2024 London Film Festival – Another Triumph

The 68th London Film Festival closed on 20th October

The 68^th London Film Festival closed on 20^th October after showing around 180 feature films and 70 short films, at 11 locations in London and nine around the UK. The festival included premieres, new movies, restored works, virtual reality experiences and some very interesting talks. It was packed with some of the world’s best films, series and immersive storytelling.

Since the first festival back in 1957 when around only 20 films were shown including Ingmar Berman’s ‘The Seventh Seal’ and Kurosawa’s ‘Throne of Blood’ the festival has grown and grown to a point that it is today one of, if not the most accessible of all the film festivals.  Whilst industry professionals, studios and journalists from all around the world attend,  it remains first and foremost a public festival that everyone can attend to see films that might not get a UK screening. Indeed the public can attend premieres and walk the red carpet alongside A-listers to see films at this year’s festival that included ‘Blitz’, ‘The Apprentice‘ and ‘Conclave‘.

Ben Roberts, Chief Executive of British Film Institute commented “In the age when we can have everything, anywhere, all at once festivals offer us some focus. Audiences watch, opinions are formed (and sometimes changed), reputations are made, future classics are acknowledged. This is where films come to life”. Of course, we get to hear first hand from great film-makers about making films – Denis Villeneuve commenting on the famous sandworm riding storm in Dune that took 44 days to shoot said “If I had done the sandworm sequence myself, I would still be shooting today”. Throughout his talk he reiterated several times how he could not do anything by himself, “I am not alone. There’s a crew around me”.  Very wise words which all industry professionals will concur with. Mike Leigh, Daniel Kaluya, Steve McQueen and Sean Baker all also gave talks at the festival

We know and continually hear how important the Film and Television sectors are for the UK. At a challenging time for the economy, the sector is bringing in huge inward investment and creating jobs. The London Film Festival is, and remains, one of the world’s premiere festivals that showcases our sector to a worldwide audience.

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