Renee Zellweger is not in this market story. The real news is that UK sales agents are heading into AFM from November 10-15 with a stronger-than-usual presence, while sellers say independent film is showing a return to sophistication.
Calum Gray, the Architect Film Sales co-founder, put the shift in blunt terms: “I definitely see the return of sophistication. The return of the frictive, of the singular, of the controversial,”. He is taking Australian horror Wolf Cre3k to the market, where distinctive titles are drawing attention.
Fairmont Century Plaza setup
The Fairmont Century Plaza is back on the preferred list because sellers say last year’s setup worked. Gray called it “It was my favourite market of last year because it is so well organised,” and added: “Efficient screening facilities, restaurants close to the main drag.”
He also said: “I can feel there’s so much more engagement from the agencies, the financiers [at the Fairmont]. AFM’s role in terms of connecting us to LA in business is there.” That matters for deal flow because the venue sits closer to the agency side of the market than a more isolated hotel setup would, giving sellers faster access to meetings that can turn screenings into sales.
Netflix and Skydance pressure
6% of Netflix staff have been laid off amid a tumbling stock price, and Warner Bros and Paramount have consolidated into the single Skydance entity. Gray said he is interested to see what Skydance does to the pay-TV landscape in the US, a concern that hangs over a market built on licensing conversations.
Gabrielle Stewart said the streamers should back theatrical distributors rather than bypass them: “What we need is for the streamers to support theatrical distributors’ releases by actively buying that pay-one [window] rather than self-generating,”. That is the practical issue for sellers at AFM: whether buyers keep feeding the existing window structure or force rights holders to stitch together a release themselves.
HanWay Films and UK offices
HanWay Films is bringing Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat’s Mare Nostrum and Honeymooners to AFM, while some UK sellers have again opted for a shared office space. Altitude, Blue Finch, Reason8, Screenbound, Celsius and The Mise en Scene Company are in that shared setup, a sign that sellers want to cluster where buyers are already moving.
The market is also being shaped by global box-office strength from distinctive work, including Black Bear’s Wicker, Laika’s Wildwood and A24’s You Can See Everything. For sellers, that gives the indie side a cleaner pitch than it had a year ago, but the buyer pool is changing fast enough that physical proximity, agency access and window strategy now matter as much as the titles on the slate.
