Last week marked the opening of the 63rd BFI London Film Festival, a celebration of world cinema and diverse talent. This year is proving to be one of the biggest yet, boasting more acclaimed filmmakers, artists and most importantly – films.
The festival opened with the world premiere of The Personal History of David Copperfield, the new film by writer/director Armando Iannucci of The Thick of It fame. Other of the biggest premieres include Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story, Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse and for the closing night performance, Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman.
Though the festival is not simply a vehicle to promote the biggest names out there, it is also an opportunity to highlight and champion first-time filmmakers and emerging talent. Mirrah Foulkes’ Judy & Punch and Rose Glass’s Saint Maud are just two first time filmmakers that are already making a buzz.
Both of those female filmmakers are just 2 in the 141 premiering content at the festival this year. This is a record breaking 40% of all the talent, a statistic the festival should be proud of and continue to build upon for the years to come. Of course, talent from across the globe are attending, coming from Asia, Europe, Africa, the America, etc, so there is broad representation and global perceptions to enjoy and learn from.
For anyone in the Film and Media Industry, this is an essential event each year, it is the perfect opportunity to see the latest innovations in the market, talent to watch out for and the numerous networking opportunities that come along with this.
Lumina’s Christian Abbott is attending this year, making the most of the festival. If you see him at one of the networking events, come say hello!
For more information on the festival, please visit the BFI’s website for further details including networking opportunities, talks & sessions and the full festival programme: