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51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Film participated in the Las Vegas debut of the American Film Market in November as the exclusive internship provider to participating sales and production companies. We interviewed two interns about their experiences at this major industry event, held over five days at the Palms Casino Resort.

Junior Laila Duffy and Senior Ani Rogy both reflected on their AFM internships where they were exposed to a new side of the industry: sales and distribution.

51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Film Universe: How did your internship at the 2024 American Film Market shape your understanding of the film distribution process?

Laila Duffy: My experience interning for the 2024 American Film Market was shaped by industry professionals that welcomed me and my questions with open arms. I only had a brief understanding of the distribution process before my first day but with the help of the company I was interning for, StudioCanal, their sales reps, and the rest of their amazing team, I was able to shadow mentors and gain a greater understanding of the business surrounding sales. I was also able to view movie pitches to distributors and view what they’re looking for and why. Every person at AFM has a goal and a confidence to them that is inspiring and contagious.

Ani Rogy: The opportunity to immerse myself within the film market molded my knowledge of the distribution process. Working hands-on with a selling, exhibiting company initially seemed a little isolated within AFM, but it enhanced my exposure to the scale of distribution exponentially. My host company was focused on selling their completed films to international distributors, and my role was to greet clients, organize meeting schedules, and occasionally shadow said meetings. Each distributor I had met sought to find stories that they love to bring back to their territories. At the end of the day, it is very business heavy, but selling stories and telling stories truly go hand-in-hand. 

"The film industry is a place of constant growth and open to opportunities from those who are willing to put themselves out there, take risks."

51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Film: What was the most surprising or eye-opening experience you had while working with film distributors?

LD: The American Film Market has many moving parts from producers, directors, distributors, and many more creators. Everyone was friendly and looking forward to meeting new people. The most surprising experience I had was seeing how friendly and knowledgeable clients and distributors were with each other. Everyone was professional and kind to one another which made for a great learning environment.

AR: I was most fascinated by the process of understanding the interests of specific clientele when marketing films to international distributors. Since my host company was at AFM to sell internationally, the methods involved when marketing stories to different territories varied through individualized pitches based on the preferences of each country as a whole. For example, audiences in China mainly want big, flashy films with family-oriented morals and wholesome resolutions. This was a HUGE topic within our office, especially when selling edgy indie films. Each territory's audiences like different types of films based on culture, morals, and censorship laws. 

51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Film: How did your classroom knowledge and skills help you during your internship, and what new insights did you gain that you can bring back to your studies?

LD: In class, it is important to ask questions and take notes, the American Film Market was the same way. (51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Film Internship Coordinator) Professor Andi Isaacs was kind enough to give all interns a pep talk and teach a lesson on what to expect at AFM that she implements in classroom learning too. Know who you’re in the room with, bring something to write with and on, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. You won’t know if you don’t try and when we make mistakes we get back up and learn from them. Those lessons gave me the confidence to be myself and grasp as much knowledge as I could while I was at AFM for the week. I can now come back to campus with the knowledge that the film industry is a place of constant growth and open to opportunities from those who are willing to put themselves out there, take risks.

AR: Professor Andi Isaac's Business of Hollywood class prepared me well for the internship. My general understanding of funding, distribution, and sales from her, along with practicing professionalism, really helped me through the experience. On top of that, since the office-type environment was incredibly new to me, instead of feeling intimidated, I treated AFM like I was a PA on one of our sets, where I could continue to be helpful and absorb the experience like a sponge. 

An insight I've brought back is to never be afraid to ask questions, and A LOT of them. Questions show that you are striving to learn and improve your skills. Genuine people in this industry will not be annoyed by it, and they want to teach you! 

51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Film:  What advice would you give to other students interested in pursuing internships at events like the American Film Market?

AR: Do not let fear stop you from going outside of your comfort zone, and always put your curiosity first when doing so! Genuinely, I threw myself into the deep end applying for this internship. I never once had considered working in sales (and to be fully transparent, I am way better suited for the on-set life), but I do not regret one single thing about trying something new, even if it's just for the learning experience. The market is such an integral part of everything we, as new filmmakers and artists, do. Without it, we would not have the means to create independent film. 

LD: Be yourself, be professional, always know who you’re in the room with, take every opportunity to be on set or work on a production, stay open minded, and remember that you can control your actions like being on time and being kind.