The American Film Market (AFM®) set for Oct. 31-Nov. 7 in Santa Monica, today announced the topics and schedule for its five day AFM Conference Series .   The, Conferences, covering a range of timely and valuable topics spanning from treatment to screen, will take place 9:15 am – 12:45 pm daily from Friday, Nov. 2 – Tuesday, Nov. 6, and will be comprised of a Finance Conference, Pitch Conference, Marketing Conference, Video-on-Demand Conference and Micro-Budget Conference.
 
The program provides AFM attendees, who hail from more than 70 countries, invaluable knowledge, insight, access and a rare opportunity to hear from the industry’s global thought leaders, decision makers and experts all in one place.  The AFM Conference Series launched in 2011 and sold out in its first year with more than 700 attendees at each event. 
 
In addition, the AFM has just unveiled its newly redesigned website (www.americanfilmmarket.com) which coincides with the opening of registration for the Fall market.  The new website has an improved user interface and navigation, and has a new visual design, making it easier for AFM attendees to find the information they need.   In addition, the site boasts better content capabilities and allows more seamless ways to connect with AFM’s popular social media channels including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
 
"AFM is attended by industry leaders from more than 70 countries so the AFM Conference Series has a tremendous pool of experts and innovators to draw from." said Jonathan Wolf, executive vice president of the Independent Film & Television Alliance and managing director of the AFM.  "This makes the AFM Conference Series unique and invaluable.  We are looking forward to building on the 2011 inaugural, sold-out event by exploring topics that are most relevant to global filmmakers."
 
The 2012 AFM Conference Series will consist of:
Finance Conference, Friday, November 2
Leading CEOs, filmmakers, financiers and studio executives converge to explore the state of independent film financing, emerging trends, where the money is, new opportunities and incentives, and what the future holds.
Pitch Conference, Saturday, November 3
A good pitch can get a bad film made and a bad pitch can leave a terrific project languishing on the shelf.  Pitching is part art (it’s creative), part science (needs to follow a tight script) and part salesmanship.  Conference attendees will first learn the essential rules and tools of pitching from the experts.  Then, volunteers from the audience (you?) will pitch a panel of Hollywood decision makers.  They will give unvarnished feedback on each pitch – saying what worked, what didn’t, and why. Warning: This session is not for the weak.
Marketing Conference, Sunday, November 4
Connecting with and engaging the audience in authentic, creative ways is critical.  Word-of-mouth and friend recommendations can make or break the box office results.  The gurus behind the most successful and innovative new media marketing campaigns discuss reinventing the marketing wheel, explore how the consumer can be the most effective marketing tool and reveal how to win over the broadest possible audience.
Video-On-Demand Conference, Monday, November 5
Video-On-Demand is a growing revenue stream for filmmakers and content providers.  Like the excitement of a gold rush, many hope for a future when all films are available worldwide and every film finds an audience.  Producers, distributors and platforms will come together to disclose who is making money, how they are doing it and what the future holds – separating fact from fiction.
Micro-Budget Conference, Tuesday, November 6
New and unconventional financing, marketing and distribution resources are proving very successful for Micro-Budget films.  Producers and distributors will reveal how to find the money, making the most of budgets, what distributors are looking for, reaching your audience and how these new tools are redefining the film business. 
 
The 2012 AFM Conference Series will be held at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel (101 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica).  For additional information, visit www.AmericanFilmMarket.com/conferences.
 
About the AFM
The business of independent motion picture production and distribution – a truly collaborative process – reaches its peak every year at the AFM, when more than 8,000 industry leaders converge in Santa Monica for eight days of deal-making, screenings, conferences, premieres, networking and parties.  Participants come from more than 70 countries and include acquisition and development executives, agents, attorneys, directors, distributors, festival directors, financiers, film commissioners, producers, writers, the world's press and all those who provide services to the motion picture industry.
 
Founded in 1981, the AFM quickly became the premier global marketplace where Hollywood's decision-makers and trendsetters all gather under one roof.  Unlike a film festival, the AFM is a marketplace where production and distribution deals are closed.  In just eight days, more than $800 million in deals will be sealed - on both completed films and those in every stage of development and production - making the AFM the must-attend industry event.
 
The AFM is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), the trade association representing the world's producers and distributors of independent motion pictures and television programs.  More information is online at www.IFTA-online.org.