Robert DeNiro poses with filmmakers from the Marrakech/Tribeca Filmmaker Exchange in May 2006.

The American Film Program showcases films that reflect American society and values, demonstrating American principles of individualism, tolerance, ethnic diversity, social responsibility, trust in the law, and the importance of faith and family. The program promotes mutual understanding and illustrates concepts such as rule of law, independent judiciary, freedom of the press, women's rights, religious freedom, multiculturalism, human rights, and civil society.

The American Film Program also provides a linkage between trade issues and intellectual property rights by promoting American film overseas, helping filmmakers and film associations oppose film, video, and software piracy, assisting American film companies to open new distribution markets abroad, and helping independent filmmakers gain overseas exposure.

The program provides feature films on DVD or videotape, facilitates a public performance license agreement with the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation, and provides short films or feature-length documentaries for special overseas programming. The American Film Program can also provide 35mm theatrical feature films for ambassadorial screenings, U.S. embassy-sponsored film festivals, international film festivals, and other special film events. It does so at the request of a U.S. Embassy, with support from the Motion Picture Association of America, the Independent Film & Television Alliance, the American Film Institute, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Directors Guild of America, and other institutions.

In addition to providing films for embassy programming, the American Film Program also recruits directors, writers, distributors, anti-piracy experts and other film specialists to share American expertise in the business and creative aspects of filmmaking, such as marketing and distribution, special effects and computer animation.