Independent Film & Television Alliance

What Independent Film & Television Alliance does

The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) is the global trade association for the independent film and television industry, founded in 1980 (originally as the American Film Marketing Association) and headquartered in Los Angeles at 11845 W. Olympic Boulevard. It represents 70+ member companies across 20+ countries—including producers, distributors, international sales agents, and financiers such as Lionsgate, Miramax, STUDIOCANAL, Legendary, FilmNation, Voltage Pictures, XYZ Films, and The Asylum—who together generate roughly $4.8 billion annually from licensing independent film and TV productions.

IFTA operates four core revenue-generating lines built on proprietary, trademarked infrastructure. (1) The American Film Market (AFM), an annual November marketplace held in Los Angeles that in its 46th edition (2025) hosted 6,132 creatives, 285 exhibitors, and 500 distributors from 83 countries, with over $1 billion in deals sealed each year. (2) IFTA Arbitration, an international entertainment dispute-resolution system administered in partnership with ICDR since 2022, with 3,100+ resolved cases involving $970M in claims. (3) IFTA Collections, which has collected more than $158 million in secondary audio-visual royalties and levies from collecting societies worldwide. (4) The IFTA Model International Licensing Agreements (MILA), now in its 7th Edition, the de facto industry standard contract template for cross-border rights licensing, sold to non-members and included in the MyIFTA member portal.

The organization is member-funded, governed by a Board chaired by Paul Bales (The Asylum), and led as of January 2026 by Jackie Brenneman, who succeeded Jean Prewitt after her 25-year tenure. Pricing for membership is not publicly disclosed; MILA is sold to non-members via perpetual license. Distribution is event-driven (AFM) and direct-relationship, supported by the MyIFTA online portal, IFTA Connect webinars, and active government advocacy via 'IFTA Speaks Out' and international bodies including FIAPF and AGICOA.

Name

Independent Film & Television Alliance

Legal name

Independent Film & Television Alliance

Website

https://ifta-online.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) is the global trade association for independent film and television producers, distributors, sales agents, and financiers, representing 70+ member companies across 20+ countries and operating the American Film Market, IFTA Arbitration, IFTA Collections, and the industry-standard MILA licensing agreements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film & Television Trade Association Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Format & Remake Rights Licensing (MPADALAB)

Keywords

• Independent film trade association
• Film market marketplace
• International licensing agreements
• Entertainment dispute resolution
• Audio-visual royalty collection

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from 70+ member companies across 20+ countries representing independent film and television producers, distributors, sales agents, and financiers.
2. American Film Market (AFM): Annual marketplace event generating revenue through exhibition space sales, attendee registration fees, and sponsorship. Over $1 billion in deals are sealed each year at AFM.
3. Model Agreements Sales: Sale of IFTA Model International Licensing Agreements (MILA) to non-members; Members receive free access through MyIFTA platform.
4. IFTA Arbitration Fees: Administrative fees for arbitration proceedings administered under IFTA Rules, now handled by ICDR.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IFTA is a global trade association that provides services to independent film and television companies, anchored by the annual American Film Market (AFM) dealmaking event, the IFTA Model International Licensing Agreements (MILA), IFTA Arbitration dispute resolution administered with ICDR, and IFTA Collections royalty recovery for secondary audio-visual rights. Membership provides access to industry-standard contracts, advocacy, marketplace research, and networking across more than 70 member companies in 20+ countries.

Product overview

The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) is a global trade association that provides a suite of services supporting the independent film and television industry. Its core offerings include the American Film Market (AFM), the world's premier film acquisition and dealmaking marketplace; IFTA Arbitration for dispute resolution; IFTA Collections for royalty recovery; and the IFTA Model International Licensing Agreements (MILA), the industry-standard contracts for international rights. Additional services include Marketplace Research with territory-specific intelligence, the IFTA Partner Program for industry engagement, IFTA Library with educational webinars, and IFTA Connect Events for live industry sessions. The organization also provides a Membership Directory, Copyright Protection resources, and COVID-19 Production Guidelines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• American Film Market (AFM) Annual global marketplace event where production and distribution deals are closed, generating more than US$1 billion in deals each year on completed films and projects in development across 6,000+ attendees from 80+ countries.
• IFTA Arbitration International dispute resolution system that fairly, quickly, and economically resolves disputes involving entertainment-related production, finance, and distribution agreements, administered in partnership with ICDR.
• IFTA Collections

