> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # American Film Market begins 13th year in city - URL: https://www.smdp.com/american-film-market-begins-13th-year-in-city/ - Published: 2003-02-19T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T01:37:47.000Z - Author: Andrew Fixmer - Tags: Business, Santa Monica, #archive-import *Hotel bookings rise 3.3 percent from last year* The largest international film trade show in the world arrives in town today and it’s estimated to bring in millions for local businesses. More than 7,000 entertainment industry professionals will spend the week in Santa Monica attending the American Film Market — which is also the city’s largest convention group of the year. Taxes on hotel rooms during the week-long event are estimated to rake in nearly $300,000 for the city, but officials estimate that delegates will also spend more than $2 million at city shops and restaurants. “It bolsters ours economy in what is typically an off-season time,” said Misti Kerns, executive director of the Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Certainly we are happy they are here, as we always are.” Over the next eight days, more than $500 million in film licensing and financing deals are expected to be made at the convention. The event will also feature screenings of more than 200 world and U.S. premieres, as well as press conferences and a record number of industry-programmed seminars, according to AFM officials. This year will mark the 13th consecutive year the AFM has held its annual trade show in Santa Monica. The city has a contract with the group to hold the convention here until 2004. Beyond that, however, there is no guarantee it will return for a 15 consecutive year. Some of the convention’s attendees have reportedly complained about the high cost of hotel rooms in Santa Monica. “Our competitors are very hungry for this piece of business,” Kerns said. “They would really like to have it, but I think Santa Monica does a great job and the AFM will stay here for many years to come.” An official with Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, which AFM takes over in its entirety, say another contract with the company is expected to be signed. The trade organization takes over the hotel, removing most of the beds and dressers and bringing in office furniture for the week. “We expect they will come to some sort of agreement on a new contract in the next two months,” said Sara Harper, a Loews spokeswoman. “It’s a huge piece of business for us. It’s one of our biggest events.” If AFM outgrows Santa Monica or if it wants to locate to another city, Kerns said her staff would help them make the transition. “I don’t think that will ever happen, but we are not the ones who decide that,” she said. “The businesses are the ones that have to decide that.” Santa Monica is a popular location for AFM because of the abundance of hotel rooms within walking distance of the movie theaters near the Third Street Promenade. This year hotel room bookings for the convention are up 3.3 percent from last year, Kerns said. “When there’s any growth in hotel bookings, people are thrilled,” she said. Placards displaying the AFM logo will be placed in many local business store-fronts to show appreciation of the trade group. According to the visitors bureau, the placards are a way to welcome the group back to the city. But making the convention feel welcome in Santa Monica goes well beyond the business community, Kerns said. “It’s really a community effort,” she said. “From the police department to the fire department to the city’s traffic department, everybody has a role at some level to make sure this goes smoothly every year.” This year, the AFMis showcasing more than 600 screenings of nearly 400 films on 23 screens throughout downtown theaters. As in past years, locals will be allowed to attend up to 50 soon-to-be-released independent films free of charge. To register for a complimentary pass, please visit the American Film Market’s Web site at www.afma.com. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/021903-02_01.jpg) to the Daily Press AFM delegates arrive in Santa Monica yesterday. (Photo: Jamie Seborer/Special) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 19, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/021903.pdf?ref=smdp.com)