LONDON INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL

Think you know how British film is faring at the moment? You can’t know if you haven’t see the British films showing at London’s Independent Film Festival this April.

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The true health – or, perhaps the terminal decline – of British film hopes depends on more than the three dozen British movies that get released every year.

Equally important, perhaps even more crucial for taking the temperature are the fifty or sixty independent films that get made but are seldom seen.

Do you have any idea whether any of them are any good in any respect? Probably you don’t know?,

Do you know if there might be a gem among them? Probably you don’t.

Soon, this April, you will have a chance to find out as the London Independent Film Festival revves up again and showcases more British indie features than any other British event.

This is an all too rare opportunity for micro-budget and no budget filmmakers to parade their efforts and to get a little well-deserved respect for their wit and daring in making a film in Britain’s cash starved wilderness.

To make sure that the cutting edge atmosphere is not crashed by any blasé pros, the programme is limited to directors who have made no more than two films.

Top of the list will be a select number of high-profile indie films – including Ruby Blue, starring Bob Hoskins, the second feature by Gypo director Jan Dunn.

And it is not just the unfamiliar features that make the LIFF such an exciting venture. The big screen entertainment is backed up with clever side bars.

There are one off masterclasses with the likes of producer Ken Marshall, who will be explaining his tortuous filmmaking journey on last year’s best hit, the £80,000 London to Brighton.

Actually the LIFF listings stretch beyond the UK, to include a slate of similar films from around the world for comparative purposes.

The LIFF likes to stress that the Festival is an indie film festival for indie filmmakers and that’s true.

But it is also an exciting experience for anyone who loves movies so might well be worth checking out from April 14-19, 2008 at the National Film Theatre at the BFI Southbank in London.

Interested filmmakers with work to submit should note the deadline is March 6, 2008 and get application details from www.londonindependent.org

It is obviously worth the effort. PRepresentatives from several distributors and numerous sales and talent agents as well as many production companies are expected to attend the festival.

Awards will be presented in the categories of: Best UK Feature, Best Micro-Budget Feature, Best No-Budget Feature, Best UK Short, Best Int Short, Best Documentary, Best Female Director, Best LGBT Film, Best Sci-Fi / Horror film, as well as a Screenplay Competition and Special Awards for Achievement in Independent Filmmaking.

The combined value of all awards exceeds £50,000 in sponsorship prizes; top among them is a post-production deal for the prize winner's next picture from one of London's top post-production houses.

Filed February 13, 2008.