By Cathie Beamish

When I was told that less than 1% of all film school graduates find employment in the field for which they trained, I wanted to know why.

The simple answer stems from the fact that “show business”, as one of my former professors used to say, is half show and half business. Unfortunately, the business of film is very fluid and film schools are not necessarily equipped to keep up the pace and stay current on important issues.


Where can filmmakers turn to stay current with the film industry?
The American Film Market was developed by successful independent filmmakers to develop educational and networking opportunities for both emerging and established filmmakers. It was also established as a place where buyers from all over the world could come to view and buy finished films and producers could put future projects together.

The American Film Market allows the new and established filmmakers to intermingle and develop relationships. I can’t think of any other place where I could spend a day with Lloyd Kaufmann just by walking into his office in the market building. Before he passed away, Wes Craven spent one on one time with me over lunch at the Loews in Santa Monica. After one of the sessions on cinematography, Vilmos Zsigmond and Laslo Kovacs said that if they saw a project that they liked, they would work on that project for free. ( Given their Oscars and nominations for numerous awards, this was an unheard of offer.)

The number of industry icons I have been fortunate in meeting personally and getting to know because we were networking at the American Film Market is too large to include in this article. Think about my experiences because they could also be yours. I can’t think of anywhere else this could have been possible for me.

What are some of the areas of expertise can you be exposed to?
What you choose to learn at the AFM (American Film Market ) is up to you. Every AFM has sessions on finance, distribution, production, dealing with sales agents, Artificial Intelligence, pitching and so much more.

Long before attending the AFM in person, the filmmaker should look up the American Film Market and the free producer’s resources. The videos and written articles deal with legal, packaging, story structure and so much more. Do not miss this opportunity.

I will make available my articles on Faith-based Films, Legal issues, After market music and more. Many filmmakers have no idea of the power of faith-based films. These films boast the largest audiences world wide. They are also misunderstood and thought of as religious films which they may not be. The Sound of Freedom, The Matrix, Hurt Locker, to name a few, fall under the faith-based banner.

I suggest looking at the AFM website, past and present for a better idea of what is presented in a formal manner.

There are so many lessons and so much information you will obtain from networking with people you meet. In addition, attendees receive a subscription to Cinando for free.

What is mentioned in this article is just a smidgen of what you can benefit from by attending the AFM.

If you have a project to sell or in development or even script, you can browse the halls and visit the offices that house sales agents, production companies, distribution companies and more. I advise going through the exhibitors list from the web page and see who might be a fit for you. In the past, people I have introduced to the AFM have commented that this was just what they were looking for but didn’t know where to find it.

Where and when is the AFM?
In the past the AFM has always been in Santa Monica, California. This year the venue has changed to the fabulous PALMS RESORT in Las Vegas and will be held from November 5-10.

I highly recommend attending in person and making sure you have access to the sessions. If you can’t make it in person, the AFM sessions may be made available for rent after the market is over.

Advice
Wear comfortable shoes and bring plenty of business cards. Break a leg!

C. Beamish