EXCLUSIVE: Independent producer and production company executive Danny De Lillo is gearing up for the American Film Market in November, where he will have some major news to reveal.
At AFM, De Lillo will officially launch Sweet Humans, a new entertainment company that has plans to establish a production studio in downtown Los Angeles, a promising development for the downtown area and for the industry in general.
“Sweet Humans is a new production company and broader creative home for independent storytellers, with a focus on new voices, commercially ambitious, audience-driven projects, and greater opportunities for filmmakers and the creative workforce in California,” notes a release. “The company is also developing relationships across the entertainment, brand and nonprofit sectors as it builds toward its formal launch.”
De Lillo tells Deadline the creation of Sweet Humans springs from his belief that “ambitious, successful entertainment can be created in environments where people feel safe, supported and valued.”
De Lillo, a UK native, is a longtime downtown LA resident. Sweet Humans’ plans reflect a “broader commitment to keeping production in California and contributing to a stronger, more sustainable independent entertainment economy in the state.”
In a statement, De Lillo said, “I speak to filmmakers every day, and so many tell me how much they want something like this to exist. Sweet Humans is about believing in and elevating independent stories and voices, and building something together where everyone can be their authentic selves. This isn’t my studio. It’s ours.”
AFM, produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), will take place Nov. 10-15 in Century City, with the hub at the Fairmont Century Plaza and screenings close by at the AMC Century City 15. New this year is AFM House, located at The Pavilion at Century Park (across from the Fairmont) with 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space designed as a “dynamic gathering place for innovators, entrepreneurs, filmmakers, creators, cinema owners, distributors, investors and global brands to explore the ideas, technologies and business models shaping the future of the global screen economy,” according to IFTA.
De Lillo and collaborators are set to take part in a panel discussion at the AFM to discuss Sweet Humans’ plans, project slate and “approach to building a new kind of independent entertainment company.”
Sweet Humans will also present “I Love California,” a special event at AFM that will gather voices from entertainment, business and government around the future of independent production in the state, a critical issue facing the entertainment community in California. The conversation will explore how the Golden State can continue to attract and retain production, create sustainable entertainment jobs, support independent filmmakers and strengthen the creative economy.
“AFM has always been a platform for every kind of story, filmmaker and company, and that openness is part of what makes this Market so unique,” commented Jackie Brenneman, President & CEO of the Independent Film & Television Alliance and the AFM. “For nearly five decades, companies, projects and careers have gotten their start here, and we’re pleased that Danny has chosen AFM to launch Sweet Humans and bring the industry together around a stronger future for independent film in California.”
De Lillo is an alumnus of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and a former executive at Screen International. He currently serves as Chair of the Board of NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) and as an advisory board member for Hire Survivors Hollywood. He has worked across London, New York and Los Angeles in his more than 25 years in the entertainment industry.
De Lillo says he will be making more announcements about the launch of Sweet Humans at AFM, plans for the downtown LA Studio, as well as the I Love California event at AFM in the coming weeks as the American Film Market approaches.
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