AFM Buyers and Sellers Grapple with Strike Challenges, Hollywood Budget Cuts and the Demand for ‘Bespoke Theatrical Release Strategies’
variety.comAFM will get picked up. But given the climate in Hollywood, many projects won’t officially hit the market until February at the European Film Market in Berlin.
The marketplace is not only strained by the strike but the shifting appetites and belt-tightening at the major studios and streamers.
At the same time, the return of buyers from China to AFM after several years away is seen as a positive sign. “Given the strikes and the tough global climate, many of the top international sales agents and talent agencies are holding back from exposing too many new high-end packages and will probably wait for the first half of next year,” said Dylan Leiner, senior exec VP of acquisitions and production for Sony Pictures Classics.
And yet, Leiner noted, “There is a resilience in the independent market because of the wide range of films coming from international territories as well as documentaries, so companies looking for a wide range of films will have options.” For the most part, U.S.
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