In the ever-shifting landscape of the entertainment industry, Las Vegas has scored a cinematic coup. The neon glow of Sin City will soon illuminate a different kind of star – the American Film Market (AFM), a linchpin event for independent film and television commerce, is set to call the hallowed halls of the Palms Casino Resort home for its 45th grand meeting in the fall of 2024.
Since its establishment, the AFM has been the birthplace of silver screen legends, an incubator where seminal films like the epic “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the pulse-racing “John Wick,” and the dystopian saga “The Hunger Games” found the lifeblood of financing or eager buyers. The annual six-day soiree, orchestrated by the Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA), has long been tethered to the breezy shores of Santa Monica. Yet, come November 5-10, 2024, approximately 7,000 industry luminaries will flock to the desert oasis, far from the golden coast where it first took root four decades prior.
Spearheaded by IFTA chair Clay Epstein, the decision to relocate AFM to Las Vegas’s lavish Palms Casino Resort was born out of a desire to foster community and streamline the myriad activities of the market participants. The Palms, with its recent resurgence under the auspices of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, boasts an invitation to the world of independent cinema with a 14-screen Brenden Theatres multiplex and an expansive 170,000 square feet of dedicated space for conferences, meetings, and events – a veritable playground for the cinematic elite.
In a statement radiating enthusiasm, Epstein remarked on the palpable buzz this move had ignited, capturing the imagination and support of colleagues from across the globe. Cynthia Kiser Murphey, Palms’ General Manager, echoed this fervor, promising the distinctive, personalized service of her establishment to every guest in attendance.
While Hollywood’s outpost in the desert, whimsically dubbed “Hollywood 2.0” by its recent champion Mark Wahlberg, is still far from its full realization, this pivotal transition is a promising scene in the unfolding story of Las Vegas’s ambition to become a cinematic hub. Despite a legislative setback last year with Senate Bill 496 – a bold tax-credit plan to attract the film industry to Las Vegas – the spirits of advocates for this glittering dream remain unbroken, hopeful that it’s a vision with an upcoming sequel.
