Film London are once again delighted to be a Main Funding Partner of the BFI London Film Festival. As ever at this time of year, we're gearing up for a busy month of screenings, industry events, Galas and more!

In this feature, we'll be celebrating some Film London alumni who we're excited to see on the Festival line-up, as well as highlighting our industry activity at this 68th BFI London Film Festival.

An integral part of Film London's annual Production Finance Market is the New Talent Strand (PFM NTS), a financing market for filmmaking teams (producer and director) applying with their first or second feature. As part of the NTS programme, teams receive pitch training and project mentoring. At this year's LFF, we're thrilled to see two New Talent Strand alumni feature on the line up. Last Swim in the Festival's First Feature Competition came to PFM NTS in 2020 and is a gripping debut from London-born filmmaker Sasha Nathwani. Nathwani's debut feature follows a British-Iranian teen grapple with life-changing circumstances on A-Level results day in London.

We're also excited to see the worlds of gaming and film collide and blend into one with screenings of Grand Theft Hamlet in the Festival's 'Create' strand. The film, an alumnus of PFM's New Talent Strand in 2023, is a groundbreaking project from directors Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane that sees its innovative tale of art and isolation play out entirely on Grand Theft Auto! Two bored actors jump online to replicate Shakespeare's landmark play in the video game itself, creating an unexpectedly moving documentary in the process.

Film London's Production Finance Market returns this year as part of the BFI London Film Festival's industry programme.

The Market comprises intense networking and pitching meetings between financiers and producers, as well as a keynote from an industry leading speaker. Taking the form of ‘speed dating’ sessions, producers have around 20 minutes to impress each financier before moving on to their next meeting. This streamlined schedule enables producers to meet many more financiers than usually possible.

The 2024 edition continues its international partnerships with Tallinn Black Nights, 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. New for 2024 is an exciting partnership with Ffilm Cymru and Creative Wales.

Director Victoria Mapplebeck's Motherboard is screening in the Festival's 'Love' strand this year. The film is an expansion of a Film London short film from 2015, 160 Characters. It's fantastic to see Mapplebeck's film on the LFF lineup, platforming her personal cinematic journey in a feature filmed over the course of 20 years. You can purchase tickets for Motherboard at the BFI London Film Festival here.

Up next, we're spotlighting two filmmakers that Film London supported with earlier works as part of the BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund. Director Sandhya Suri's Santosh premiered earlier this year at the Festivale de Cannes and is now screening in the LFF's First Feature Competition. Suri's Film London x BFI NETWORK short The Field was made in 2017. Santosh is a thrilling story entangled in the misogyny and moral corruption associated with India's caste system and is a key debut feature to look out for over the coming months.

Another filmmaker to have made a short film with Film London x BFI Network is British-Iraqi writer, drag performer and filmmaker Amrou Al-Kadhi who made Anemone in 2018. Al-Kadhi's much anticipated debut feature Layla follows a Palestinian-British drag performer navigate cultural difference and love when they meet a new, white love interest, Max. Layla will be screening in the Festival's 'Journey' strand and is another exciting debut feature to look out for at the Festival.

If you're after some short films from some of London's most promising emerging directors, then don't miss out on Film London and BFI Network's London Calling shorts showcase at LFF! Part of LFF For Free, London Calling: Everyday Escape is a selection of shorts from some of London’s most exciting new voices, funded by BFI NETWORK and delivered by Film London. Titles include Keifer Nyron Taylor's The Tobacconist, a journey through South London revealing the capital's history with a glimpse into the future. Also on the programme is director Steven Olugbenga Eniraiyetan's The Launch, a sci-fi short about the last days on Earth and an escape to a new world in space. Click here to check out the packed full line up with more shorts from directors Coral Knights, Zoë Morgan Chiswick and Tyro Heath.

FREE tickets for London Calling: Everyday Escape go on sale Thursday 3 October 2024 10:00 so don't miss out!

Film London's Artist Moving Image Network (FLAMIN) are also proud to see some of their filmmakers in the Festival lineup.

Adonia Bouchehri, Edd Carr and Mahenderpal Soya are taking part in the BFI LFF's Experimenta Works in Progress Presentation at ICA Sunday 20^th. All artist filmmakers are alumni of our FLAMIN Fellowship, a major development programme for early-career artist filmmakers living in England.

FLAMIN-backed Stim Cinema works also feature in the line-up. Two works by Steven Eastwood and the Neurocultures Collective, are in the 'Playing with Reality' strand, and documentary The Stimming Pool – with elements of the same body of work as the installation piece supported through FLAMIN Productions, also features.

We also have some titles presented at this year's London Screenings at the Festival. Feature films Sister Midnight, Audrey, Mother Vera, Treading Water and Pauline Black: a 2-Tone Story presented at this year's London Screenings in the Breakthrough and Showcase strands so we're thrilled to see them presented in the LFF programme for audiences to enjoy!

Finally, we're delighted to be presenting We Live in Time at the Mayor of London’s Gala this year! Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield star in this new romance that will certainly pull on the heart strings, as the couple face life's biggest challenges head on as one. Check out the trailer here!

The full lineup for this year's stacked BFI London Film Festival can be found here.