News Story
Film London is pleased to announce that Anna Higgs, Managing Director of Casarotto Ramsay & Associates and Chair of the BAFTA Film Committee, will be the guest of honour at this year’s Film London Production Finance Market (PFM). Giving the keynote interview, in conversation with Adrian Wootton OBE, Chief Executive of Film London and the British Film Commission, Higgs will share her thoughts on the wider industry landscape as she begins her new role in the leading independent British talent agency.
Taking place from 10th to 11th October 2023 at new partner hotel, The Thistle in London’s Marble Arch, PFM is an annual two-day financing event for film, held as part of the BFI London Film Festival.
Anna Higgs joined Casarotto Ramsay & Associates with a track record as a multi-award-winning creative leader with wide-ranging commercial experience. A producer, commissioner and columnist, she led global Entertainment Partnerships at Meta, was Creative Director at LVMH-owned video channel NOWNESS, Commissioning Executive at Film4 and an independent producer working across a range of genres and platforms.
Along with being re-elected this year as Chair of the BAFTA Film Committee, Anna also sits on the BAFTA Board of Trustees, and has been named one of Time Out's 'Creative 100' along with cited as Creative Review's 'Creative Leaders 50'.
As the film and television landscape evolves, sharing knowledge and insight as well as building strong networks is vital to help us thrive and bring phenomenal storytellers’ work to audiences. As a former producer, and Film London Board member, I know first-hand how impactful the Production Finance Market can be in helping get bold and brilliantly independent films made and I look forward to chatting to Adrian in this forum, alongside hearing about some of the latest work at PFM.Anna Higgs
Film London's Production Finance Market has been instrumental in instigating vital introductions and securing finance for some truly great projects for over 16 years. We are delighted to return this year as part of the BFI London Film Festival Industry Programme and to welcome creative leader and supporter of Film London, Anna Higgs, as our guest of honour. I’ve no doubt Anna’s insight and wide range of skills and experience will be of interest to attendees as we discuss the current state of market. It’s a challenging time for our industry but the UK and the rest of world must remain competitive. Events like the PFM are so important in building connections and securing finance so that we are able to play our part in creating high quality diverse content.Adrian Wootton OBE, Chief Executive of Film London and the British Film Commission
Following the keynote interview, the team behind new indie film Chuck Chuck Baby directed by Janis Pugh will present a case study. Anne Beresford, Producer, and Sales Agent Steven Bestwick from Yellow Affair will discuss the film, which is also an alumnus of PFM, having been brought to the Market in 2019.
The market connects filmmakers and financiers from across the globe through 1:1 meetings as a way to navigate potential business partners and investment. The main strand accommodates feature film projects with budgets above €1m, while the New Talent strand showcases teams making their first or second feature film. Previous alumni of PFM include Scala!!! which came to the New Talent strand in 2020 and is premiering at the BFI London Film Festival this year, If The Streets Were on Fire, which was showcased at LFF last year after attending the New Talent strand in 2019, and is being released in UK cinemas this month, and Tish which came to NTS in 2021 and premiered at Sheffield DocFest this year as the opening night film.
The 2022 edition of PFM saw 59 feature film projects presented with a total production value of around €167.5 million. The Market attracted over 180 attendees, facilitating 865 meetings from across the globe with delegates from 15 different countries. Now in its 17th year, the Production Finance Market 2023 will welcome attendees to make those all-important creative and business conversations face to face.
The 2023 edition will continue its partnerships with nationwide network The New Black Film Collective (TNBFC), and Tallinn Black Nights and PFM also continues its international partnerships with EAVE, MIFF 37 South, The Netherlands Film Commission, Ontario Creates IFF@TIFF and South Africa’s National Film & Video Foundation whilst also continuing to work with its Spanish and Italian industry colleagues and others across Europe.
The Market is supported by the Mayor of London, the National Lottery through the BFI, and the Department for Business and Trade, and takes place during the BFI London Film Festival.