The American Film Market 2026 conference program adds a ticketed Summit on Nov. 10 and 45+ sessions. See the Summit panels, speakers and how to get in.
The American Film Market opens on Tuesday, November 10, with a half day conference that needs its own ticket. The inaugural New Global Screen Economy Summit headlines the American Film Market 2026 conference program, which AFM announced on October 15.
The program lists more than 45 sessions across three stages, including a new AFM House Stage.
Jackie Brenneman, who leads the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), the organization that produces AFM, gives the opening keynote. Four Summit panels, two one-on-one conversations and speakers from Angel Studios to the Motion Picture Association. The market is in its 47th edition, November 10 to 15 in Los Angeles.
What the Summit covers
Evan Shapiro, a media cartographer and industry analyst, gives the second keynote. The panels cover where entertainment, technology, capital, creators and audiences overlap. All four are on Tuesday, November 10:
- 9:55 AM to 10:30 AM, “The New Federal Production Incentive: A Turning Point for U.S. Production.” Scott Karol and Steven Paul of SP Media Group, and Josh Rogin of the Motion Picture Association.
- 11:00 AM to 11:35 AM, “The New IP Value Chain: How Stories & Storytellers are Finding New Paths to the Screen.” Jeremy Kay of Screen International, Jordan Lonner of United Talent Agency, Christian Mercuri of Capstone Pictures and Brett Rosen of TFC Management.
- 11:40 AM to 12:15 PM, “The New Studio System.” Jared Geesey of Angel Studios, Jon Leland of Popular Demand Studios and Wesley Wang of Wesley Wang Media.
- 1:00 PM to 1:35 PM, “Where the New Hits Begin: The New Rules of Discovery & Audience Building.” Tyler Chou of Tyler Chou Law for Creators, Aaron DeBevoise of Spotter, David Freeman of Kynetic Media Ventures and Joel Savitt of Bamboo Bridge.
Tickets for the inaugural Summit are available now. Access requires a separate ticket and capacity is limited.
THE AFM SESSIONS | NOVEMBER 11–14
Building on the conversations launched at the Summit, The AFM Sessions will feature four days of discussions across two conference stages, bringing together leading executives, producers, financiers, distributors, creators and industry innovators from around the world. The program will explore the issues, opportunities and business strategies shaping independent film and television, from financing and production to distribution, audience engagement, emerging technologies and new models for bringing content to market. Initial highlights include:
Finance I: Where the Money is in the New Global Screen Economy
Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 9:30AM – 10:30AM
Speakers include Adrian Ward, CEO, 1919 Film Finance, LLC; Miguel Palos Jr., COO & Co-Founder, AGC Studios; Cory Lynch, Partner and EVP, Manifest Pictures; and Ryan Webb, Partner, Greenberg Glusker LLP.
Finance II: The New Math of Independent Film
Wednesday, Nov 11 at 11:00AM – 12:00PM
Speakers include Miranda Bailey, Founder, Cold Iron Pictures; Ryan Broussard, Vice President of Sales and Production Incentives, Wrapbook; Juliana Lubin, Producer & Senior Vice President of Investments, Ashland Hill Media Finance; and Paul Scanlan, Co-Founder & CEO, Legion M.
The Innovators
Wednesday, Nov 11 at 12:30PM – 1:30PM
One-on-one conversations with Amy Baer, President of Film & Television, Artists Equity; and Stuart Ford, Chairman & CEO, AGC Studios
What Makes Financiers, Buyers & Talent Say Yes?
Thursday, Nov 12 at 4:30PM – 5:30PM
Speakers include Jake Carter, Partner and Co-Head, Range Select; Jess Lacy, Partner and Head of Film Finance and Distribution, Gersh; Charlotte Koh, EVP Acquisitions & Co-Productions, Lionsgate; and Bill Way, CEO, FVV Media
Friday the 13th: Why Horror Never Dies
Friday, Nov 13 at 11:00AM – 12:00PM
Speakers include Paul Neinstein, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Project X; Yolanda Macias, Chief Motion Pictures Officer, Cineverse; and Steven Schneider, Co-Founder, Spooky Pictures.
