Previously known as Barnes Film Festival, London Breeze Film Festival is getting ready for a year of events before the main festival.
London Breeze Film Festival held its first event under its new name. The festival used to go by Barnes Film Festival, but the festival is doing a bit of a rebrand before its 2024 edition. On Wednesday 6th December, London Breeze Film Festival showcased five new films from emerging UK voices. The event was sold out.
The films screened were The Archive: Queer Nigerians, which also won the Short Film Award at the BFI London Film Festival, Ratthum/Blood, Essex Girls, Gorka and Smoking Dolphins.
This December’s event was its first since relaunching the festival under a new name, but London Breeze Film Festival also held a launch event in October where it unveiled its rebrand and ambitious new plans.
“It’s the fulfilment of our goal to expand the festival to more communities across the capital,” said Festival Director Sam Cullis back then.
“To reach new audiences, provide a larger platform to showcase emerging filmmakers and support the newest generations of storytelling and creative expression through our expansion of events, skills workshops, industry sessions, discussions and more,” he continued.
The film festival, which is all about encouraging and highlighting new UK talent, is looking to expand its reach in 2024. London Breeze Film Festival is also passionate about screening award-winning films from around the world. The festival usually takes place in Barnes and neighbouring Hammersmith, but in 2024, it will also hold events and screenings in The Cinema at Battersea Power Station and Selfridges Cinema in Marylebone as well as Riverside Studios in Hammersmith.
The event is already BIFA-qualified, but its aim in the next five years is to also qualify for BAFTAs and the Oscars. The festival is also planning on holding monthly events throughout the year leading up to their next festival.
‘’Our goal over the next five years is to become both a BAFTA and Oscar qualifying festival which would allow our winning films and filmmakers to be considered for designated categories in these two prestigious award competitions,” Cullis said of the festival’s plans in October.
Creative Director Maythem Ridha also announced the festival’s plan to introduce a Filmmakers Lab to the festival, which would “inject new opportunities for emerging talent and consolidate LBFF’s foothold in the education and mentoring of the next generation of filmmakers.”
The London Breeze Film Festival will take place 17th – 23rd October 2024.
