The main feature of this year’s program is a unique selection of short films from the Displacement Film Fund (DFF), which will be personally presented by founder Cate Blanchett and a number of filmmakers involved in the initiative.
Other Festival filmmakers, such as Carol Morley, will be the special guests at a live edition of the Girls on Film Podcast, and guests with films in this year’s LFF, such as director Mark Cousins and actor and activist Adam Pearson, will participate in insightful discussions.
as a new film adaptation of a beloved Jane Austen book opens in UK theaters.
Quick Fact
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | LFF for Free Programme |
| Location | BFI Southbank, London, UK |
| Organiser | BFI London Film Festival |
| Featured Guests | Andrew Davies, Cate Blanchett and Adam Pearson |
| Activities | Film talks, panel discussions, creative workshops and family events |
| Key Themes | Film, identity, displacement, disability and storytelling |
| Entry Fee | Free of charge |
| Event Dates | Check the official BFI programme for confirmed dates |
Andrew Davies Headlines LFF for Free
LFF for Free welcomes award-winning screenwriter, playwright, and novelist Andrew Davies, who adapted arguably the most beloved film adaptation of all of Jane Austen’s works.
Davies will talk about his diverse career, which includes everything from Pride and Prejudice and House of Cards to Bleak House and Bridget Jones, as another adaptation of a classic Austen novel opens in UK theaters.
A variety of entertaining, lighthearted, and thought-provoking free events, such as illustrated talks, panel discussions, DJ evenings, and family gatherings, are available to audiences that explore the LFF for Free program at BFI Southbank.
Cate Blanchett Presents Displacement Film Collection
With great pleasure, the BFI London Film Festival announces that this year’s LFF For Free program will feature a unique selection of short films from the Displacement Film Fund (DFF).
The DFF, which is funded and run by BFI Fellow Cate Blanchett and overseen by the Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), encourages and promotes filmmakers who are displaced as well as those who have a track record of delivering genuine stories about the realities of displaced people.
Displacement Stories and the Future of Cinema
The 14-year partnership between two Syrian journalists navigating immigration, anti-refugee animosity, and bureaucracy is examined in Hasan Kattan and Fadi Al Halabi’s book Allies in Exile.
In Whispers of a Burning Scent, Mo Harawe depicts a musician who is torn between grief, devotion, and dignity as he gets ready to perform at a wedding while awaiting a crucial court hearing.
The renowned author of Pride and Prejudice, House of Cards, Bleak House, and Bridget Jones, award-winning screenwriter, dramatist, and novelist Andrew Davies, joins us for a discussion on his incredible career and memoir.
Beyond the Screen: How Stories Create Change explores how film can document experience, express identity, and bring about change by bringing together voices from Black women in the filmmaking ecosystem.
Free Family Events and Cinema Celebrations
Families and younger audiences can also participate in two free family activities that are inspired by the movies showing at this year’s LFF. Inspired by the small heroes of A Mighty Adventure, Build A Bug allows young audiences to make their own amazing insect companions with vibrant craft supplies. In the meantime, youngsters are encouraged to dream by The Mermaid Parade, which was inspired by the animated movie Julián.
Through song, poetry, video clips, and dialog, The Man I Love: Remembering the AIDS Crisis provides a forum for contemplation and recollection of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, honoring those who have died and the communities that the crisis has changed.
