Association of Film Commissioners International

The Association of Film Commissioners (AFC) was founded in 1975 to serve the growing needs of on-location film and television production. Originally, the AFC was formed by a small group of film commissioners who wanted to share information and learn from one another's experiences. The AFC incorporated in Washington, D.C. in 1983. Following an increase in international membership, in 1988, the organisation changed their name to the Association of Film Commissioners International. Since then, the AFCI has expanded into a worldwide network of more than 360 commissions from 40 countries on every continent except Antarctica.

In 1985, the AFCI partnered with the American Film Marketing Association to host Location Expo, the first on-location trade show for film and television production. Film Commissions from around the world gathered to promote their locations and services to American producers. The first Location Expo attracted 60 film commissioners and some 1,200 people from the film industry to a Los Angeles exhibition site. During the next four years, the Expo's space demands increased so that by 1990 the show had to be held at a site different from the AFM conference. Attendance tripled. Then in 1991, Expo relocated with the AFM to Santa Monica. The annual trade show, now an AFCI-sponsored event and known as the AFCI Global Finance and Locations Show, soon became too large to be held in conjunction with AFM, moved its event to early spring, and welcomes over 200+ film commissions and commercial affiliates exhibiting their services to more than 3,000 delegates.

The AFCI has been a sponsor of the Location Managers Guild Awards since their inaugural event in 2014, which is currently scheduled to coincide with the AFCI Location Show to take advantage of the number of film commissioners and international location professionals attending the show. A representative of the AFCI has typically been the presenter for the award for best film commission.