LFF reveals industry events

This year’s BFI London Film Festival’s ( Oct 9 -20) returns with flagship industry events Cross-Media Forum, run in partnership with Power to the Pixel, the Film London Production Finance Market (PFM), and project development scheme Think-Shoot-Distribute.

Saving Mr Banks and Jane Eyre producer Alison Owen will give a keynote in which she will explore the extent to which cinema is under threat from games and online.

Industry panels will include ‘The Wide Angle: Launching the BFI’s International Strategy for UK Film’ with the BFI head of international Isabel Davis and ‘Remodelling the Release: Insights from the BFI New Models scheme’, which will explore the results of non-traditional release models including Spirit of ’45, A Late Quartet, A Field in England, What Maisie Knew and A Pervert’s Guide To Ideology. 

Panelists on the latter will include Ben Luxford (Curzon Film World), Gabriel Swartland (Picturehouse), Oli Harbottle (Dogwoof) and Anna Higgs (Film4 / Film 4.0).

Amanda Nevill will outline how the BFI aims to stimulate sustainability of the UK industry during the panel ‘Focus on Sustainability’. Colin Firth will introduce the discussion, which will also include panelists Derek Watts of Three Mills Studios, Melanie Dicks from Greenshoot, Dan Simmons of Creative Skillset, Aaron Matthew of Albert Carbon Calculator and David Neilson from Filming Scotland. Creative England’s John Newbigin will chair.

‘MEDIA Desk UK: Developing films for an international market’ will see producers share tips on MEDIA applications and reaching foreign audiences [the event will also consider Creative Europe] while in ‘Understanding Kickstarter’, Elizabeth Holmes, Kickstarter’s film programme director, and members of the production teams behind LFF features Sixteen and Leave to Remain, will explore the pros and cons of the service.

The Film London, Film Export UK and Creative Skillset organised event ‘Market Place Live’ will follow the journey of a hypothetical film project from development through to release during a 90 minute live event while other panels include ‘It All Starts With the Audience…’, a debate on how audiences across Europe are watching film and the implications of latest viewing trends.

Additional events include ‘A Piracy & Distribution Workshop: FindAnyFilm.com’, in which the Industry Trust for IP Awareness and industry professionals will discuss piracy, and ‘Film London Exhibitors’ Breakfast’, which will provide an opportunity for representatives from Film Hub Lead Organisations across the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN) to meet industry.