AFM Roars Back: Indie Film Market Revival & Hot Titles

American Film Market (AFM) rebounds with star-driven titles after pandemic disruptions. Confidence surges as indie film business shows strength. Buzzworthy projects attract buyers despite a scary time.

After years of turbulence, venue shifts and pandemic-era gloom, the indie globe’s greatest film market is back in battling form– with a jam-packed slate of star-driven titles confirming there’s still life (and purchasers) in the business.

AFM: Resilience of Indie Films

The reports of the fatality of the American Film Market have been substantially overemphasized. After years of disturbance– from the double impact of the pandemic and the Hollywood strikes to a set of foolhardy venue changes, including in 2015’s misfire in Las Vegas– the world’s leading indie flick exposition looks set for a shocking resurgence. Transferred to the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles this year’s AFM arrives amidst increasing confidence that the independent business still has lots of fight left in it.

That strength abroad has provided sellers renewed self-confidence heading to the market’s new home in Century City, that AFM’s pounding heart– the pre-sales company– still promises enough oxygen for the international indie environment. THR’s Hot List of the buzziest titles at AFM lacks the big-budget actioners of years past yet offsets it in range, with high-concept genre plays, star-driven dramatization, and status award-hopefuls providing plenty for buyers tiny and huge.

“This is a scary time,” notes IFTA and AFM chief Jean Prewitt, that is tipping down after this year’s market. “I do not understand any type of business that is coming into any market claiming this’s mosting likely to be very easy. Everyone is can be found in with the view that this is make or damage.”

Key Titles at AFM 2024

BUZZ Perkins’ follow-up to Longlegs and The Monkey promises a lot more premium horror to feed his growing global fan base. The story for The Youngster is still under wraps, yet the cast and the Perkins brand must be sufficient to market out.

Horror Film Trends

After years of disturbance– from the dual blow of the pandemic and the Hollywood strikes to a set of ill-advised location shifts, including last year’s misfire in Las Vegas– the world’s leading indie motion picture exposition looks set for an unexpected comeback. BUZZ Funnies are constantly a challenging sell worldwide, yet the debut attribute from Portlandia designer Krisel has significant cult possibility. The vengeance comedy has Goth playing a better half identified to quest down the bear (Mr. Cranky) that ate her spouse (Stevens). BUZZThe Square and Bad Sis star Bang plays the massage therapist of Nazi SS leader Heinrich Himmler. An amazing real story with a duration shine to appeal to status purchasers.

BUZZ Billed as a female-led Good Will Searching, this prestige play, targeting arthouse customers, features One Battle After One more outbreak Infiniti playing a gifted mathematician conscripted to challenge in the world’s top mathematics competition.

BUZZ Rogen and Kendrick play a couple having problem with the decision of whether to bring a child right into the world that become instantaneous co-parents when their a newly-divorced buddy, and her 3-year-old, relocate with them. A high-concept dramedy with sufficient star power to attract theatrical buyers, domestic and international.

BUZZ After taking on period (The Bikeriders), melodrama (Caring) and sci-fi (Twelve o’clock at night Unique), director Nichols is attempting his hand at Southern Gothic scary with this twisted story of a young pair (Qualley and Starkey) who inherit a farm in country Arkansas and have to overcome the satanic forces, both physical and metaphysical, that haunt it. A premium frightening flick that howls theatrical release.

BUZZ Gibson’s two-part follow-up to his 2004 scriptural smash hit The Enthusiasm of the Christ looks to be the biggest title at AFM this year, with the two functions can be found in at a consolidated spending plan of $200 million-plus. The manuscript is still under covers, but anticipate customers to take a leap of confidence that Gibson (functioning once more with Braveheart screenwriter Randall Wallace) can supply indie redemption.

BUZZ Kafka fulfills Scarface in this New york city criminal offense story, adapted from William Lashner’s unique, concerning a strange stranger that transforms himself right into a larger-than-life crowd boss. A-list actors plus genre hook ought to amount to solid interest, particularly from international staged customers.

BUZZ Stars Madekwe (Saltburn, Lurker) and Ben-Adir (Bob Marley: One Love) play bros separated in childhood that reunite as adults in the debut feature from increasing Brit ability Sheibani. Melodramas can be a tough genre to pre-sell yet this comes with a cast of first-class personality stars, consisting of Scanlan (Notes on a Scandal) and Descas (35 Shots of Rum) as the bros’ separated moms and dads, which should put anxious customers secure.

BUZZ Function animation stays a solid business, theatrically and in home entertainment, and this title, regarding a woman that locates a wooden box that carries her to a magical globe called The Switching, is being closely enjoyed by family-friendly suppliers.

“We’ve been surprised by the truth that during the pandemic and the strikes and the contraction of a large component of the sector, that a lot of the large independent suppliers around the globe have been doing simply great,” includes his Upgrade companion Matt Brodlie. “It’s not as dramatic as the united state sector, where every person’s simply attempting to get by the skin of their teeth.”

