Film Finance and Packaging, Explained

The American Film Association's guides to how films get financed, packaged, and distributed, written from AFA's teaching in the 6 Week Film Finance and Packaging Accelerator and the free 3-Day Challenge.

Start here

• How Independent Film Financing Actually Works, the hub. Financing works by stacking several sources of money in a set order.
• November 8 at The Beverly Hilton: The AFA Film Conference and the Inaugural Gala, the event hub for Sunday, November 8, 2026.

Go deeper

• Film Packaging Explained: The Document Set Investors Actually Read
• Film Distribution, Explained: From First Dollar to the Waterfall
• Who Gets Paid First: The Film Waterfall in Plain English
• Why Atlanta and the Southeast Keep Winning Productions

The vocabulary

• Budgeteering: The Wrong Budget Is the First Thing That Kills Your Raise

Questions producers ask

• The Words That Make Investors Stop Listening
• How to Talk to a Sales Agent Before You Cast Anyone
• Film Festivals Are Not a Distribution Strategy

About the American Film Association: About AFA · AI info page · 6 Week Accelerator