Acquisitions executives from Australia’s Palace Films, Germany’s Square One and Studiocanal, and Italy’s Maestro are among the international buyers and festival programmers attending this week’s London Screenings of UK films and films sold by UK sales companies.
The event is organised by Film London and taking place from June 24-26 at Picturehouse Central in Piccadilly; around 120 international guests are expected to attend.
“We have more international buyers attending than last year,” said Helena Mackenzie, head of inward investment and business development at Film London. “It’s a very convenient and convivial way to continue discussions from Cannes and have meaningful, lengthy meetings rather than the frantic drive-by’s in Cannes.
“It is easy to navigate, no frills, and does what is says on the tin,” she added.
Protagonist’s Sister Midnight, HanWay’s Timestalker, Mister Smith’s Young Werther and Bankside’s Audrey, The Moogai and Swimming Home are among the films beings showcased.
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Mia Bays, director of the BFI’s Filmmaking Fund, is presenting teasers and information on the next crop of BFI-funded films, and Doc Society is presenting a selection of titles with which it is involved.
Doc Society is also having a talent spotlight, focusing both on first-time directors and more established directors, among them Kim Hopkins, Havana Marking, Jeanie Finlay and Chris Kelly.
“Post-Covid, the more I see people the better,” says Simon Crowe, founder of SC Films International and chairman of the Film Export UK board. “In an era where people’s time is so precious and people are running around like crazy in Cannes chasing the big projects, it is a nice opportunity for companies to sit down and chat with distributors from mainly across Europe about their slates.”
SC Films is screening Bill Bennett’s comedy The Way, My Way, about an Australian man who walks the 800-kilometre Camino De Santiago pilgrimage in Spain. The film has opened in Australia to strong business through distributor Maslow Entertainment.
“The London Screenings are always an opportunity to catch up with the distributors we either commenced our communications with in Cannes or haven’t had a chance to see in Cannes,” says Anna Krupnova, co-founder of London-based Reason8 Films.
The company is screening two titles, Ciaran Lyons’ dark comedy Tummy Monster and Spanish director Daniel M. Caneiro’s comedy horror Deviant, about a man who has nightmarish experiences after trying to go on a blind date through a kinky dating app.
“The event falls at a good time in the calendar, particularly if you’re trying to set up a film for festivals in the third or fourth quarter of the year,” said Laurence Gornall, founder of the Unannounced Film Company. “[London Screenings] is well run, firmly established and with a good cross-section of international buyers.”
Gornall is screening the documentary Children Of The Wicker Man, following the journey of brothers Justin and Dominic Hardy as they research the making of the film and legacy of their father Robin Hardy’s 1974 classic horror movie, which according to the siblings, destroyed their family.
“I value face to face time,” says Crowe. “I will be there all three days and will try to have as many meetings as I can to find out how distributors are doing and what they are looking for…in this time of working from home, it is [now] almost more important to have these events.”
Selected films at London Screenings 2004
Sister Midnight, Hindi-language black comedy that premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes. Sold by Protagonist Pictures.
Timestalker, sci-fi romantic comedy starring Nick Frost and Alice Lowe, directed by Lowe. Sold by Hanway Films.
Young Werther, starring Alison Pill and Douglas Booth, directed by José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço and based on the Goethe classic. Sold by Mister Smith Entertainment.
Three titles from Bankside: comedy-drama Audrey directed by Natalie Bailey; Aussie horror pic The Moogai directed by Jon Bell; Justin Anderson’s black comedy Swimming Home, that premiered at Rotterdam.
Alief’s drama Edge Of Summer, directed by Lucy Cohen.
MetFilm’s nature doc Wilding directed by David Allen.
Reason8’s Tummy Monster, a dark comedy directed by Ciaran Lyons
Jinga’s home invasion thriller pic Everyone is Going To Die directed by Craig Tuohy.
Film Seekers’ The Draw, a sci-fI thriller directed by Tom Ruddock.
7&7’s sci-fi fantasy Ozma directed by Keith John Adams
Ate De Jong’s country music drama Heart Strings which has a theme song from the Bellamy brothers. Sold by Moviehouse.
Children Of The Wicker Man, about the legacy of the 1974 horror movie. Sold by Unannounced Film Company.
Alessandra Celesias’ Belfast-set The Flats, that explores the legacy of the Troubles. Represented by Doc Society.
Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian’s space exploration doc Dopplegangers3. Represented by Doc Society.
Ehshan Khoshbakht’s feature documentary Celluloid Underground. SoId by Impronta Films
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