Romania Becomes First Country of Focus at the American Film Market
Romania will be the first-ever Country of Focus at the American Film Market, and director Cristian Mungiu will lead its delegation, Variety reported on 6 November.
The market, known as AFM, is a deal-making event where distributors and sales agents buy and sell films before they reach cinemas or streaming services. This year it runs from 10 to 15 November at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. The Independent Film & Television Alliance, a trade group for independent film companies, produces the event.
The Country of Focus idea is new. The market launches it in partnership with Creative Romanian Filmmakers (CRFM), a group of Romanian film-makers. The Romanian delegation will have its own exhibition space at the Fairmont, where it can meet international buyers and industry partners.
On 14 November, a panel called "Beyond the New Wave: Romania as Your Next Production Partner" will take place at the hotel. Mungiu will speak alongside Valentin Savu, Alma Bacula, Iuliana Tarnovetchi, Gabriel Popescu and Ionut Ionescu. The title points to a different side of the industry. A "production partner" is a country where other companies shoot their films, often because of crews, locations or costs.
Mungiu's latest film, Fjord, has a busy year behind it. It won the Palme d'Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, in May, according to Al Jazeera. It is Mungiu's second Palme d'Or. The film is also Romania's official submission for best international feature film at the 2027 Academy Awards, the country's pick in the Oscars category for films made outside the English language.
The film is based on true events. It draws on a real episode from 2015 in Norway, and stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as a Christian couple, the Associated Press reported. Mungiu has said the film aims to entertain while encouraging tolerance.
For Romania, the market offers a clear chance to meet buyers in one place. The delegation will arrive with a Palme d'Or winner and an Oscar entry, and the Los Angeles week will show how those names translate into deals.
