The UK’s largest festival for young, emerging filmmakers, the BFI Future Film Festival 2024 returns from 15 – 18 February with a hybrid format that maintains a tradition of live and in-person screenings and events at BFI Southbank alongside a globally accessible online programme, kindly supported by main sponsor Netflix. This year’s festival also includes a UK-wide programme in collaboration with BFI Film Academy partners supported by the National Lottery, with screenings and events providing young people across the country a chance to participate in the UK’s largest festival for budding screen creatives.
Special guests offering their insight and advice to up-and-coming filmmakers attending the Festival at BFI Southbank this year include Frank Film Club hosts and creators Maisie Williams, Lowri Roberts and Hannah Marie Williams, ANTHROPOCENE: THE HUMAN EPOCH filmmakers Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier and Edward Burtynsky, DON’T HUG ME I’M SCARED producer Hugo Donkin, Emmy-nominated casting director Kelly Valentine Hendry (BRDIGERTON, QUEEN CHARLOTTE), showrunners Martha Hillier and Bindu de Stoppani, broadcaster and producer Elle Osili-Wood, filmmakers from the NOWNESS network, Chicken House publisher Barry Cunningham, Lime Pictures’ Tim Compton, executive producer Liv West, TikTok filmmaker Tom Pablo, and video game designer Jörg Tittel.
The first-ever UK-wide programme for the BFI Future Film Festival will feature events at Broadway Cinema Nottingham, HOME Manchester, Showroom Cinema Sheffield, Nerve Centre Derry-Londonderry, Glasgow Film Theatre, Fabrica Brighton, Watershed Bristol and Chapter Cardiff, while highlights of the online programme, accessible worldwide, will include a session on the proven filmmaker training ground of UK soap operas, a beginners masterclass on the art of screenwriting for TV, and practical advice on the skills needed for in-demand below the line roles presented by BFI Film Academy.
This year’s BFI Future Film Festival will include four jam-packed days filled with masterclasses, workshops, screenings, and networking opportunities, with events programmed across three strands: Storytelling, Business of Film and Career Ladder. With a host of industry experts and screen creatives leading the sessions, both online and in-person, the BFI Future Film Festival is the best way for filmmakers aged 16 to 25, across the UK and beyond, to break into the screen industries.
Highlights of the in-person programme at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX
The BFI Future Film Festival 2024 kicks off at BFI IMAX on Thursday 15 February with award-winning documentary ANTHROPOCENE: THE HUMAN EPOCH (2018) playing on the UK’s largest screen, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier and photographer Edward Burtynsky. Presented in cultural partnership with The High Commission of Canada in the UK and coinciding with BURTYNSKY: Extraction/Abstraction at Saatchi Gallery, this is a rare opportunity to see the film in its IMAX version – screened just once before. A cinematic meditation on humanity’s overwhelming reengineering of the planet that traverses the globe, the film uses state-of-the-art camera techniques, creating a stunning, provocative and unforgettable sensory experience of our species’ breadth and impact.
BUSINESS OF FILM
Frank Film Club hosts and creators Maisie Williams, Lowri Roberts and Hannah Marie Williams will share insights, success stories and practical advice in Frank Film Club presents: The Crucial Role of Networks and Collaborators in the Screen Industries. A highlight of the Business of Film strand, they will share their experiences of navigating the film industry while offering tips on building and leveraging professional networks on the journey to establishing a wealth of meaningful contacts. Meanwhile, an inspiring and insightful conversation with filmmakers from the NOWNESS network, How to Develop You Creative Voice (and Protect It) will explore how filmmakers work across the broader screen industries as multi-hyphenate creatives. Learn from those who don’t distinguish between platforms or shift mediums – who use their branded, online and music video work to expand their experience and find collaborators with whom to evolve into bigger narrative projects.
