The American Film Market (AFM®) has announced the expansive programming lineup for its Conferences, Roundtables, Workshops, and Spotlight Events which will feature international industry experts, decision makers, and academics, and run alongside the AFM’s industry screenings and marketplace. This year’s market is taking place October 31-November 7 in Santa Monica.
AFM’s panel programming is anchored by its five-day Conference Series which this year launches with The Global Perspective Conference. The half-day event taking place on Friday, Nov. 2, will open with a discussion between Jean Prewitt, president/CEO of the Independent Film & Television Alliance, and Charles Rivkin, chairman/CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, on the major challenges and opportunities facing the film industry and how their organizations are addressing them. The opening dialogue will be followed by two panel sessions that will bring together high-level producers, financiers, buyers and distributors to discuss business strategies and how the marketplace is evolving.
Also new to the lineup is a half-day Conference dedicated to Blockchain set for Saturday, Nov. 3. The event will be moderated by Pepperdine professor and Forbes writer Nelson Granados, with presentations and discussions with companies that are transforming independent film financing, production, and distribution with this groundbreaking technology.
In addition, this year’s AFM Roundtables, which explore specialized and timely issues, will take place in a larger venue, the AFM Gallery at Le Merigot Hotel, and feature sessions and programming partners including:
- International Awakening: Investing in Gender Diversity for Expanding Audiences Around the Globe – Presented in partnership with Reframe
- Using Intellectual Property to Boost the Visibility of LGBTQ Characters – Presented in partnership with Outfest
- Boosting Your Micro-Budget – Presented in partnership with Slamdance
- Why Do Some Horror Films Work While Others Don’t? – Presented in partnership with Dread Central
- Producing Passion Documentaries – Moderated by KCRW’s Matt Holzman
AFM managing director Jonathan Wolf commented, “AFM is the perfect environment for international experts, leaders and visionaries to engage in discussions and debates. Our expanded programming of more than 40 sessions will address the topics most important to AFM’s global participants.”
After a highly successful launch in 2017, the Writer’s Workshops will return to AFM. Helmed by UCLA and other academic instructors, these four workshops cover screenwriting and storytelling tips and techniques.
To round out the market’s panel programming, an array of Spotlight Events with topics ranging from Understanding Distribution in China to Working with the U.S. Guilds will join the AFM’s popular returning Conferences including Pitch, Finance, Production, and Distribution.
Avid completes acquisition of Wolftech
Avid®, known for software solutions for professional media production, has completed the acquisition of Wolftech Broadcast Solutions, a leader in cloud-based multiplatform news planning, production and publishing solutions.
The acquisition enables Avid to combine its digital-first, end-to-end media solution with Wolftech’s expertise in story-centric workflow management. News organizations will be able to increase efficiency and accelerate story delivery through enhanced remote collaboration and multiplatform amplification.
Avid CEO Wellford Dillard stated, “Wolftech is unquestionably on the leading edge of where the industry is going, and this acquisition demonstrates Avid’s commitment to transform news, sports, and live production workflows. We are delighted to welcome Wolftech into the Avid family.”
Wolftech CEO Arne Berven added, “We were focused on finding a partner that could accelerate the adoption of our platform globally. We explored a number of possibilities, but when we talked to Avid, we knew it was the right match.”
The closing of the acquisition follows Avid’s announcement on October 7 that the company had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Wolftech.
With this acquisition, Avid deepens the integration between the two toolsets while continuing to embrace an open approach in partnering with a wide range of media production tools and newsroom systems. Existing Wolftech customers will benefit from Avid’s global scale for customer support and professional services.
Ian Axton, head of production operations for ITV News, said, “As a customer of both Avid and Wolftech we’re excited about the benefits this acquisition will bring to our users and our business. Wolftech has transformed... Read More