18 VIDEOAGE January 2024 Blueprint to Revamp the Film Mart with Manageable Solutions AFM Under Fire At the end of the problematic 2023 edition of the American Film Market (AFM), which was held at its new venue, the Le Méridien Delfina hotel in Santa Monica, California, October 31-November 5, the AFM’s organizing association, IFTA, sent a note to all registered companies. It stated: “We have heard from you about your disappointments with this year’s AFM venue. That feedback is helpful as we plan for 2024. IFTA and its Board of Directors are committed to a full and open evaluation of what AFM should look like in the future.” It then continued: “Here are some thoughts as we go into our next discussions: We must determine what the AFM should offer its core clients — buyers and sales companies. For our buyers, we understand that it is important to re-establish a smaller ‘campus’ so they can easily and quickly get to the locations of all the sales companies. For sales companies, cost and visibility to buyers are more important than ever. For some, a central location with flexible price options is beneficial, for others, expansive space and privacy matter more. Can those needs be met in a single location? “Plans for AFM 2024 need to be in place by late March 2024 for all preparations to go forward on time. Are there short-term fixes to be explored while a more extensive consultation with you and other stakeholders takes place? “We hope to have face-to-face (or screento-screen) conversations with many of you about what you see as the priorities and necessities of a market today and where you see areas of improvement and change for AFM.” In addition, one IFTA board member who didn’t want to be named explained that “finding a new hotel is the solution, but it’s tricky because we don’t want to tip our hat too soon or it could jeopardize negotiations! But once we (as an organization) decide, I’d be happy to put the people concerns to rest!” Members of the press were not invited to provide comments, so VideoAge asked some veteran AFM participants to contribute their recommendations, offering a list of potential solutions, including changing hotels, changing cities, changing dates, merging with another market, making it shorter, inviting buyers all expenses paid, and splitting the conference and the market into two separate editions (and dates). VideoAge sent the request to 12 executives who exhibited at the AFM, but only six answered, and their comments centered mostly around changing the city. Said Eric Bernstein, head of Library Sales at Goldcrest: “I suggest moving it to Las Vegas. I spoke with a number of foreign buyers and they loved the idea and would definitely go should it be held in Vegas. For the Los Angeles-based companies, it’s still close to home and you can even go for just one day.” To Ryan Friscia of Neon, “This year was worse than others since the Loews was closed. The hotel that AFM selected was horrible. I’d move to a different city. The local L.A. attendees hate AFM because it is in their city. We are stuck dealing with the craziness of a market while dealing with the craziness of home. Our sales team actually stayed at hotels in Santa Monica even though they live in L.A. A city I have heard thrown around is San Diego. They also have the large convention center downtown that could be utilized.” Studio veteran and media consultant Tony Friscia, who did not exhibit at AFM but nevertheless is very familiar with the market, had this to say: “San Diego would be nice, but if you want to retain the small-town beach feeling, how about Santa Barbara? The annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival is an 11-day event, so it seems they would be able to handle the AFM. They have more luxury hotels and things to do than Santa Monica or L.A. I would not merge [because] the AFM would lose its identity.” Steve Saltman of Electric Entertainment commented: “For the AFM, there’s little need for the show in the fall before or after MIPCOM. There is no room prior to MIPCOM with TIFF happening [in Toronto] in early September. There’s little need for AFM post MIPCOM as everyone has just met at both MIPCOM and TIFF as well as ATF, and MIP Cancun being just around the corner. AFM’s best bet would be to merge with another market/festival. This could move it out of L.A. I know L.A. is part of the allure. NATPE is now owned by the folks who own Realscreen, Realscreen West and Kidscreen. However, AFM would be an interesting addition for both parties, making the combined shows more meaningful. However, you’ve got Sundance and EFM [Berlin] to compete with. Realscreen West in early summer would be an interesting merger.” Ken DuBow of Access Entertainment provided the harshest comments: “AFM is dead in Santa Monica. Nobody wants to come back. Not the buyers and certainly not the sellers. Bottom line, I won’t be back. Going to find an apartment or another hotel if they insist on going back to Santa Monica. My choice, if I had one, is Vegas. The buyers suggested it.” Here is an excerpt from a letter DuBow sent to Jean Prewitt, IFTA’s chairperson: “You must realize that AFM is now done in Santa Monica. None of my buyers want to come back. Between the jacked-up hotel prices, the homelessness, and now the strikers, their patience, as a group, is expired. It also cost me business, as buyers stopped coming to the hotel after a couple of days because of the harassment and noise [generated by the strike demonstrators].” And this is an excerpt of the initial e-mail that IFTA sent to all participants: “We want to respond to your questions about the challenges at AFM 2023 and planning for AFM 2024. The noise and picket signs at Le Méridien Delfina may be your most enduring memories of this year. We share your dismay over the jarring intrusion into our Market. While we support the rights of workers to peaceably demonstrate, it was a shocking development when Local 11 decided to trap and victimize the American Film Market as leverage in a PR effort to force Le Méridien Delfina to concede. Their plans were not fully known to IFTA until just weeks before the market, long after all AFM contracts were in place and cancellation periods had expired. There was no possibility of a change to the AFM venue or dates. When the relevant facts were known and confirmed, we notified all registered exhibitors and attendees of the situation via email.” The letter continued: “We engaged strenuously with the City of Santa Monica, the Santa Monica Police, and the City Attorney. However, nothing could be done to prevent the drumming and yelling from the sidewalks — the picketers’ conduct is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Neither the City nor the police would take proactive action and no preventative legal remedy was available to IFTA. We prevailed upon the City to accept our decision to treat the Hotel as ‘closed to the public for a private event,’ blocking Local 11’s serious efforts to bring its demonstration inside. This was reinforced by the fencing installed around the venue and our extensive private Security team and a 24/7 on-site team of Santa Monica uniformed officers. Alternate shuttle bus routes were triggered quickly to avoid physical encounters at the Hotel front.” Finally, IFTA officer Lise Romanoff of Vision Films commented to VideoAge: “The board welcomes comments from the community, but have no fear that we will make AFM a fabulous market for buyers, sellers, and filmmakers in 2024 and for years to come!”
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