Access to the AFM Sessions Main Stage requires a Platinum or +Sessions Badge. Both badge options provide access to the Main Stage and Constellation Stage. For badge options and registration, visit https://americanfilmmarket.com/attendee-badges/
THE AFM HOUSE | NOVEMBER 11–14
Expanding AFM’s programming beyond its traditional conference stages, The AFM House will feature four days of conversations, presentations and live demonstrations exploring innovation and emerging technologies. Home to the expanded AFM Innovation Hub, presented in partnership with Marché du Film’s Cannes Next, The AFM House will also host the North American debut of the Cinemas Club, bringing together industry leaders to explore the future of theatrical exhibition and moviegoing.
The New Global Screen Economy: Box Office, Windows, and the Merger
Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 11:00AM – 12:00PM
Speakers include Patrick von Sychowski, International Editor-in-Chief, Cine Group; Jackie Brenneman, President & CEO,Independent Film and Television Alliance; Paul Dergarabedian, Senior Media Analyst, Rentrak; and Lela Meadow-Conner, Executive Director, Art House Convergence
Beyond the Movie: Anime, Concerts, Faith and the ‘Fourth Category’
Thursday, Nov 12 at 2:00PM – 3:00PM
Speakers include Patrick von Sychowski, International Editor-in-Chief, Cine Group; Mitchel Berger, EVP Global Commerce & Theatrical, Crunchyroll; Josh Frank, Silents Syncd; Kymberli Frueh, EVP Programming and Content Acquisition, Trafalgar Releasing; and Jake Isgar, Director, Alternative Content & Specialty Programming, Alamo Drafthouse
AI in the Screen Ecosystem: Utility Rather than Tilly – How Non-generative AI is Helping Already
Saturday, Nov 14 at 2:00PM – 3:00PM
Speakers include Patrick von Sychowski, International Editor-in-Chief, Cine Group; Stan Ruszkowski, CEO, The Boxoffice Company / Webedia; and Tobias Queisser, CEO & Co-founder, The Cinelytic Group
The AFM House programming is open to all AFM badge holders.
Additional speakers and sessions across all three stages will be announced in the coming weeks.
IP, short for intellectual property, means the story rights a project starts from. One panel covers federal policy and one covers studio models. Two cover where stories come from and how audiences find them.
Where the money question shows up
Think of the Summit as the tasting seminar and the Market as the cellar sale. One teaches the vocabulary. The other moves the cases.
Wesley Wang sits on the studio panel. According to Wesley Wang Media, he raised more than $1 million across his projects by cold emailing tech investors, with none of it from Hollywood financing outlets. Animation World Network carried that claim. It is the company’s own account.
Beyond the Summit
Two one-on-one conversations: Amy Baer of Artists Equity and Stuart Ford of AGC. Industry leaders from Alamo Drafthouse, Cineverse, Gersh, Lionsgate and Wrapbook, among others. It describes the lineup as initial, and the rest of the 45+ sessions are not in it.
Screen Daily reports that the AFM Sessions run November 11 to 14 on two conference stages. It also reports that AFM House will host the North American debut of the Cinemas Club.
Tickets for the Summit are on sale now. Access requires a separate ticket, and capacity is limited.
FAQ
Do I need a separate ticket for the New Global Screen Economy Summit?
Yes. The release says access to the Summit requires its own ticket and that capacity is limited. Tickets are available now. The Summit is on Tuesday, November 10, the opening day of the American Film Market.
When and where is the American Film Market 2026?
The 47th edition runs November 10 to 15 in Los Angeles. The release lists the Fairmont Century Plaza, AMC Century City 15 and The Pavilion as the venues. The American Film Market is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance.
Who is the Summit for?
The release says the Summit and the AFM Sessions bring together executives, innovators, creators and dealmakers from entertainment, technology, finance, production and distribution. The Summit panels cover federal policy, studio models, story sources and audience building. Access requires a separate ticket.
What is the AFM House Stage?
The release calls it a new stage and counts it among three stages for the 2026 sessions. Screen Daily reports that AFM House will host the North American debut of the Cinemas Club, a group of industry leaders discussing theatrical exhibition and moviegoing. The release does not list the AFM House sessions.
