As we head into autumn, festival season 2023 continues apace and we’re excited to see films from our BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund slate land selections at prestigious events across the UK.

First up is a biggie: BFI London Film Festival takes place from 4-15 October and we’re thrilled to that two Hub-funded films have secured sought-after spots in the festival’s shorts line-up. Congratulations go to the teams behind Predators, screening in the horror programme, and All the Lights Still Burning, screening in a programme of state-of-the-nation shorts - both of which make their world premieres at LFF.

Kicking off on the same day as LFF, a little closer to home, is Bolton International Film Festival - an event which has quickly established itself as one of the North’s, and the UK’s, top showcases for new short form work. Five BFI NETWORK-funded titles appear in the official selection - you can find out more in our previous festival update.

Gothic horror Born on Sunday Silent is put in the spotlight at Sensoria on Saturday 14 October. The festival are dedicating a special event to the making of the film and the inspiration behind it, featuring filmmakers Désirée Reynolds and Eelyn Lee in conversation with Gothic literature and Horror film specialist Dr Maisha Wester.

Sunderland Shorts Film Festival, taking place from 16-22 October, welcomes a handful of BFI NETWORK-funded shorts - including berths for north east productions Brother Nature, Dead Whistle Stop and Fist, as well as selections for A Television Broadcast From Outer Space and Vestige. Also making its festival premiere in Sunderland is Chicken Girl - Em Humble’s mockumentary about a misguided poultry fanatic was funded by Film Hub North as part of our BFI Film Academy programme.

November sees a return to London as Incompatible - an unflinching examination of child loss from Hayley Standing and Maxine Peake - adds to its year-long festival run with an appearance at Raindance Film Festival.

Our BFI NETWORK team sets up shop at Leeds International Film Festival for a day of filmmaker masterclasses, screenings and socials at Hyde Park Picture House on Wednesday 8 November. Elsewhere in the programme, three Hub-funded shorts make an appearance in the official selection: Half Way, Moon Under Water and Vestige.

Safe, Debbie Howard’s gripping story of street harassment, makes two festival appearances in early-November; first at Norwich Film Festival and then at Aesthetica Short Film Festival. Its joined in Norwich by Bury the Dogs and in York by Nocturne - the latest work from filmmaker Kate Graham who previously made the Hub-backed short Scrum.

The Last Cowboy in Salford rounds up this festival update as Jakob Lancaster’s Salford-set Western rides out for the first time as part of the UK Jewish Film Festival. Jakob will take part in a Q&A at a special event celebrating British-Jewish Life on Film at HOME (Manchester) on Monday 20 November.

Congratulations to all the filmmaking teams who will be sharing their hard work at festivals over the coming months. We’re looking forward to seeing the films reaching audiences across the UK for the very first time.