BFI and British Council reveal GREAT8 showcase for Cannes 2024

The GREAT 8 showcase, which presents new UK feature films from some of the UK’s most exciting first and second-time filmmakers to international distributors and festival programmers, has announced eight new projects for this year’s edition, taking place in the run-up to this year’s Cannes Marché.

Now in its seventh year, the 2024 GREAT 8 showcase is funded and produced by the BFI and the British Council, with support from the GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland campaign, BBC Film and Film4.  In preparation for the Marché, unseen footage from all of the titles will be introduced by their filmmakers and screened online exclusively to buyers and festival programmers on Thursday 9 May and made available across five different time zones. All of the features will be available to buyers during the Cannes Marché (14-25 May).

The films and filmmakers in this year’s GREAT 8 are:

• Brides – director Nadia Fall, writer Suhayla El-Bushra
• Bring Them Down – director/writer Christopher Andrews
• The Fall Of Sir Douglas Weatherford – director/writer Sean Dunn
• On Falling – director/writer Laura Carreira
• The Salt Path – director Marianne Elliott, writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz
• Sunlight – director Nina Conti, writers Shenoah Allen, Nina Conti
• Surviving Earth – director/writer ​​Thea Gajić
• Witches – director/writer Elizabeth Sankey

Agnieszka Moody, BFI Head of International Relations says, “Cannes is the place where we celebrate film as a global community.  We are extremely grateful to our partners at the GREAT campaign for enabling our exciting emerging filmmaking talent to be present at this very special event as it can be nothing short of life-changing in terms of giving them exposure that will accelerate their already promising careers. I look forward with to seeing what gems we uncover in this year’s impressive line-up and wish them all the best of luck in attracting the attention they deserve.”

Briony Hanson, the British Council’s Director of Film says, “Looking back over the six previous editions of GREAT 8, it’s gratifying to see the heights that many of our former picks have risen to (not least that two of them, Fyzal Boulifa and Rungano Nyoni, will be taking the Croisette by storm with their latest projects in the Cannes selection next week). This year’s line-up has knocked us out again – a rich collection of voices, styles, and subjects that makes us proud of – and excited about – UK film in 2024.”

With 2022 and 2023 editions taking place online, 2024 marks the return of the showcase with a physical format. The films and filmmakers will be in Cannes and presented to international delegates attending the Marché at a special reception at the UK Pavilion on Thursday 16 May.  Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG, the UK Minister of State for Cabinet Office has been invited to the event which is supported by GREAT, the UK Government’s international promotion campaign, which aims to enhance the UK’s reputation and drive growth by encouraging international audiences to visit, study and do business with the UK.  GREAT 8 forms part of a new GREAT campaign, The Audacious Kingdom, launched in France in September 2023 and aimed at celebrating the UK as a catalyst for innovation, creativity and fresh perspectives.

Since the inaugural edition in 2017, GREAT 8 selections have sold widely internationally, being acquired by major studios, global streaming platforms, and independent distributors who each play a vital role in bringing cinema to national audiences.  GREAT 8-selected films and filmmakers who have gone on to find international critical acclaim and commercial success include Charlotte Wells’s Aftersun (BAFTA Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer, 2023) which became MUBI’s highest earning release in the UK. Rungano Nyoni’s I Am Not A Witch (Camera d’Or nominee, 2017) followed its Cannes world premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight with being selected by other leading international film festivals.   Rose Glass’s Saint Maud (BIFA Douglas Hickox Award, 2021 and BFI London Film Festival, Best Film-Honourable Mention) was acquired by A24 for the US and launched Glass’s career internationally.  Tinge Krishnan’s Been So Long (GREAT 8 2017) was bought worldwide by Netflix in what was named the biggest single acquisition of a UK film by a streaming platform at that point.  Other successes include Michael Pearce’s Beast (BAFTA Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer, 2019), Georgia Oakley’s Blue Jean (Venice Giornate degli  Autori People’s Choice Award, 2022) and Charlotte Regan’s Scrapper (Sundance, Grand Jury Prize, World Cinema – Dramatic, 2023).

International buyers and festival programmers welcome the opportunity offered by GREAT 8 to have an early look at the consistently high-quality new UK films and co-productions alongside the introductions given by their filmmakers.  Previous attendees have included Bleecker Street, SPC, Apple, IFC, Neon, A24, 30 West (US); Charades, Diaphana, Haut et Court, LE PACTE, The Jokers (France); Shochiku (Japan); UPIE, Transmission Films, Madman Entertainment (ANZ); Cherry Pickers (Netherlands); and MUBI.

GREAT is the UK government’s international marketing campaign, showcasing the very best of the UK.