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    Execs from Alamo Drafthouse, Disney, NEON, Picturestart join speakers lineup at American Film Market

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments2242 Views
    Tim League, founder of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
    LOS ANGELES --

    The American Film Market (AFM®) announced more confirmed speakers for this year’s Conferences and programming which runs alongside the AFM’s marketplace and industry screenings. Over six days, more than 150 thought leaders, decision-makers and experts will discuss topics and issues most relevant to global filmmakers across three dedicated stages. This year’s market takes place November 6-13 in Santa Monica and marks its 40th edition.

    The AFM Conferences will kick off on Friday, November 8, on the AFM main stage at the Fairmont Hotel.  Highlights include:

    The opening Conference will feature Breaking the Mold: The Innovators bringing together Erik Feig, CEO, Picturestart, Tim League, founder, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, and Aron Levitz, head of Wattpad Studios, and Tom Quinn, founder & CEO, NEON.

    As part of its new Television Conference, network executives including Disney’s VP of Original Programming, Lauren Kisilevsky, the History Channel’s VP of Development and Programming, Mike Stiller, and Lifetime Original Movie’s VP of Programming, Tia Maggini will take the stage to present their feature-length programming needs and priorities.

    The Producing for the International Pre-sales Marketplace panel featuring Miranda Bailey, CEO, Cold Iron Pictures, Sherryl Clark, president, Production, The H Collective, Mark Gooder, co-president, Cornerstone Films and Nat McCormick, EVP, Worldwide Distribution, The Exchange.

    Producer Effie Brown will join AFM’s popular Pitch Conference as a panelist and advisor.

    New speakers for the Immersive Summit presented by Winston Baker include Rick Hack, head of Media & Entertainment Partnerships, Intel Studios, Laura Hertzfeld, director of XR Partnerships, Verizon Media’s Yahoo! News, Randal Kleiser, film director, and Lauren Xandra, director of Strategic Initiatives, National Research Group.

    In addition, the AFM’s Palisades Stage at the Loews Hotel will host Roundtables and Presentations exploring specialized and timely issues. Highlights include:

    Audiences Want More: Bringing Diverse Projects to the Marketplace–presented in partnership with ReFrame and featuring Glen Basner, CEO, FilmNation, producers Zanne Devine and Cassian Elwes, and Monica Levinson, president of Production, ShivHans Pictures.    

    Seizing the Moment: Producing LGBTQ Content in a Time of Unprecedented Visibility–presented in partnership with Outfest and featuring River Gallo, writer/director/star, Ponyboi, Stephen Kelliher, director, Sales & Marketing, Bankside Films, Keya Khayatian, partner, United Talent Agency, LaShawn McGhee, co-founder & CPO, Revry, and Valerie Stadler, Big Swing Productions and Outfest Board of Directors.

    Distributing & Monetizing Feature Documentaries with Josh Braun, co-president, Submarine Entertainment, Alexandra Johnes, producer, Very Special Projects, Melanie Miller, co-founder/producer, Fishbowl Films, and Evan Saxon, head of West Coast Acquisitions and Business Development, Abramorama.
     
    Respecting the Genre: Why Some Horror Films Work While Others Don’t with Roxanne Benjamin, producer, V/H/S, Southbound, Patrick Ewald, CEO, Epic Pictures, and Natalie Metzger, VP, Development & Production, Vanishing Angle.
     
    Shooting Intimate Scenes–with Amanda Blumenthal, intimacy coordinator, Euphoria, The L Word: Generation Q, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels and founder of Intimacy Professionals Association.

    Tags:AFM ConferencesAmerican Film Market



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

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