We’re back at Leeds International Film Festival with two days of activities for emerging filmmakers.
Day 1 - Tuesday 5 November - is an evening of meeting and connecting in our free Talent Connect event at at Archive. We ran this event at Manchester Film Festival and it was a full-house of writers, directors, and producers meeting and mingling so expect to come out with lots of new contacts.
Day 2 - Wednesday 6 November - we're at Everyman Cinema for an afternoon of talks followed by a screening of amazing shorts. We’ll be chatting post-production, the challenging step from shorts to features, and wrapping up with a spicy session discussing some of the most challenging questions for emerging filmmakers. Your £5 ticket includes all talks, the mixer, and a drink from the bar.
More information about the events and sign ups below.
Tuesday 5 November
Talent Connect
18:00 – 20:00
Archive,94 Kirkstall Rd, Leeds LS3 1HD
Join us on the eve of Leeds International Film Festival for a session of rapid filmmaker meetings.
A question we’re regularly asked is "where do I find collaborators?". Be it producers for a project or fellow writers to give notes on scripts – collaborators are essential. So, to try and help people connect with other filmmakers, we're hosting a networking event with a bit of a difference. You’ll move from table to table, meeting a different group of filmmakers each round to give you the best chance of meeting potential collaborators. And with the BFI NETWORK
Short Film Fund opening for applications early 2025 it’s potentially a chance to meet writers, directors, and producers to submit an application with.
Wednesday 6 November
Everyman Cinema, Level 4, Trinity, Albion St, Leeds LS1 5AY
An afternoon of talks followed by networking - and a drink from the bar - for £5. Places are limited and sign up is essential.
Behind the Scenes in Post
13:30 – 14:30
What’s the secret to a successful post production? We peek behind the curtain of recent BFI NETWORK production Before I Do and see the transformative process that took place from first assembly through to the final cut. We’ll be joined by editor Lisa Rustage and producer John Askew to take us through the process.
Feature Focus
14:45 – 15:45
Jack King and Hollie Bryan talk through their journey from making their 2023 short Predators (screening at LIFF this year) to developing and funding The Ceremony - the breakout feature film of 2024, and winner of the Edinburgh Film Festival inaugural Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence.
Hot Takes
16:00 – 17:00
Getting spicy with some Northern industry movers and shakers, we’ve brought together a chatty panel to discuss some burning issues. We want to talk about it all - the state of the industry, what’s the best way in, side hustles and side doors. You’ll also have a chance to submit your anonymous or non-anonymous questions into our Hot Take jar, which we’ll speed through in this no holds barred chewing the fat session!
Guests include writer/director Oz Arshad, BFI Programmer Shaun Harrison, writer/director and programmer Varun Raman, producer Diva Rodriguez, and talent agent Natasha Salter.
Film Hub North Mixer
17:00 – 18:30
Everyman Bar
A chance to stretch legs, mingle, and meet like-minded folk.
Wednesday 6 November
BFI NETWORK Showcase
17:30 – 18:30
Everyman Cinema, Level 4, Trinity, Albion St, Leeds LS1 5AY
Catch brand new work from exciting Northern filmmakers on the big screen. Our Shorts Showcase at Leeds International Film Festival presents a selection of films recently funded by BFI NETWORK in partnership with Film Hub North.
Join us at Everyman Cinema Leeds on Wednesday 6 November for a film programme that includes: a spiritual search that opens up a portal to the past; a mother’s chilling struggle to balance work and early motherhood; and a short film based on the true story that is seen as a major catalyst for Ireland's LGBTQ+ rights movement.
Films screening in this programme are:
- Winter Song – w/d. Kate Graham / p. Richard Higson
- Born on Sunday Silent – w. Désirée Reynolds / d. Eelyn Lee / p. Rebecca Mark-Lawson
- Fairview Park – w. Ellie Hodgetts / d. Ellie Hodgetts & Aymeric Nicolet / p. Joseph Tapp
- Merpeople of Mexborough – w. Billy Woolrich / d. Chelsea O’Connor / p. Chris Hallas
- The Test – w/d. Hsieh Meng Han / p. Menna Morgan
Tickets to the showcase are free. This screening is suitable for audiences aged 18 and over.
*Registration closed*
