American Film Market Remains on Schedule for November

By Dave McNary

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The American Film Market has announced that it remains on track to hold the 2020 market set for Nov. 3-8 in Santa Monica, Ca., despite the coronavirus pandemic.

“We know how difficult the past few months have been for our industry around the world and our thoughts go out to those whose loved ones have been directly impacted by the virus,” the Independent Film & Television Alliance said Friday. “Plans for AFM 2020 continue to move forward as scheduled. We are committed to providing the industry with a market where participants can connect and do business in a safe and secure environment. Online Registration is set to open on July 6 and we look forward to welcoming the world to Santa Monica in November.”

IFTA announced in February that it would cut two days from the market. “This move also supports a broader marketplace shift that has companies commencing sales early with deals started at film markets often finalized after the event concludes,” IFTA added.

AFM, which had been operating on a Wednesday-through-Wednesday schedule, will go with a Tuesday-Sunday schedule, starting this year with a Nov. 3-8 run. It will remain at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel through 2024.

AFM is one of the independent film industry’s key sales markets along with the European Film Market at the Berlin Film Festival in February, the Cannes Film Festival in May and the Toronto Intl. Film Festival in September. Cannes has been postponed until an indefinite date due to the coronavirus pandemic.