Quantifiable outcome

• $4.8 billion in annual member revenues
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Marché du FilmcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025Collaboration on Innovation Hub and AI-focused programming strand at AFM 2025, combining resources for industry innovation and technology sessions.
• ICDR (International Center for Dispute Resolution)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership with ICDR (international arm of American Arbitration Association) to administer IFTA Arbitration proceedings under IFTA Rules effective January 1, 2022. Over 3,100 cases involving $970 million in claims have been resolved through this system.
• WrapbookcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIFTA Partner company providing film payroll services. Presents educational webinars on film financing, tax incentives, and production budgeting through IFTA Connect series. Partners on the How to Film Finance Webinar Series.
• Greenberg Glusker LLPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIFTA Partner, entertainment law firm providing thought leadership content on AI, copyright, and industry trends through IFTA webinars and events.
• GHJcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIFTA Partner providing accounting and financial expertise. Co-presented IFTA Connect session on Hollywood dealmaking and profit sharing trends.
• Canal+minorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided $500,000 prize contingent on matching funds for Grand Prix du Meilleur Scénarien award at AFM 2025, incentivizing quality screenplay development.
• AGICOAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAssociation Internationale de Gestion Collective des Oeuvres Audiovisuelles - collecting society partner enabling IFTA Collections to secure cable retransmission royalties across multiple countries including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, and 25+ others.
• ScreenrightscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollecting society partner for educational royalties in Australia and New Zealand through IFTA Collections services.
• CRB (Copyright Royalty Board)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorU.S. Copyright Royalty Board partnership for satellite retransmission royalties collected through IFTA Collections.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Marché du Film (Festival de Cannes): Direct competitor in the global independent film marketplace space. Marché du Film is the Cannes Film Market, the European counterpart to IFTA's American Film Market, attracting thousands of buyers, sellers, and exhibitors annually to conduct international film licensing and co-production deals.
• European Film Market (EFM / Berlinale): Direct peer as another major international film industry marketplace, held during the Berlin International Film Festival. EFM is a primary alternative venue for independent film sales, distribution deals, and industry networking outside of AFM's LA footprint.
• Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART): Direct peer in the international film marketplace category. FILMART is Asia's leading content marketplace, comparable in mission to AFM but focused on the Asia-Pacific region — competing for the same multinational distributors, sales agents, and rights buyers.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO): Trade association in the broader film ecosystem — represents theatrical exhibitors rather than producers/distributors. NATO is a relevant structural peer because it serves the same function (collective advocacy, research, industry services) on the exhibition side of the value chain that IFTA serves on the production/distribution side.
• Motion Picture Association (MPA): The major-studio equivalent trade body (formerly MPAA), representing Disney, Universal, Warner, Sony, Paramount, and Netflix. MPA is a broader incumbent in the same industry-association space, with substantially larger resources and political clout, but representing a different membership segment.

Others

• Producers Guild of America (PGA): Adjacent professional association representing producers across film, TV, and new media. PGA is comparable to IFTA as a peer professional/trade body in the production community, but focused on individual-producer advocacy, credit standards, and awards rather than marketplace and licensing services.
• FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations): International federation of national film producer associations. IFTA is itself a member of FIAPF, making it a parent/governance peer in the same global trade-association hierarchy for film producers.
• Screenrights: Australian collecting society that is an IFTA Collections channel partner for educational royalties. Screenrights is a comparable rights-management and royalty-collection service in the same audio-visual rights value chain, though geographically focused on Australia/New Zealand.
• JAMS (Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services): Major alternative dispute resolution provider. JAMS competes with IFTA Arbitration/ICDR for entertainment-industry dispute resolution work, particularly for production, finance, and distribution contract disputes.
• American Film Institute (AFI): Long-established peer organization in the U.S. film ecosystem — focused on film education, preservation, and the AFI Conservatory — with overlapping membership and industry-advocacy missions to IFTA, though focused on craft and heritage rather than commerce.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ifta_official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Independent Film & Television Alliance