Navigating the American Film Market: Making the Most of Your AFM Experience

The American Film Market (AFM) is the largest film market in the United States. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a seasoned veteran, navigating such a large-scale event can sometimes feel overwhelming.

This panel is designed to help you get the most out of your AFM experience, covering:

• How to prepare and position your project for presentation

• Best practices for pitching and showcasing your work

• Effective strategies for networking and building industry relationships

Featuring insights from Sébastien Aussal, Head of Marketing, and Floriane Andersen, co-founder of Artak Productions, this session will give you the tools and confidence to make your time at AFM a success.

The panel will be followed with networking opportunities and drinks.

When: Oct 28

Where: 1657 Alvira Street, Los Angeles, CA 90035

6:30–8:30 PM Pacific Time

RSVP Mandatory

About the panelists:

Floriane Andersen is a French-American producer and actor based in Los Angeles. She is the co-founder of Artak Pictures, a women-owned production company founded by a collective of European filmmakers and producers, dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices and bridging the film industries of Europe and the United States. Through Artak, she has produced and executive produced Wish You Were Here, directed by Julia Stiles and distributed by Lionsgate, I Live Here Now, directed by Julie Pacino and distributed by Utopia, Perfect, starring Julia Fox, and The Stalemate, starring Ben Foster and Fiona Shaw. She is currently producing Adverse Effects and developing Artak’s upcoming slate.

As an actor, Floriane’s recent credits include David Robert Mitchell’s upcoming NEON feature They Follow, the sequel to It Follows, starring Maika Monroe, and Shiddat, streaming on Hulu.

Sebastien Aussal is Head of Marketing and Communications at Highland Film Group (HFG), an award-winning global studio with end-to-end capabilities, driving films from development to release. Since joining HFG in 2018, he has expanded the company's marketing department and played a key role in shaping its global marketing and communications strategy. He oversees the creative positioning and marketing campaigns of HFG's film slate, including notable titles such as Land of Bad, The Black Demon, Arcadian, Boss Level, and Braven. His responsibilities also encompass corporate branding, publicity, digital marketing, social media, and the company's presence at major international film markets and festivals.

Prior to joining Highland Film Group, Sebastien built an extensive career in film distribution, international sales and marketing, holding positions at TF1 Studio, Wild Bunch, MGM, and Celsius Entertainment. As Distribution and Sales Director at TF1 Studio, part of France's leading television group, he oversaw the release and commercial strategies of films including MI-5, The Age of Adaline, Son of a Gun, Dark Places, and Maya the Bee. Previously, as Marketing Director at Wild Bunch, he worked across a diverse slate of films and television properties, including The Walking Dead, Rec Apocalypse, Northmen, The Signal, and Welcome to New York.