BUZZ The brand-new feature from Transsiberian and The Machinist director Brad Anderson sounds like a welcome throwback to ’90s erotic thrillers, a style appreciating a comeback presently. Stranger Things star Montgomery is a family man having an affair with a married woman (Boutella) that gets caught up in a video game of blackmail and manipulation when her other half (Robbins) uncovers their deceptiveness.

BUZZ Long in the making, this $150 million 7th Century Saudi war epic gets to AFM with substantial baggage, but the hit scope and bankable worldwide stars– including Captain America’s Mackie– ought to be enough to convince global buyers to saddle up.

BUZZ Moretz plays an unlucky solitary woman with an ability for composing other people’s wedding event vows that gets asked to pen the I-do’s for a women weding her old university fire in this rom-com targeting international streamers and theatrical buyers.

BUZZ Customers looking for a solid mid-budget theatrical release can swipe precisely this tasty offering from StudioCanal: A London-set rom-com thriller regarding modern dating, which guarantees 2 warm leads and some subversive subtext.

BUZZ A multigenerational tale of heartbreak, trauma and really hope that adheres to three Aboriginal sis and their mother, uprooted by a 1950s relocation plan from Oklahoma to Los Angeles, who forge a home in L.A.’s cemented riverways. A set drama with top-tier aboriginal skill and awards-friendly crossover charm.

BUZZ AFM customers want style price that isn’t common, and there’s nothing normal about this high-concept action thriller, from the supervisor of Dead Snow and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. Hartnett plays a changed bank burglar who carries out one final heist to money his child’s Harvard tuition, only to discover himself on the set of a stopping working reality TV program.

BUZZ Sharrock, that stood out with his Bafta-nominated Limbo (2020 ), scales up with this brand-new dramatization, including Callum Turner and Adria Arjona as strangers who connect during a freak rainstorm in the Arabian desert. Customers can be assured by the credentials of the producers, that includes Oscar-winner Florian Zeller (The Father).

BUZZCoda starlet Emilia Jones and On Swift Equines star Sissy Edgar-Jones (no relation), play siblings in this duration item from Kneecap director Peppiatt regarding the Irish scarcity and the circumstances of women in the 19th century. A high-brow offering for high end representatives.

BUZZ Boyle, fresh off his bounce from the success of 28 Years Later, takes on the Rupert Murdoch beginning tale, with Pearce as the Aussie media magnate. The allure of a leading cabinet real-life dramatization with severe honors potential ought to make this biopic stand out.

Upcoming Dramas & Thrillers

BUZZ This meta-slasher reboot, about a horror-obsessed filmmaker and the “final girl” that motivated her, must pull in genre-savvy buyers trying to find an extra festival-friendly arthouse scary, which comes with some indie cache and a huge dosage of humor.

BUZZ Plot details for this attribute are being maintained under covers, however the re-teaming of Del Toro with Reptile supervisor Vocalist, hot off the actor’s award-buzzy efficiency in One Battle After Another, should suffice to attract purchasers in.

BUZZ International buyers are frequently cold on united state funnies, however this brand-new job from Movie theater Camp co-director Liberman, along with the A-list spreading, includes a sharp high-concept twist: Davidson and Purnell play a brand-new pair that discover their future coming kid is destined to conserve humanity. The only problem is, they have actually simply had their initial day and they despise each other.

BUZZThe Square and Bad Siblings star Bang plays the massage therapist of Nazi SS leader Heinrich Himmler. After the battle, he claims to have actually been a hero, assisting hundreds of prisoner-of-war camp detainees run away. A dogged journalist thinks she sees openings in his story. An astounding true story with a period sheen to appeal to reputation buyers.

BUZZ Funnies are constantly a tough sell globally, but the launching function from Portlandia developer Krisel has major cult possibility. The retribution funny has Goth playing a better half determined to hound the bear (Mr. Cranky) that consumed her other half (Stevens). Galifianakis is the socially uncomfortable park ranger who joins her in her quest for ursine revenge.

Comedies & Adaptations

BUZZ Rockwell plays a low-end L.A. private detective fighting the signs and symptoms of a late-stage brain lump attempting to locate the little girl of an affluent politician in this adjustment of Joshua Hale Fialkov’s well-known comic. A high end film noir for discerning speciality purchasers or streamers.

BUZZ This moment travel comedy transfers a burnt-out country mama and her positive high-school buddy to 18th century Scotland, a world where they both have yearned to visit and locate romance and adventure. When they are amazingly delivered there, they find that time duration to be much less “romance” and more physical violence, body and mud smell.

BUZZ Woodley plays an ultramarathon runner compelled to face previous injury throughout a 135-mile race throughout Fatality Valley in this sporting feature with Wild feelings that could appeal to indie purchasers looking for a cross-over drama.