“For many international executives landing at LAX this week, attending the American Film Market isn’t just about closing presales or packaging their next feature — it’s about getting into the country in the first place. Behind the usual chatter about cast attachments and gap financing, one topic dominates the coffee lines and WhatsApp groups: how”, — write: www.hollywoodreporter.com
Behind the usual chatter about cast attachments and gap financing, one topic dominates the coffee lines and WhatsApp groups: how to make it through US immigration without ending up on an ICE watchlist. Several overseas delegates privately admit to traveling with “clean” devices — burner phones or laptops stripped of sensitive messages and social media accounts — fearing that an ill-timed political post could raise red flags at customs.
“It’s awful. And it’s so unpredictable,” says one European executive, speaking off the record. “You just don’t know who you’re going to get [at immigration]. I went back and deleted texts to my cousin where he’s ranting against JD Vance.”
Those concerns aren’t just paranoia. Visa complications have been mounting for months, says Jean Prewitt, president and CEO of the International Film & Television Alliance, which organizes the AFM. “There’s been a lot of confusion over visas, especially for attendees coming from certain countries,” she says. “So we’ve started issuing letters and documents that people can print out and take with them, explaining exactly what the AFM is, who’s attending and that it’s an official business event. It sounds silly, but it actually helps at the border.”
Prewitt says the AFM now encourages all delegates to carry official paperwork, “because you just never know who you’ll get at passport control.”
The timing couldn’t be worse. The ongoing federal government shutdown — now entering its second month — has left US airports struggling with staff shortages. Los Angeles International and San Diego International were among those hit by widespread flight delays recently as thousands of unpaid air-traffic controllers called in sick. The FAA has warned that disruptions could worsen heading into Thanksgiving, traditionally one of the busiest US travel periods of the year.
“From a practical standpoint, we’re advising people to leave extra time and to carry physical documentation,” says Prewitt. “Those small things can make a big difference right now.”
The unpredictability at the border has been amplified by President Trump and his renewed attacks on the globalized film industry. In September, Trump revived a pledge, first made ahead of the Cannes film festival in May, to impose a “100 percent tariff” on any and all movies made “outside the United States,” accusing foreign governments of “stealing” Hollywood’s business.
For executives who depend on cross-border production and financing, the rhetoric adds another layer of uncertainty. “It’s much the same as before Cannes,” says David Garrett, CEO of UK production and sales operation Mister Smith Entertainment. “Nobody knows what the plan actually is — or if there even is one. I just have no idea what [Trump] is talking about. What’s he going to do, slap a $200 million tariff on Warner Bros. for shooting Harry Potter in the UK? He should be thrilled American studios are spending UK taxpayers’ money.”
The White House has so far offered no details on how such a tariff could legally apply to services or digital content, and industry observers largely dismiss the threat as political theater. But the message has rattled producers and sales agents who rely on foreign subsidies, soft money and multi-territorial deals to make budgets work.
Not that it’s stopping them from coming. Every office at the Fairmont Century City in Santa Monica — the AFM’s new home — is sold out, and some companies have been turned away. “That tells you everything you need to know about the state of the business,” says Prewitt. “People want to be here, they want to be back in LA, and they want to meet face-to-face again.”
For buyers and sellers alike, the AFM’s move back to Los Angeles, after a turbulent post-pandemic run and a one-off in Las Vegas, is a big reason for the strong turnout.
“Every single buyer I know, they aren’t just coming to do meetings with sales agents,” says Matt Brodlie of Upgrade Productions. “They come to LA to meet with the studios, the agencies, with producers. LA is an industry center in a way that Vegas is not.”
Those sitting out this year cite business, not politics, as the reason. AFM remains primarily a market for genre movies — horror, action and thriller projects abound — of the sort international buyers are willing to buy off a script, with a director and name talent attached. More challenging fare, particularly art house or non-English-language films, has a better chance of finding support in Cannes or Berlin or selling off a festival debut in Venice or Toronto.
“AFM is still where presales happen,” says Janina Vilsmaier of London-based Protagonist Pictures. “If presales don’t interest you, of course, you don’t go — it’s expensive. But all the presales companies are here, and my schedule is full.”
For all the logistical headaches, the indie sector’s stubborn resilience remains intact. “There is still a market, and there will forever be a market,” says Garrett. “It’s not as strong as it was, but it’s still vital.”
For now, that’s enough to keep international executives boarding planes — social media-scrubbed phones in hand — for another week of dealmaking in Los Angeles. Because despite tariffs, shutdowns and border anxiety, one thing hasn’t changed: Hollywood is still where the world comes to make its movies.