American Film Market Expands With Launch of AFM House, Site of Its Innovation Hub (EXCLUSIVE)

The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) announced the launch of The AFM House, a new 15,000-square-foot venue in Los Angeles that will host the American Film Market's Innovation Hub, presented with Cannes Next, and the Cinemas Club event co-created with Cine Group. The venue, open Nov. 11-14, 2026, during the AFM at the Fairmont Century Plaza, aims to foster innovation and collaboration in the global screen economy, featuring AI startups and discussions on theatrical cinema's future.

The American Film Market https://variety.com/t/american-film-market/ is expanding its scope with the launch of a new Los Angeles venue called The AFM House that will be site of its Innovation Hub. The Independent Film & Television Alliance IFTA , that produces the AFM, on Wed, announced the new venue located across from the Fairmont Century Plaza. The AFM House adds 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space to the market’s campus, “creating a dynamic gathering place for innovators, entrepreneurs, filmmakers, creators, cinema owners, distributors, investors and global brands to explore the ideas, technologies and business models shaping the future of the global screen economy,” IFTA said in a statement. The AFM House’s current centerpiece is the Innovation Hub, presented in collaboration with Cannes Next, the Marché du Film’s innovation program, launched in 2025. This year’s Hub will feature AI startups, leading tech companies, and forward-looking content. “The collaboration between the two markets underscores a shared commitment to championing innovation, fostering opportunities, and strengthening connections across the global film ecosystem,” according to the statement. Popular on Variety Additionally, the AFM’s new venue will feature The Cinemas Club event co-created by the Marché du Film and Cine Group that comprises a speaker series focused on the future of theatrical cinema. Introduced at the Cannes 2026 Marché du Film. The Cinemas Club brings together cinema exhibitors, theatre owners, distributors, producers and industry experts “for curated discussions on the future of theatrical exhibition, audience engagement and the evolving cinema experience,” the statement noted. As previously announced, the 2026 American Film Market is set to take place at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles on Nov. 10–15. The AFM House will be open Nov. 11-14. The new venue will bring the market’s 2026 theme, “The New Global Screen Economy” to life “through fireside chats, presentations and networking, alongside a dedicated marketplace showcasing the people, companies, technologies and services transforming the business of film and television,” according to IFTA. “Filmmaking has always been rooted in collaboration and innovation, and that spirit is more important today than ever,” IFTA president and CEO Jackie Brenneman said in the statement. “As our business continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, The AFM House provides a place where the global entertainment community can come together to exchange ideas, forge partnerships, explore emerging business models and discover opportunities,” she added. “Our collaboration with Cannes Next and the Cinemas Club expand that vision by creating a dedicated home for innovation, technology, and the future of theatrical exhibition.” Marché du Film executive director Guillaume Esmiol commented: “At the Marché du Film, we have built a growing portfolio of programs designed to address the major transformations shaping our industry, from AI and emerging technologies with Cannes Next to the future of theatrical exhibition through the Cinemas Club, co-created with Cine Group.” “We are delighted to see these initiatives extend beyond Cannes through this expanded collaboration. AFM is creating an ambitious new platform with The AFM House, and we look forward to connecting companies and ideas, and creating new opportunities for the global film industry throughout the year,” Esmiol continued. Julien Marcel, president of Cine Group, said: “After a strong first edition at the Marché du Film last May, we are delighted to bring the Cinemas Club to the AFM in Los Angeles. Theatrical exhibition has rarely needed more of what this market stands for: a broader and more diverse slate of films reaching screens, and the same appetite for innovation in the experience we offer audiences and in the way we connect with them.”