging at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Century City.

AFM brought together sales and production companies, buyers, financiers, film commissions, and representatives from every corner of the independent industry across 83 countries for a dynamic week of dealmaking, screenings, conferences, networking, and events.

A total of 6,132 attendees visited the Market. Exhibition space at the Fairmont sold out and featured 285 registered companies from 35 countries, with the largest exhibitor presence after the United States (124) coming from the United Kingdom (23), France (20), Italy (17), Thailand (17), and Germany (11). AFM welcomed both returning companies and first-time exhibitors, contributing to a diverse mix of established and emerging players. 

500 buying companies from 61 countries, representing every major avenue of distribution participated in the Market, with most sending multiple representatives. Buyer attendance was consistent with 2024 overall, with a 17% increase in U.S. representation, which remained the highest among all territories. The United States was followed by Germany, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Canada, Japan, Turkey, Brazil, Australia, China, Mexico, India, Belgium, Hungary, Ukraine, and the Netherlands.

A new initiative of the Market was the Innovation Hub, developed in collaboration with Marché du Film / Cannes Next, which featured nine companies and guided AFM’s first slate of AI-focused sessions. These conversations brought to the stage leading voices shaping technology and entertainment, including Darren Frankel (Adobe), Will French (Fallbrook), Scott Greenberg (Othelia Technologies), Peter Leeb (Veritone), Scott Martin (Aspen IP Consulting and former Deputy General Counsel, Paramount Pictures), Lori McCreary (Revelations Entertainment), Bryn Mooser (Asteria/Moonvalley), Ted Schilowitz (Futurist, former Paramount & 20th Century Fox), and Todd Terrazas (FBRC.ai). Together, they explored how AI is reshaping creation, financing, legal frameworks, and production workflows across film and television.

Continuing to build and expand its renowned conference program, The AFM Sessions presented by Wrapbook and IMDbPro delivered a record 35 sessions across two stages featuring 135 industry experts. This year’s programming provided attendees a wealth of timely film financing, production, sales, distribution/streaming, screenwriting, shooting locations and incentives information and opinions, as well as dedicated sessions on The Evolving Relationship Between Filmmaking and Gaming, Latinos Navigating Hollywood, The Power Players Behind Modern Horror, The Producer’s Journey and The Rise of Short Drama Micro-Series.

Included among the many speakers were Stephanie Allain, Homegrown Pictures; Jordan Bastian, SXSW Sydney; Russell Binder, Striker Entertainment; Jake Carter, UTA; Yohann Comte, Charades; Lourdes Diaz, AGC Studios; Lauren Farbstein, Samuel Goldwyn Films; Jeffrey Greenstein, A Higher Standard; Marc Iserlis, Republic Film; Jacob Jaffke, Producer (MaXXXine, Pearl); Amanda Krouse, Blumhouse; Allison Hironaka, Caviar; Laura Lewis, Rebelle Media; Joe Lewis, Amplify Pictures; J.D. Lifshitz, Producer (Weapons, Barbarian); Yolanda Macias, Cineverse; Matt Magielnicki, FX; Steven C. Miller, Filmmaker (Line of Duty, Werewolves); Willie Morris, Watrfall;Jarod Neece, Tribeca Enterprises; Sam Pressman, Pressman Film; Sav Rodgers, Transgender Film Center; Josh Rosenbaum, Waypoint Entertainment; Blake Rochkind, Lyrical Games; Olga Rodriguez-Aguirre, SAG-AFTRA; Jay Roewe, HBO/Max/Warner Bros. Discovery; Kent Sanderson, Bleecker Street; Susan Sprung, Producers Guild of America; Gabrielle Stewart, HanWay Films; Susan Wendt, TrustNordisk; and Christopher Woodrow, MCT.

The 12th annual AFM Pitch Conference, held on Saturday, November 15, reunited award-winning producer Cassian Elwes and screenwriting professor and coach Lee Jessup, who were joined this year by independent producer Loni Rodgers. From more than 150 video pitches submitted, 20 pre-selected participants were invited to pitch live on stage, where the judges provided constructive feedback and awarded director Paul Andersen of Australia top honors for his family comedy feature Disconnect (written by Joey Day Hargrove) -- about a dysfunctional family that must learn to work together when aliens invade their town through their screens.