For the first time ever, the American Film Market has left Los Angeles and relocated to the gambling capital of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada. This year’s AFM is hosting all market activities in a single location at the Palms Casino Resort.
“The strength of the AFM lies in its ability to create community and present a sophisticated platform for all our participants’ activities in one convenient location,” says IFTA Chairperson, Clay Epstein. “The Palms enables us to do all of that and beyond.”
The location change is the second for the American Film Market in recent years. It was forced to leave its former home at the Loews Hotel in 2023 where every November it was the place a generation of international dealmakers, distributors, and Hollywood wannabes called home. After a less-than-satisfying attempt to make the Le Meridien Delfina Hotel AFM’s new location, the move to the Palms in Nevada was announced.
Located just off the Las Vegas Strip the Palms was built in the late 1990s by Vegas impresario George Maloof. By the standards of Sin City, the casino has attained a modest amount of infamy over its 25 years in operation. When planning the project, Maloof said he wanted to create “the ultimate party hotel in the world.” And that he did for at least a decade. The current atmosphere at the Palms however feels subdued and business-like. The resort caters more to corporate events and local gamblers than to the young party crowd that first helped the hotel find fame.
At this year’s AFM, international buyers, distributors, and filmmakers walk the halls looking to close deals, and hopefully, will reap rewards. Attending the AFM in Vegas is far more expensive than Santa Monica. A double room runs close to $450 and a buffet lunch at the Palms is $42, but that’s where expense accounts come in handy, so the higher cost will not personally affect attendees.
The turn out for AFM in Vegas has been impressive – 286 sales, production, and distribution companies, along with international trade organizations and film commissions have shown up from over 34 countries. Exhibitors include A24, Arclight Films, Artist View Entertainment, Embankment Films Limited, Glass House, Lakeshore, Lionsgate and XYZ Films, among many others.
Nations including China, France, Germany, Italy, Romania, and Thailand are hosting dedicated umbrella stands showcasing their companies and producers. In addition, LocationEXPO at AFM has welcomed Film Commissions, Government Agencies, and Production Service Companies from the U.S. and as far as Barbados, Italy, Japan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand.
The jury is still out on whether the Palms will successfully replace the Loews as the permanent home of the American Film Market. There are growing pains but this new beginning feels like an encouraging chapter in the AFM’s legacy.
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