From dream-like films that follow the nocturnal work of women to work that explores questions around migration, censorship, crime and family relationships, the 2024 Film London Jarman Award showcases an extraordinary diversity of creative approaches to the moving image. Boundaries between reality and fiction, performance and authenticity are blurred, structure and time are collapsed and old and new technologies are mixed.

Found-footage is collaged with the cinema of post-Revolutionary Iran in elegiac films by Maryam Tafakory. Her work reveals how objects, words and glances have been used as substitutes for physical contact between men and women in Iranian film history.

Artist and filmmaker Sin Wai Kin uses moving image and performance to invite viewers to think beyond binary constructions. Set in opulent palaces and enchanting Italian gardens, their film, Dreaming the End, brings forth both the familiar and the uncanny in an interlocking tapestry of dreamlike narratives and enigmatic characters.

Shot on 16mm film, Denim Sky by Rosalind Nashashibi chronicles family, relationships, community and intimate moments of contemporary life. Often utilising a non-linear or stream of consciousness style, Nashashibi used I Ching, the ancient Chinese oracle, to structure this film. The film, which was shot and edited over four years, looks at ideas of community and the non-nuclear family and features the artist alongside her family, children and friends.

Central to Maeve Brennan’s investigative films are issues of restoration and preservation. Here she meticulously documents detailed stories of art theft. The film follows the story of stolen 4^th century Apulian vases through the hands of looters, smugglers, restorers and dealers to the offices of two forensic archaeologists, revealing how forensic and mythological narratives start to intertwine.

Constructed as a film-within-a-film, Melanie Manchot’s first feature, STEPHEN, sees the borders between fact and storytelling collide. The film focuses on Stephen Giddings, a recovering addict, who auditions for a role in a fictional crime film while transforming his life in the real world.

In Larry Achiampong’s film A Letter, we witness the story of a man facing sectioning. The unfolding narrative collapses time to reveal the impact of history, immigration and geographical separation on two brothers living in Britain and Ghana.

The six artists shortlisted for the 2024 Film London Jarman Award create work characterised by a fluidity of style and commitment to radical and innovative ways of producing moving image art. Their work offers fresh perspectives on both personal and political subjects.

Now in its seventeenth year, the Award has built an enviable reputation for celebrating the practices of ground-breaking artist filmmakers working in the UK. Previously shortlisted artists include Heather Phillipson,Lawrence Abu Hamdan,Oreet Ashery,Duncan Campbell,MonsterChetwynd, LukeFowler,Imran Perretta,Charlotte Prodger, Laure Prouvost, Elizabeth Price, James Richards, and Project Art Works all of whom went on to be shortlisted for or to win the Turner Prize.

Adrian Wootton OBE, Chief Executive of Film London,said:
“This year marks the 20th anniversary of Film London and I’m proud to be celebrating two decades of supporting our capital’s screen industries, talent and culture. The Film London Jarman Award is central to our support of artist filmmakers, celebrating a spirit of experimentation and imagination. As we celebrate our history, what better time to also spotlight current and future talent, and present works that are innovative and boundary pushing. Congratulations go to all six shortlisted artists and I would like thank our funders, Arts Council England, for their vital support.”

The jury said:
“The Jarman Award continues to champion the most exciting moving image work being produced in the UK today. Each of the six artists shortlisted for this year’s award has impressed the jury with visually striking and imaginative work that challenges viewers to engage with new ways of seeing the world. With a commitment to film’s potential as a medium for aesthetic and political experimentation, the legacy of Derek Jarman’s fearless work lives on through this year’s shortlist.”

The winner of the Jarman Award will be announced in late November in London. In the run-up to the event, audiences can explore the work of the shortlisted artists through a nationwide touring programme presented in partnership with a variety of cultural venues across the UK.

The Jury who selected this year’s shortlist are: Matthew Barrington, Cinema Curator, Barbican; Shaminder Nahal, Commissioning Editor, Arts and Topical, Channel 4; 2023 Jarman Award shortlisted artist, Julianknxx; Ali Roche, Chief Curator, Nottingham Contemporary and Eve Gabereau, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Modern Films and Film London Board Member.