AFM comfortable in its spot, at peace with MIFED.

While U.S. domestic television conferences and conventions continue to suffer from dwindling attendance due to industry consolidation, the international film market seems to be bouncing back strongly as it enters 2002. A record 419 films will screen at this year's 22nd annual American Film Market in Santa Monica, California, February 20-27, a five percent increase over 2001. In addition, scheduled market film premieres are up to 244.

"There's no festival in the world that's this big," said Jonathan Wolf, AFM managing director and exec vp for American Film Market Association (AFMA), the market organizer. "This year's market is a testimony to the continued strength of the independent film and television industry." He went on to note that the record number of films at this year's AFM, "is clear evidence that the independent motion picture and television industry is poised for a very healthy year. We are thrilled the industry remains so robust."

Last year, over 7,000 participants from more than 70 countries attended, and although 2002 attendance figures at press time (late January) were not yet available, AFM officials expect market attendance to remain strong. "We are nearly sold out more than a month in advance of the show," Wolf added, "reinforcing AFM's relevance to all those who work in the film industry."

This year's eight-day market, which takes place at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, will feature 305 exhibiting companies, including 25 first-time exhibitors. Based on 2001 attendance and performance, AFM 2002 is expected to generate more than $500 million in film production and distribution deals.

The financial health of the market is the best indicator of how far AFM has come since its inception in 1981 when it was organized by a group of independents disgruntled with Cannes, which up to that time was the primary film market, followed by Milan's MIFED. AFMA Chairman Kathy Morgan said: "In the beginning, when we founded the organization, the sole purpose was to put new films on a market."

Over the years, AFM became an influential market in its own right as more and more U.S. companies entered into co-financing deals with international production houses. Although less well-known to the public at large than its famous counterpart in France, within the industry AFM has arguably established itself as just as important as any other market in the world. In fact, noted Jonathan Wolf, "The people who participate here are all the same people" who'll be in Cannes a couple of months later.

Because of the continued growth and strength of the market, discussions about rescheduling it later in the year have all but disappeared. Greg Ptacek, AFM's director corporate, explained: "There's a nice symmetry to the major film markets as they now stand. You have the Cannes festival in April, MIFED and London Screenings in the autumn and AFM in the winter. Plus, it would make absolutely no sense for us to pit ourselves against London Screenings and MIFED. So although there was some talk of moving AFM a few years back, it's all in the past now."

AFMA which puts on MM, now represents over 150 member companies from around the world, including independent distributors and producers of both feature film and television programming such as Alliance-Atlantis, Fireworks Pictures, Intermedia, Pathe, TF1 and Troma.

In addition to the main market, MM will offer industry seminars presented by DGA, WGA, SAG, IFP/West, Women in Film and ERMA (Entertainment Resources & Marketing Association), at the Merigot Hotel, next door to the Lowes. There will also be a two-part morning finance conference at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel.

A marked change this year will be a decrease in the dotcom presence from two years ago, with the mad rush to put films on the Internet now on the backburner for many in the industry as the hot button issues and opportunities of VOD and SVOD considerably heat up.

As it has the last several years, AFM will open selected screenings to the public, a strategy that has been embraced by the distributors. "Some distributors and producers felt that their films played better with an audience, explained Wolf. "They wanted the festival sort of feel, a crowded room, an excited gathering with people that really love film, because you can't create buzz in an empty room."