Other sessions will include broadcaster and producer Elle Osili-Wood leading a session called Streamers’ Biggest Competitor: How Video Games Can Revolutionise Engagement in Film and TV, which will explore how video games have pioneered a new way of connecting with audiences – one that offers a blueprint for a radical shift in the entertainment industry. In the participatory discussion Navigating Passion, Ambition and Wellbeing in the Screen Industries, psychotherapist and former producer Rebecca Day will examine the key personal and emotional challenges that emerging filmmakers might face, offering solutions and anecdotes from her work with filmmakers over the last few years. Elsewhere, Alex Halley, Blinkink Head of Creative Production, will talk about the challenges producers face day to day using real world experience case studies in Art of Producing: Rolling with the Punches; Triple Exposure presents a masterclass guide to Legals, Finance and Insurance, tailored for the production needs of making a short film, with insights on budgeting, funding, and financial strategies; and with all the highs and lows that go into working in the creative industries, How to Maintain Self-Belief in a Volatile Career is a session on maintaining a sense of control while building a strong foundation of self-worth in a competitive market.
STORYTELLING
In the Storytelling strand, film and video game director and producer HaZ Dulull will deliver a visually charged keynote presentation From Animated Film to Fortnite Game with a look at his career journey and HaZimation’s latest project MOONTOPIA, which has gone from an animated series trailer to a fully-fledged Fortnite game. Elsewhere, a deep dive between writers and directors discussing the diverse ways of representing LGBTQIA+ characters, Beyond Stereotypes: Depicting Authentic Queer Characters on Screen will examine the spectrum of LGBTQIA+ identities and experiences, focusing on breaking stereotypes, the delicate balance between storytelling and advocacy and the ways filmmakers can stay attuned to contemporary conversations. This session is supported by The London School of English.
Other sessions will include Chicken House publisher Barry Cunningham and Tim Compton, joint-Head of Kids and Family at Lime Pictures, who will discuss the challenges and opportunities of Adapting Writing for Young People for the Screen in a session exploring which books work best on screen and where to look for inspiration when creating TV and film. Video game designer Jörg Tittel will reveal how to make your storytelling stand out in Intent Not Content, a masterclass which will explore how we can use tech as a tool to unite – across films, games and beyond – and rise above the digital noise. A session on how to create the perfect low-budget action scene for your film, Action Xtreme presents: Kicking Ass on Camera will feature writers, directors and action performers discussing how they work together to create simple, safe and effective action scenes that won’t bust the budget. Finally, led by a panel of filmmakers, writers and academics reshaping and decolonising the conversation around ecology, Decolonising Eco-cinema will examine how filmmakers can highlight the ecological impacts of colonialism, particularly by asking who nature belongs to and who has access to it.
CAREER LADDER
A highlight of the Career Ladder strand, Emmy-nominated casting director Kelly Valentine Hendry (BRIDGERTON, QUEEN CHARLOTTE) will tell all about her role in Industry Insights: The Casting Director, a discussion in partnership with the BBC’s Bring The Drama Festival that will cover the methods used in assessing an actor’s suitability for specific roles and the pathways to becoming a casting director. Other special guests will include Blinkink’s Hugo Donkin, the producer of the BAFTA-winning DON’T HUG ME I’M SCARED, who will offer insights into a career in animation and puppetry alongside a panel of industry professionals who will probe the essential steps needed to create compelling animated films and TV shows.
Breaking into the Industry with Warner Bros. Discovery will be an opportunity to hear about the development opportunities available with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), as well as their approach to finding new creative and craft talent. Panellists include former participants of WBD Access Programmes and trainees from WBD’s CrewHQ, who will discuss how to get from programme participant to screen industry professional, with plenty of opportunity for questions. The team from post-production house Picture Shop will also delve into their roles delivering high-end finishing on Netflix true crime series GET GOTTI (2023) in Picture Shop presents: Career Options in Post-Production, where panellists will discuss the intricacies of post-production and the challenges and triumphs of working on episodic content, and Exploring the Role of a Showrunner in the UK TV Industry will demystify the different aspects of running a TV show, with a panel of experts including Martha Hillier, Rebecca Roughan, Kaamil Shah and Bindu de Stoppani who will unpack the intricacies of this multifaceted position that combines the roles of lead writer and executive producer.
