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Working Title Films co-chairs Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner and Searchlight Pictures executive Katie Goodson-Thomas will participate in conversation events as part of the 68th BFI London Film Festival’s industry programme.
This year’s industry forum will run from October 10-16 with a focus on the industry’s challenging financial climate while also exploring fresh opportunities.
Three Spotlight conversations include Bevan and Fellner, whose Working Title Films has produced more than 130 films that have grossed over $8.5bn and earlier this year announced with Universal the Global Writers Program, the studio’s first internationally-run talent initiative. Their latest film, Blitz directed by Steve McQueen, will world premiere as the opening night gala of this year’s LFF. The conversation will be hosted by BFI chief executive Ben Roberts.
Further conversations will include Goodson-Thomas, who has overseen a slate of features as head of international production and development at Searchlight Pictures and will talk with Screen contributing editor Wendy Mitchell; and Jay Hunt, chair of the British Film Institute (BFI) and creative director for Apple TV+ in Europe, who will reflect on her career to date with TV presenter Claudia Winkleman.
The industry panels include ‘Navigating the International Markets: Sales Agents in Conversation’, held in association with Screen International, in which key sales companies will discuss an ever-changing landscape, where major disruptions alternate with periods of slighter shifts. The panel will include Sata Cissokho, head of acquisitions at Memento International; Virginie Devesa, founder of France’s Alpha Violet; Madeleine Tangney, director of sales at US firm Visit Films; and Sophie Green, head of acquisitions and development at the UK’s Bankside Films.
A panel on finding and acquiring good stories will include experts in film finance, remake rights, film production and writing talent. It includes producer Kevin Loader of Free Range Film; Story Compound CEO Tolu Stedford; Globalgate Entertainment executive Meg Thomson; and WME Independent co-head Alex Walton.
Returning from last year is a session titled ‘Fade In. Emerging Writers In Conversation’ that will feature Alys Metcalf, Andrew Wong, Angela Franklyn, Carley Magee, Celia Morgan and Shannon Welby.
In addition, Oscar-winning sound designer Johnnie Burn and producer Charlotte Matheson will discuss his work on Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone Of Interest and Under The Skin, Jordan Peele’s Nope and Yorgos Lanthimos’s projects including The Lobster and Poor Things.
Three filmmakers with backgrounds in documentary filmmaking, photography and fine arts will share their creative processes and production journeys in bringing their non-fiction films to screen. They include filmmakers Cécile Embleton for Mother Vera and Manon Ouimet and Jacob Perlmutter for Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other.
The team behind Last Swim, winner of the Crystal Bear for best film in Generation 14plus at this year’s Berlinale, will also offer a deep dive into the film’s production and business journey. Writer-director Sasha Nathwani will be joined by co-writer and executive producer Helen Simmons, cinematographer Olan Collardy, and producers Campbell Beaton and Nisha Mullea.
Case studies in the marketing and promotion of independent films will be also held by Mathias Noschis of Germany’s Alphapanda and Laura Mirabella of Italy’s Vision Distribution.
Building bridges
A group of 12 producers from France will participate in the third edition of New Waves co-production meetings with UK producers at the LFF on October 12 organised by the Institut français UK, the BFI and the CNC in partnership with Unifrance.
The BFI, the Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual of the Ministry of Culture in Italy (DGCA-MiC), Cinecittà, and the Italian Cultural Institute of London are collaborating on the first edition of Cinematic Bridges, a day of co-production meetings between experienced UK and Italian producers that will take place on October 11. Selected feature film and TV producers (both fiction and documentary) will participate in a series of events and business meetings aimed at encouraging bilateral collaboration and co-production.
The festival’s UK Talent Days (October 11-14) runs in partnership with British Council and includes the fifth edition of its Works-in-Progress showcase for UK films and documentaries made by emerging talent to be presented to international buyers, commissioners, producers and programmers.
The BFI NETWORK@LFF programme for rising UK-based writers, directors and producers will return for its 10th year along with the LFF Critics Mentorship programme.
For buyers and sellers, the 18th Film London Production Finance Market (October 8-9) will connect filmmakers and financiers from around the world.
Additionally, the LFF’s annual Buyers & Sellers event for festival films which have yet to secure UK distribution or sales representation will take place from October 15-16.
LFF director Kristy Matheson said: “Working and learning together is increasingly vital in our evolving industry as we look to forge new connections for collaboration and storytelling.”
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