2011 American Film Market sees 10% increase in buyer registration

BUSINESSOFCINEMA.COM TEAM 03 November , 2011

MUMBAI: The 2011 American Film Market (AFM) opened on 2 November with more than 90 new buying companies, buyer registration tracking up 10 percent and general attendance tracking higher versus 2010.

Buyers from China are up more than 50% and from Germany up more than 30%, and buyers from Mongolia and Cambodia will attend the market for the first time.

A total of 415 films will screen at the market for 8,000-plus industry leaders over the course of the eight-day event. Of those, 69 are world premieres, 310 are market premieres and 29 films will be presented in 3D. Every two hours, 29 films will be shown, as exhibitors from 35 countries hold a total of more than 700 screenings.

“With buyers up and screenings on par with last year, we expect a very healthy and active market. And our expanded five-day Conference Series is nearly full with more than 700 attending each day,” said AFM managing director Jonathan Wolf.

AFM exhibitors continually present the most acclaimed films of the coming year; notably, 18 of the past 31 “Best Picture” Academy Award winners were sold at the AFM. This year’s market showcases, among others, Adrien Brody, Steve Buscemi, Jackie Chan, Glenn Close, Chace Crawford, Aaron Eckhart, Peter Facinelli, Michael Fassbender, Ice Cube, Catherine Keener, Keira Knightley, Diane Kruger, Melissa Leo, Blake Lively, Matthew McConaughey, Viggo Mortensen, Carey Mulligan, Elizabeth Olsen, Giovanni Ribisi, Seth Rogen, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and Michelle Yeoh.

Among the speakers are 20th Century Fox Co-President - International Tomas Jegeus, Summit Entertainment COO Robert Hayward, GK Films COO Bahman Naraghi, Hyde Park Entertainment CEO Ashok Amritraj, Reliance Entertainment Company's Motion Picture Capital CEO Leon Clarance, MediaLink managing partner Xavier Kochhar, BUZZMEDIA CMO Karina Kogan and Summit Entertainment EVP marketing Jack Pan amongst others.