BFI Film Academy Young Programmers present several sessions in this strand, including How to Succeed as a Freelance Film Critic, which will offer insights into the art of crafting compelling pitches and overcoming industry barriers, and How to Build a Career as an Indie Content Creator, which will bring together creatives at the forefront of independent content including executive producer Liv West (CHICKEN SHOP DATE) and TikTok filmmaker Tom Pablo, who will share their practical wisdom on managing their own platforms and protecting mental health in the social space. Finally, Wanna Be the Next BFI Film Academy Young Programmer? Is a conversation with BFI Film Academy’s Young Programmer alumni who have embarked on exciting post-programme career journeys, offering those who wish to follow in their footsteps first-hand insights into the role – from shaping the BFI Future Film Festival film programme to guiding the festival’s marketing strategy.
Throughout the festival, BFI Southbank will also be home to a marketplace with over twenty companies offering advice to young creatives and answering questions about the industry. Elsewhere, Warner Bros. Discovery’s Early Talent team will be onsite to offer a taste of what it’s like to apply for one of their award-winning internships, taking attendees through some of the activities that feature at their Assessment Centres. Daily networking drinks, one-on-one ‘Script Surgery’ appointments with experienced script doctors, speed-date style networking with other Festival attendees and a movie quiz, both hosted by the BFI Film Academy Young Programmers, will also be highlights across the four-day events programme.
Meanwhile, the BFI Future Film Festival is holding a filmmaking competition held on TikTok, where young filmmakers have been asked to make a 60 second short inspired by the theme of ‘future’. The winner will be invited to the BFI Future Film Festival Awards ceremony and will win a £250 cash prize. PictureShop will also host a competition at the Networking Drinks held on Friday 16 February, where one lucky attendee will win final post-production from Picture Shop’s talented creative team including final edit, grade and audio on their short film, delivered to any spec.
Highlights of the UK-wide cinema programme
This year’s festival includes a UK-wide programme in collaboration with BFI Film Academy partners, supported by the National Lottery, with screenings of more than forty BFI Future Film Festival shorts and events in collaboration with local filmmakers providing young people across the country a chance to participate in the UK’s largest festival for budding screen creatives.
MIDLANDS
Broadway Cinema Nottingham will present Midlands Voices, a selection of regionally made short films past and present, followed by a Q&A panel with the shortlisted filmmakers who will share insights into their creative journey, what they find important about storytelling and their next steps into the future.
NORTH
At HOME Manchester, touring film programme Northern Exposure will showcase the best short films from the North of England. This special edition programme will feature Northern highlights from the BFI Future Film Festival 2024, as well as a selection of films chosen by young, Northern curators who have scoured the region to discover the stories that matter to them. Meanwhile, Showroom Cinema Sheffield will showcase some of the best young Northern filmmaking talent with DIY Filmmaking Challenge: Sci-Fi, following a callout from Film Hub North in which filmmakers aged 16-25 from across the region were asked to submit no-budget, micro-short films experimenting with science fiction storytelling. The event will showcase the shortlisted entries and announce the winning filmmaker, who will receive £1,000 development funding to make their next short.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Playing as part of the BFI Future Film Festival 2024 film programme, DOUBLE VODKA & BLACKCURRANT (Dean Conway, 2023) producer Joanna McClurg will introduce a screening of the film at Nerve Centre, Derry-Londonderry and deliver a behind the scenes workshop on how the short film came together. The film follows a hungover university student as she procrastinates with her best friends all morning, despite waking up an hour late for work. Meanwhile, Nerve Centre Derry will also host the StoryFutures VR Xperience showcase featuring a selection of VR films handpicked for their groundbreaking storytelling and immersive technology.
