Las Vegas Snatches Movie Industry Event from Hollywood

Posted on: March 11, 2024, 09:29h. 

Last updated on: March 12, 2024, 10:37h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas.

It’s still a long way from the “Hollywood 2.0” envisioned 18 months ago by recent transplant Mark Wahlberg.    But Las Vegas just snatched a major film and TV event away from Southern California.

AI renders the Hollywood sign in Las Vegas
AI renders the Hollywood sign in Las Vegas. (Image: Chat GPT)

The American Film Market (AFM) is headed to the Palms Casino Resort for its 45th edition, slated for Nov. 5-10, 2024.

The six-day event, staged annually by the Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA), is a marketplace for film and TV projects produced independently of the studio system. It’s where movies such as The Lord of the Rings  trilogy, John Wick, and The Hunger Games have found either financers or outright buyers.

Attended by around 7,000 industry professionals from around the globe, the AFM been held in Santa Monica since its inception four decades ago.

A rendering produced by the Palms’ 2022 reopening by its current ownership. This year, the property will host the 45th American Film Market business conference. (Image: Palms Casino Resort)

“The strength of the AFM lies in its ability to create community and present a sophisticated platform for all our participants’ activities in one convenient location,” said IFTA chair Clay Epstein in a statement. “The Palms enables us to do all of that and beyond.”

The off-Strip casino resort, owned by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, has dedicated its 14-screen Brenden Theatres multiplex and its 170K square feet of conference, meeting, and event space exclusively to the AFM.

“We’re delighted to extend a warm welcome to the American Film Market,” Cynthia Kiser Murphey, Palms’ GM, said in the IFTA statement. “Our team members are committed to providing the Palms signature and personalized hospitality to each and every guest.”

Epstein added: “This move to Las Vegas is generating support and enthusiasm from colleagues around the world.”

Senate Bill 496, a proposal to bring the film industry to Las Vegas via a massive tax credit plan, failed last year in the Nevada Legislature. Yet stakeholders remain hopeful that the idea will stay alive.