Videoage International December 2019

10 December 2019 V I D E O A G E A t the recently concluded 40th annual American Film Market (AFM), which ran from November 6 to 13, the various film commissions stole the show with their sheer promotional presence. A separate component of the market, the Location Expo, returned to the AFM on the fourth day of the market, with 50 film commissions, government agencies, reps from production facilities, and related services from 21 countries. The Location Expo had been part of the AFM for many years, but it went dormant in 1993, only to be brought back in 2016. Located in a dedicated exhibition space within the AFM, the Location Expo was a source of information about locations, production incentives, services, and resources available for projects filmed in a variety of countries. Film commissions also dominated the space for the banners posted on the balconies of the Loews Hotel, the event headquarters in Santa Monica, California. And several trade publications had ads touting their cash back incentives (i.e., programs designed to return some of the money spent in their countries), services, and their unique locations. Panama plastered ads for its “Cash Back Incentives.” Malta offered 40 percent cash back. Taiwan boasted up to U.S.$1 million funding. Poland promoted its 30 percent cash back rebate. Russia upped the ante to 40 percent. And Romania plugged its up-to-45 percent cash back incentives. Plus, a group from the Italian region Abruzzo held a conference and cocktail party to promote their film commission, while a delegation from Thailand threw a mega-party. The Romanians, who won this rebate con- test, came to the AFM with seven exhibiting companies.Many of thembrought attention to the fact that the yearly budget allocated by Romania to fund the rebate program is 50 million euro. Poland, too, proudly announced that it has seven regional film commissions and 11 regional film funds, with global funds totalling $28 million. Russia also created buzz with its Created in Moscow brand, which was supported by the Moscow Export Center. China, on the other hand, was predictably quiet at the AFM, due to the U.S. trade war, its new tax rules, and censorship. This is despite the fact that officials on both sides recently announced a desire to roll back tariffs. The market had two main components: Ex- hibitions and conferences. Some 375 exhibitors were welcomed into the hotel’s suites for eight days starting on November 6. Organizations from 11 countries hosted umbrella stands at the AFM for their sales agents, producers, and production facilities. In terms of additional facts and figures, an estimated 7,000 participants were in attendance, and of the 375 exhibiting companies, 77 were new exhibitors from 22 countries. The United States had the biggest exhibitor presence with 160, followed by the U.K. (31), France (26), Russia (19), South Korea (17), Germany (12), Italy (8), Romania (8), and Thailand (8). The AFM also hosted more than 400 screenings of 313 films from 114 exhibiting companies. A record 80 movies had their world premieres during the market. In addition, among the titles represented at this year’s AFM there were over 25 films submitted for “Best International Film” at the Academy Awards. This year, AFM organizers officially allowed companies to set up their sales offices outside of the Loews Hotel, while the adjacent hotel, Le Merigot, no longer housed sales offices. Jonathan Wolf, the AFM’s managing director, explained that the market was categorized by “lots of sun and lots of sales. The key change,” he pointed out, “was the new Cannes Film Festival format, with 14 companies exhibiting outside the Loews Hotel.” The AFM’s organizer, the Los Angeles-based Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA), touted its large number of conferences (four were about finance; one touched on pitching; two were about productions; two focused on television; and two more centered on distribution) and its two writers’ workshops. More than 150 speakers were present for the 52 conference sessions scheduled. But most exhibitors tended to gloss over all that, focusing instead on the number of buyers that were present at the event. The AFM can usually count on around 1,300 faithful buyers. Opening day saw some chaos — not at the Loews Hotel, but 16 kilometers south at LAX, the Los Angeles airport. Just prior to the AFM’s opening, LAX authorities decided to move the taxi pick-up zone next to Terminal One, which caused long lines and hardships for those AFM participants arriving at the airport’s Tom Bradley International Terminal, which is a considerable distance from Terminal One. Some rumbling was also heard about the elimination of the restaurant inside the Loews (to make room for conferences), which took a sizable number of participants outside the hotel for lunch. Luckily for all, however — and especially for Los Angeles residents — the wildfires that were closing in on the north end of Santa Monica prior to the AFM’s start were put out before the market (although some areas, like Burbank, experienced a few fire outbreaks as late as Sunday, November 10). The area enjoyed sunny, summer-like days throughout the event, which attracted a large number of tourists to the Santa Monica beach. As a consequence, traffic, whichwas already bad due to the busy market, was even more problematic than usual for AFM participants. Film Commissions The World Over Exchange Money For Productions American Fi lm Market Review Some executives of the Romanian contingent (l. to r.): Exploratist’s Andreea Zaharescu, Clody Design’s Alexandru Baltá, CRFM’s Mihai Lupu, Sirbu Productions’ Stefan Hillerin, and Retscan’s Liviu Pascu Representatives from the Abruzzo Film Commission Francesco Di Filippo and Mauro Febbo (background) visited the Italian contingent at the Italian Trade Commission umbrella suite at the Loews.