Buyers going for the globe

Int'l intrigue awaiting at AFM

By IAN MOHR

October 31, 2006

Variety.com

As the 27th American Film Market kicks off today in Santa Monica, even hardened vets are realizing that the past 26 years of experience are not going to give them any easy answers about what global audiences want.

Buyers and sellers of films are weighing info that appears contradictory as the international marketplace becomes increasingly fragmented. In this past year, pics have been gangbusters in some territories, but die in others....

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"You are seeing competition come out of other territories," said Mark Lindsay, prexy of Sidney Kimmel Entertainment's intl. sales arm. "They can make these local productions and own them in perpetuity."

Exec -- who will be repping pics including the Frank Oz-helmed "Death at a Funeral," helmer Kasi Lemmons latest project and Billy Ray's "Breach" -- added that star-driven fare is not as surefire with foreign buyers as it once was.

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And while product screening will be scrutinized, so will the promo reels playing behind closed doors.

"This is the only chance before Sundance when you can get a jump on what's in post-production, and some of that product will definitely be at Sundance," said Arianna Bocco, who recently ankled the Gersh Agency in Gotham to join IFC Films as veep of acquisitions and production. "It's the last market of the year to see what's going into production, too."