Posts

Four sessions I just led teaching new filmmakers how to navigate and pitch at the upcoming American Film Market reminded storytelling as a business. This post was originally published on Substack: https://alexiamelocchi.substack.com/p/your-pitch-deck-wont-save-you-7-questions ALEXIA MELOCCHI OCT 07, 2026 I recently wrapped up a four-part AFM Pitch Lab, and something kept coming up during our conversations and […]

We are thrilled to announce an impressive assembly of successful and accomplished entertainment industry professionals who will be advising and supporting Astoryah and our members as our Pro Council.

Jason Blum’s belief is that this new generation of creators understand audiences in a way that many traditional filmmakers never had the opportunity to.

This post was originally published on Substack: https://alexiamelocchi.substack.com/p/cannes-and-the-illusion-of-arrival There was a time when the Cannes Film Festival felt untouchable. It was by far not perfect, but felt exclusive. The people who came there largely belonged there. Distributors. Financiers. Serious producers. International sales agents. Studio executives. Filmmakers with films actually screening. People who understood not only […]

I’ve seen talented young creatives pour years into projects built on enthusiasm instead of structure — only to leave exhausted, unpaid, and disillusioned.

Every year, creatives arrive at the Cannes Film Festival with a belief that this will be their breakthrough. They misunderstand what Cannes actually is.

One of our producing partners says he wouldn’t approach an A-list actor unless the project already has a serious path toward financing and production.

The European Film Market remained active, yes — but it felt cautious, selective, and less driven by U.S. commercial machinery.

The industry has turned into a flea market, not a world of trailblazers and game changers.There is no longer a WHY driving international distribution.