MUMBAI: The 2012 American Film Market (AFM) has seen an increase in buyers of six per cent to 1,616 versus 1,523 a year ago and 35 more buying companies than 2011, an increase of five per cent.
AFM saw 753 buying companies from more than 60 countries this year. The conferences, which launched in 2011, spoke to large audiences of more than 700 in attendance each day. Exhibiting companies at AFM were on par with last year at 357.

AFM MD Jonathan Wolf said, "The healthy growth in new buying companies is the most important metric for us. It shows that the global marketplace for independent film is continuing to expand."
Regions with more buyers at the market included Asia (up 14 per cent) and Latin/South America (up 17 per cent). Among individual countries, Japan and Korea had the largest increase for buying companies, with Korea (up 26 per cent) and Japan up (23 per cent).

Attendance among exhibitor-affiliated participants (including their executives, producers, talent and guests) concluded at 3,069.
Industry attendees, the non-buyers/sellers that include Attorneys, Bankers, Directors, Festival Programmers, Film Commissioners, Filmmakers, Financiers, Government Officials, Post Production Facilities, Press, Producers, Studio Facilities, Trade Associations, Writers and IFTA Guests finished at 3,063. Overall, the market drew more than 7,749 people in attendance to date.
Additional AFM highlights included:

• 442 films screened

• 82 world premieres

• 327 market premieres

• Films from more than 30 countries

• More than 650 screenings

The five-day AFM Conference Series showcasing sessions on financing, production, marketing, distribution and pitching, featured global industry leaders including Nigel Sinclair, Bahman Naraghi, Alison Thompson, Michael Werner, Roger Corman, Lloyd Kaufman, Tatiana Kelly, Ry Russo-Young and many others.

Additionally, the Industry Conversations Series - intimate, interactive and informative discussions with visionaries, trendsetters and experts in the film industry - delivered many prominent speakers, including Directors Sacha Gervasi, Victor Levin and Josh Stolberg; Producer Bonnie Curtis, Jonathan Silverman, Pamela Adlon, "Harry Potter" franchise Executive Producer Michael Barnathan, Participant Media’s Courtney Sexton and Filmmaker Eddie Schmidt.