The stats are impressive – 8,000 filmmaking professionals from 70 nations involving over 400 films with more than $800 million in deals to be sealed over the next eight days. And they are all converging right in my backyard – Santa Monica, California. That averages out to about 30 new films every two hours – the majority of them world or U.S. premieres. It is the American Film Market, one of the biggest annual business gatherings of the independent motion picture production and distribution industry.
Every genre will be represented here as will just about every occupation associated with film – acquisition and development executives, agents, attorneys, directors, distributors, festival directors, financiers, film commissioners, producers, writers and the world’s press.
Always present are cinematic stories with a sports-backdrop. Here are a few that you might see coming to a theater near you. 
Fighting Fear
This feature-length documentary, filmed over three years, provides a unique insight into two world-class athletes and their personal challenges in sports with deadly consequences. They celebrate the highs and survive the lows. It’s not the mistakes you make but how you overcome them.
Mark surfs big waves. He is one of the world’s best. He is fearless … Or he was fearless. A horrific neck injury sustained while surfing one of the world’s most threatening waves arouses his childhood fear of the ocean. His dream to be the best could be over … Should be over. But there is hope.
Richie is Mark’s best mate, piloting the craft that puts Mark into the world’s biggest waves. He shares Mark’s dream, yet he also has his own. He works as a carpet-layer but trains to be a Mixed Martial Arts Cage-Fighting Champion and Big Wave Surfer. He lives life on the edge and soon finds that if you push too many boundaries, you can cross with the law. His world is rocked. Is it a knockout blow?
Featuring some of the world’s most influential action sports athletes, including ten-time World Surfing Champion Kelly Slater, two- time World Surfing Champion Mick Fanning, Big Wave Surfer Bruce Irons, three-time Women’s World Surfing Champion Steph Gilmore & two-time UFC World Champion BJ Penn.
Warrior’s Heart
In shock and denial over his Marine father’s death in battle, star high school lacrosse player Conor Sullivan, always a maverick and a hot head, starts acting out in self-destructive ways that has his mom, Claire, at her wits end. But arduous training in a wilderness lacrosse camp under the tutelage of his dad’s old combat buddy, Sgt. Major Duke Wayne, and finding a new love interest opens Conor’s eyes to the true meaning of maturity, sportsmanship and life.
Breaking the Press
A contemporary retelling of the Prodigal Son set in the arena of Texas high school basketball and finds prodigy brothers taking different paths in their careers.
Three Weeks to Daytona
3 Weeks to Daytona is the story of a down on his luck stock car racer with one dream left to hold on to: drive with the best. Unfortunately, with a busted car, zero money, and a miserable job, Chuck’s limelight could be fading fast. When a final chance falls his way, can he patch things up with his son, crew chief, and turn himself around before it’s too late?
Goon
Doug, a slacker with a talent for fighting is invited by a minor league hockey coach to join the team as the enforcer. 
Despite the fact that Doug can’t skate he quickly becomes a hero to the team and their fans, until the league’s reigning “goon” becomes threatened by his success and decides to even the score.