SCOTLAND
Using a range of filmmaking and narrative techniques, A New Generation of UK Filmmakers at Glasgow Film Theatre is an inspiring film programme that will offer a glimpse at the fresh storytelling perspectives offered by the new generation of UK based filmmakers, followed by a Q&A with some of the young creatives discussing stories from behind the camera on how their films went from page to screen.
SOUTH EAST
Fabrica Brighton will host BFI Film Academy Young Programmer alumni Lilia Pavin-Franks and Georgia Hunter for Getting Started in Film Festival Programming – A Young Person’s Guide. This event will offer the chance to learn about festival programming – how to curate a film programme, what to look for in a film and how to forge a career in the industry.
SOUTH WEST
South West Selects at Watershed Bristol is a selection of regionally made shorts curated in collaboration with BFI Film Academy members, which will be followed by the chance for attendees to discuss the films screened and think about their own creative practice.
WALES
Chapter Cardiff will show a special programme of BFI Future Film Festival 2024 shorts, followed by new shorts from Wales, in The Next Wave in Wales, hearing from some of the creatives behind them. Join filmmakers aged 16-25 from across Wales as they introduce their own short films and share details of the projects and organisations that have supported them, with a chance to meet other young creatives, build contacts and discuss next steps in the screen industries.
Highlights of the online programme, available worldwide for free
Highlights of the BFI Future Film Festival 2024 online programme will include Starting Your Career Journey in UK Soap Operas, a session designed for aspiring writers, producers and directors which will offer a glimpse into the world of UK soap operas – a proven training ground for emerging talent – with director and screenwriter Kodjo Tsakpo, producer, writer and script/story executive Philip Dodds, and writer Emily Gascoyne. TV Screenwriting 101, a beginners masterclass presented by writer, story development and script consultant and educator Theresa Boden, will explore the key elements involved in developing a TV series – from creating characters to the pilot episode and carrying a story through multiple episodes. Meanwhile, Below the Line – What Skills Do I Need? will offer intel and practical advice on the skills and training needed to take advantage of certain high-demand roles across the screen industries. This session, hosted by the BFI Film Academy, will feature details on opportunities across the country from the BFI Skills Cluster team, with tips on how to get a foot in the door from those doing the hiring. BFI Film Academy Young Programmers will also report live from the Festival at BFI Southbank every lunchtime to let audiences at home know what’s happening, chat with filmmakers and industry figures in attendance, and preview what’s coming both in venue, UK-wide and online. Make sure you’re logged on and watching our BFI Film Academy Instagram each day at 12.30.
Free short films available to watch during the BFI Future Film Festival
The extensive events programme complements a programme of fifty-five short films by emerging filmmakers aged 16-25, all of which will be available to watch globally on the BFI YouTube channel from 15 – 29 February as well as at BFI Southbank during the Festival. Details of the film programme can be found in a dedicated press release on the BFI Website.
All fifty-five films screening throughout the Festival will be in contention for the prestigious BFI Future Film Festival Awards. Nominees across ten different categories will be in the running for prize money and mentorships from industry leaders. The shortlists will be announced soon, along with a jury of industry experts who will judge each category.
The BFI Future Film Festival 2024 Awards Ceremony, supported by Netflix, will take place in-person at BFI Southbank on Sunday 18 February and will also be live streamed on the BFI YouTube channel. The awards recognise, celebrate, and reward some of the talented young filmmakers from this year’s festival across 10 different categories including Best Director, Best Film and Best New Talent. Recipients of the awards will receive prizes including financial aid and mentoring support, generously offered by this year’s partners.
A variety of festival passes for BFI Southbank will be on sale from Thursday 25th February. A Full Festival Pass, which allows access to two industry events per day and all three of the film programme screenings, will be available for £45. Also available are 4 Industry Event Passes at £30, 2 Industry Event Passes at £15 and an Opening Day Pass, giving access to Thursday’s events only, at £10.
