Picture Yourself
On the heels of being named a finalist to host the Sundance Film Festival, Film Cincinnati now has even more to celebrate.
Next year, Cincinnati will be the host city for the Association of Film Commissions International (AFCI) Cineposium and the organization’s 50th Anniversary celebration in 2025. Cincinnati joins such cities as Bogota, Colombia, St. Petersburg, Russia, and Los Angeles who have served as hosts for the global event.
In light of unprecedented challenges in the industry, including strikes and production delays, Film Cincinnati has sought innovative ways to diversify the film industry’s economic impact. As a nonprofit economic development agency, Film Cincinnati’s mission is to create and cultivate the local industry ecosystem and develop a robust workforce.
“We believe it is crucial to explore all possibilities beyond traditional film," said Kristen Schlotman, president/CEO of Film Cincinnati. “What better way to show what our region has to offer than to bring the leaders of the global film industry to our area.”
With the AFCI's return to North America, Film Cincinnati will have the opportunity to showcase Cincinnati to a global audience. Following the successful bid, Cincinnati will host industry professionals from around the world in September 2025 for a conference and celebration. The conference will also be open to interested parties outside of the association.
“We are honored to have the leading association of film commissions in the world coming to Cincinnati,” said Julie Kirkpatrick, meetNKY president and CEO. “Film Cincinnati has made our area a desired location to shoot movies and it is exciting to have the industry’s leading decision makers come see what we have to offer.”
Established in 1975, the AFCI is the only global non-profit professional organization representing city, state, regional, provincial, and national film commission members across six continents. AFCI champions advocacy, connectivity, and education, empowering film commissions and industry stakeholders to drive economic growth, build robust infrastructure, and advance professional development.
“As we mark AFCI’s 50th anniversary, we are energized to unite our global membership with industry powerhouses in Cincinnati for this milestone event,” said Jaclyn Philpott, AFCI executive director. “This celebration is not just about honoring our past, but about igniting new collaborations between film commissions and the industry at large.”