Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA)

Overview

The Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA) is the global trade association representing independent film and television production, finance, sales, and distribution companies from more than 25 countries. Founded in 1980 as the American Film Marketing Association (AFMA), the organization was renamed IFTA in 2004. IFTA's primary industry function is operating the American Film Market (AFM), held annually in November in Los Angeles. IFTA also advocates for the independent sector in US and international policy forums, arbitrates disputes between members, and publishes standard contracts used across the independent film industry.

IFTA membership is company-based, meaning services extend to an entire company's staff. The organization is headquartered in Los Angeles. President and CEO Jean Prewitt announced her departure at the end of 2025.

Membership Tiers and Costs

IFTA offers three membership levels:

Voting Member ($6,000 annually): Available to companies actively engaged for at least one year in the business of licensing, or representing the licensing of rights for export of theatrical motion pictures or TV programming, in at least two titles for license periods of at least five years in at least 10 of the top 30 major territories outside the company's home market. Voting Members can participate in IFTA Board of Directors elections and other membership votes.

Affiliate Member ($4,000 annually): Available to sales companies that meet IFTA's standard qualifications but do not meet the Voting Member criteria or choose not to vote. Affiliate Members are non-voting and cannot participate in IFTA elections.

Affiliated Financial Institution (AFI) Member: Available to companies primarily engaged for at least three years in providing entertainment finance-related services to companies that qualify as IFTA Voting Members.

American Film Market (AFM)

The AFM is IFTA's annual flagship event and the world's largest privately organized film market. Unlike Cannes (Marché du Film) or Berlin (EFM), the AFM is a purely commercial market with no parallel film festival or competition. It exists solely to facilitate the buying and selling of film and television rights across international territories.

AFM 2025 (November 11-16) was held at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Century City, Los Angeles, marking the market's return to LA after a 2024 edition in Las Vegas that drew industry criticism. Screenings took place at the AMC Century City 15, located steps from the Fairmont. The 2025 edition drew 6,132 attendees from 83 countries, with 285 registered companies from 35 countries. The largest exhibitor contingents after the US (124 companies) were the UK (23), France (20), Italy (17), Thailand (17), and Germany (11). Exhibition space sold out.

AFM 2026 is scheduled for November 10-15, 2026, returning to the Fairmont Century Plaza. Accreditation requests must be submitted by October 16, 2026.

IFTA Member Benefits at AFM

IFTA Voting Members with an AFM Exhibit Office receive:

• $1,000 non-refundable credit for AFM26 (activated after 50% payment)
• Six Exhibitor Badges (vs. three for non-members)
• Option to convert two Exhibitor Badges into Visitor Badges at no cost
• 15% discount on AFM Screenings
• 15% discount on all AFM promotional opportunities
• Access to the Buyer and IFTA Member Lounge
• Access to all AFM Sessions (conferences, panels, workshops, presentations)
• Nightly access to the Gold Lounge Bar for Buyers and IFTA Members

IFTA Affiliate Members with an AFM Exhibit Office receive:

• $500 non-refundable credit for AFM26
• Four Exhibitor Badges (vs. three for non-members)
• 15% discount on AFM Screenings and promotional opportunities
• Access to the Buyer and IFTA Member Lounge and AFM Sessions

All IFTA members receive a complimentary annual subscription to The Film Catalogue (valued at $495), IFTA's online platform for listing and promoting available films to global buyers.

IFTA Standard Contracts

IFTA has developed a suite of standard international agreement templates widely used across the independent film industry. The two most commonly used are:

IFTA International Multi-Party Co-Production Agreement: A legally vetted framework for co-production arrangements between multiple international parties, reducing legal costs and negotiation friction.

IFTA International Distribution License Agreement: A standard template for international distribution deals, covering territory definitions, license periods, rights grants, and payment structures.

These standard contracts reduce legal costs for transactions between members and provide a common language for international film deals. Many IFTA contracts include an arbitration clause routing disputes to the IFTA arbitration system.

IFTA Arbitration

IFTA operates an arbitration system for resolving disputes between member companies. The process provides a faster and lower-cost alternative to national court litigation for the disputes that commonly arise in international film deals: late payments, accounting disagreements, territorial rights conflicts, and delivery disputes. Arbitration clauses in IFTA standard contracts route disputes to this system rather than to US or foreign courts.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For independent filmmakers with completed films, the AFM is the most accessible entry point into international film commerce. Attending the AFM as a buyer, seller, or observer provides direct market education. The market's hotel-suite format means sales agents operate from rented offices in the Fairmont, conducting back-to-back meetings with territorial buyers over six days. Understanding this format before attending helps filmmakers approach the market strategically.

For producers developing new projects, the AFM is where pre-sales are negotiated. International distributors who attend commit to licensing rights to films still in development or production, providing the advance payments that help finance production. A producer with a marketable project, a sales agent, and a partial financing package can use AFM pre-sales to close the budget.

For companies considering IFTA membership, the break-even point depends on AFM participation. The $2,000 difference between Voting ($6,000) and Affiliate ($4,000) membership is offset by the additional $500 AFM credit, two extra badges, and voting rights. Companies that attend AFM annually and use The Film Catalogue will recover the membership cost through badge savings, screening discounts, and promotional credits alone.

Notable Activities and History

The Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA) is the global trade association for the independent film and television industry, representing approximately 150 member companies from 15 countries. IFTA is best known for organizing the American Film Market (AFM), the largest independent film market in the world, held annually in Santa Monica. The AFM operates on a hotel-suite format where sales agents rent offices in the Fairmont Miramar Hotel and conduct back-to-back meetings with territorial buyers over six days. IFTA also maintains The Film Catalogue, the industry's most comprehensive online database of independent films in production, development, and available for distribution. IFTA membership tiers include Voting membership ($6,000/year, with $1,500 AFM credit and 5 AFM badges) and Affiliate membership ($4,000/year, with $1,000 AFM credit and 3 AFM badges). IFTA also advocates for independent film and television interests in policy matters including copyright, trade, and regulatory issues.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For independent filmmakers with completed films, the AFM is the most accessible entry point into international film commerce. Attending the AFM as a buyer, seller, or observer provides direct market education. The market's hotel-suite format means sales agents operate from rented offices in the Fairmont, conducting back-to-back meetings with territorial buyers over six days. Understanding this format before attending helps filmmakers approach the market strategically. For producers developing new projects, the AFM is where pre-sales are negotiated. International distributors who attend commit to licensing rights to films still in development or production, providing the advance payments that help finance production. A producer with a marketable project, a sales agent, and a partial financing package can use AFM pre-sales to close the budget. For companies considering IFTA membership, the break-even point depends on AFM participation. Companies that attend AFM annually and use The Film Catalogue will recover the membership cost through badge savings, screening discounts, and promotional credits alone.

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See Also

For how international sales agents operate at markets like the AFM, see Pathé International in this directory. For how AFM deals translate into distribution agreements, see Distribution Deals Explained. For estimating the financial impact of international pre-sales on your production budget, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator. The official IFTA website is at ifta-online.org and AFM information is at americanfilmmarket.com.