International Movie Conference Was A 2016 Highlight

Looking back on the highlights of 2016, attending the American Film Market (AFM) and Conference in Los Angeles this fall was definitely one of them.

View From The Top - A bird's-eye view from inside
the Loews Hotel during the conference.

The week-long, annual conference helps independent movies reach audiences who will appreciate them. The event also helps filmmakers connect with producers and network other filmmakers who can help them get their projects off the ground.

This was my first time attending AFM, which was held during the first week of November, and it was a really cool experience. My purpose in attending the conference was to make contacts and generate buzz about the documentary I made and plan to release in 2017, "Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring." (Click here for more information about "Lady Wrestler.")

Throughout AFM, film and television distribution companies from around the world set up shop in suites at the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica. Prior to the start of the conference, independent filmmakers and producers can make appointments with the distribution companies and then meet face to face at the Loews and other locations in the immediate vicinity.

The overall goal is for filmmakers and producers to secure funding for movies they're trying to get made and/or strike deals to distribute movies they've already made.

During the conference, I attended a couple of very interesting panel discussions with industry leaders. In one panel discussion, African-American filmmaker Tina Mabry spoke about how making her acclaimed 2009 independent film "Mississippi Damned" eventually led to her being recruited by "Selma" director Ava DuVernay to direct episodes of "Queen Sugar" on Oprah's OWN cable channel. 

During the same panel discussion, "Dallas Buyers Club" producer Cassian Elwes shared how he raised the money for that Oscar-nominated indie movie in an astounding three days. To read the in-depth article in which he describes the process, click here. 

AFM also functions as a film festival, with screenings taking place at Santa Monica's AMC theater. I caught one very interesting Irish movie about two young men who become unlikely friends while attending boarding school. 

A fringe benefit of the conference is hitting the
beach and soaking up the California sun.

An added plus of the AFM is that it takes place in a beautiful area of L.A. near Venice Beach and the Pacific Ocean. One of the coolest experiences I had was attending a reception on the Santa Monica Piers, hobnobbing with other filmmakers from all over the world as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.

Industry types networked against the backdrop
of this beautiful beach setting.

Throughout the conference, I met people from all walks of life - from an African-American filmmaker from Pam Grier's hometown of Denver, Colo., to a producer from Tokyo, Japan. I would recommend attending the AFM, not only for anyone interested in making and distributing movies, but for those who simply love the art of cinema. For more information, visit Americanfilmmarket.com.