Jeff Caruso of Wrapbook moderates AFM 2025, redefining film finance at American Film Market 2025, leading the “Packaging to Payback” panel on investment and innovation.
The Future of Film Finance Begins at AFM 2025
The American Film Market (AFM 2025) isn’t just another week in Santa Monica — it’s where capital meets creativity and deals are sealed over double espressos.
This year, all eyes are on Jeff Caruso, Senior Vice President of Sales and Success at Wrapbook, who’s moderating the highly anticipated “Finance I – From Packaging to Payback: Investment, Incentives & International Markets” panel.
The conversation, packed with global financiers and veteran producers, dives into one of the most urgent questions in Hollywood: how do technology, AI, and smarter financial tools reshape the business of making movies?
“The thing that always excites me about AFM year after year is the possibility that this is the place where capital meets commerce,”
Jeff Caruso
Senior Vice President of Sales and Success Wrapbook
“Technology is driving and redefining both how content’s made — and what’s getting made right now.”
That’s a conversation worth a front-row seat.
Tech Takes Center Stage — and It’s About More Than Buzzwords
For Caruso, the term “technology” isn’t just a Silicon Valley garnish — it’s a production essential. After thirteen years at Cast & Crew, he joined Wrapbook to help filmmakers, financiers, and studios streamline the chaos of budgeting, payroll, and incentives.
“We are still dealing in an industry that is very antiquated,”
Caruso explains
“The workflows are all very manual. Anything that can cut through these outdated processes is going to make sure that company is a cut above everyone else.”
Wrapbook’s platform is already proving that.
Jeff Caruso reveals Wrapbook tools for AFM 2025
Its AI-driven tools help producers find incentive programs, process payroll, and manage accounts faster — all without losing the human touch. Caruso is quick to point out that AI isn’t the job — it’s the tool for the job.
“It’s additive to the job you’re already doing. We’re helping people be more efficient,” he says. “Imagine what you can do when you have all of this at your fingertips.”
(Relatable moment: anyone who’s ever spent an all-nighter crunching numbers over cold pizza knows exactly what he means.)
A Dream Panel of Industry Powerhouses
AFM’s opening Finance session is already being dubbed the “must-attend” event of the week. Caruso’s lineup reads like a masterclass in entertainment economics:
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Sam Pressman, CEO of Pressman Film, heir to a legendary producing legacy.
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Josh Rosenbaum of Waypoint Entertainment, known for boundary-pushing projects with Charlie Kaufman and Boots Riley.
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Jeremy Ross from Black Rabbits, with more than 36 films produced.
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Janine Davey, who’s safeguarded billions in film tax incentives at PWC, 20th Century Fox, and Netflix.
“I think our panel is just lights out,”
Caruso grins
“These are people who know this business inside and out. They’ve literally spent their entire careers in this business.”
It’s a conversation about where the money flows — but also about what kind of stories will reach global audiences. And yes, there’ll be flavor and fun-loving energy amid the serious talk of financing models and incentive audits.
(After all, this is Los Angeles — the city that manages to mix spreadsheets with sunshine.)
From Payroll to Possibility
For many filmmakers, the business side of cinema feels more like broccoli than dessert. But Caruso argues that understanding finance is part of the creative process.
“You can’t get to the sexy part
until you understand and master the responsible part,”
caruso reminds us
“Line producers and controllers walk a fine line — they have to realize the creator’s vision while protecting financiers’ interests.”
That duality defines Wrapbook’s mission: efficiency with elegance. The company’s accounts payable command center, for example, uses AI to automate invoice processing and P-card reconciliation — letting teams focus on storytelling, not spreadsheets.
“If everyone has to do more with less, the only way to make that work is with tools that let you do exactly that — not less with less,” he says.
There’s a quiet optimism here — the kind that comes from someone who’s spent decades navigating the tension between art and arithmetic.
The Flavor of Forward Motion
Caruso’s enthusiasm is contagious.
“This is all about the possibility of what can be done,”
Caruso says
“When you have a group of people at Wrapbook who are so intelligent and energized, we’re unstoppable. We are a force multiplier in this business.”
That phrase — force multiplier — feels right for 2025. The film world is in flux, but the hunger for creation remains deliciously human.
From fine dining to fine financing, from Napa to Notting Hill, there’s a shared belief that storytelling — when fueled by smart systems and passionate people — will always find its audience.
So yes, bring the calculators, but don’t forget the champagne.
Mini FAQ: AFM 2025 & Wrapbook
Q1: What is the AFM 2025 film finance panel about?
It’s a premier session exploring investment, production incentives, and the global financial landscape for independent films — moderated by Wrapbook’s Jeff Caruso.
Q2: How is Wrapbook changing film production?
Wrapbook simplifies production payroll, budgeting, and tax incentives with AI-powered tools designed to make film financing faster, more transparent, and more secure.
Q3: Where can I learn more about global film incentives?
Visit Wrapbook’s Resource Page for region-by-region breakdowns and tax credit insights.
AFM 2025 reveals The Possibility of What’s Next
At its best, AFM 2025 is a crossroads — where financiers, dreamers, and dealmakers share espresso shots and ideas about the future. And as Jeff Caruso reminds us, the key to that future isn’t fear of new tools but faith in better processes.
Because when responsibility meets imagination — that’s when the real magic (and the real money) happens.
