Restarted negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) raised hopes on the second day of AFM; alas, the day closed without a deal.
45 Top Titles on Offer at AFM
Here’s a roundup of 45 independent films receiving the most significant attention at AFM. As evidenced by the list below, AFM remains a robust market for genre films, and many producers and distributors are reporting strong demand for horror, action, and science fiction titles heading into the market.
American Film Market: Day Two Update
Restarted negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) raised hopes on the second day of AFM; alas, the day closed without a deal.
Despite the absence of a new SAG-AFTRA deal, there are several completed films available, including a mix of international features and independent films from the US that have secured or are securing, interim agreements from the union to begin production.
There are a few completed films ready for theaters, but the bulk of the market consists of films in post-production and those hopeful to start filming in the first few months of 2024.
Nonetheless, there’s a glimmer of activity as several pre-sales packages garner attention. With a shortage of new projects packaged and ready-to-go, sales agencies and producers are betting big on a surge of interest from international buyers, which collapsed in recent years.
Add real-world pricing context to this film and television market analysis.
FilmTake’s Global Rights Suite combines both the Film Licensing Index and Film Advance Index into one rights-pricing package for film and television executives evaluating licensing and streaming values, Pay-1 economics, minimum guarantees, presales, and international advance structures.
Persistent Problems Even with Strike Resolution
Even with a timely resolution to the ongoing strike, the outlook for independent films looks bleak. Even repeatable box-office successes produced and packaged by Lionsgate have had disastrous theatrical runs. Massive drops in the values of international presales have resulted from these failures.
There were over 50 new films available for US distribution at TIFF this year, but only a handful signed a deal. Outside two significant acquisitions by Netflix for “Hit Man” and “Woman of the Hour,” the market was one of the worst in years.
International film sales and distribution have been in a holding pattern since Cannes, which failed to kickstart a return to pre-lockdown business. While much will be said about the strikes slowing packaging, pre-sales, and production, the demand isn’t there, as evidenced by the lack of US deals at TIFF.
FilmTake Away: The Uncertain Road Ahead
An actor’s agreement, particularly during AFM, would end the ongoing uncertainties that have weighed heavily on the independent film industry.
Industry insiders eagerly await a resolution so they can get back to business. More importantly, rejuvenate independent filmmaking that’s been grappling with structural challenges.
Streaming licensing is becoming more selective as platforms price films by window, territory, exclusivity, performance history, and platform utility. The market has not stopped buying films, but buyers now need clearer economic justification for each rights acquisition.
Cannes 2026 Market Tracker follows the packages, presales, acquisitions, buyer behavior, and rights-pricing signals shaping the independent film market. This tracker highlights how distributors are weighing prestige, commercial clarity, audience demand, and territorial value before committing to new films.
Netflix’s Cannes acquisitions reveal how streamer strategy has moved from broad international buying to selective rights deals built around awards potential, animation, stars, theatrical corridors, and global platform value.
Continue Reading Netflix’s Cannes Buying History Shows What Streamers Want
Cannes 2026 shows a more disciplined film rights market, where buyers still value prestige but increasingly demand audience clarity, commercial positioning, and downstream value.
Continue Reading Cannes 2026: Prestige Is Still Powerful, But Buyers Want Proof
The Global Rights Suite combines FilmTake’s Film Licensing Index and Film Advance Index into one integrated rights valuation package, pairing downstream SVOD, Pay-1, and multi-window licensing benchmarks with upfront minimum guarantee, advance, and acquisition pricing.
The Film Licensing Index provides structured pricing benchmarks for film licensing, covering SVOD, Pay-1, second-window, re-run, library, and DTV pricing frameworks across major markets, windows, territories, and performance tiers.
The Film Advance Index provides minimum guarantee, advance, and acquisition-pricing benchmarks across global film markets, organized by budget, genre, territory, buyer type, and Global, Tier A, Tier B, and Tier C deal structures.
As Cannes 2026 begins, the global film market is increasingly defined by caution, audience targeting, and weaker presale economics. Buyers are prioritizing commercially legible projects while many prestige-oriented independent films face mounting pressure in a tightening acquisition and distribution environment.
Continue Reading Cannes 2026 Opens With Prestige Under Pressure and Buyers Searching for Audiences