The festival’s organizers have announced the addition of new sections that will showcase non-film-related audio-visual projects. Also known as “strands”, these sections will focus on upcoming small-screen works for television and streaming platforms. There will be strands presenting immersive experiences such as augmented and virtual reality projects, as well. The London Film Festival will also expand its pre-existing industry section to foster creative and business-related collaborations among working filmmakers. The organizers hope this will allow for emerging U.K. talent to network on both a local and international scale.

Advertisement  

Tricia Tuttle, the festival’s director, welcomes the expansion as a sign of both technological innovation and media evolution. “We’ve focused a great deal in recent years on the seismic changes in how films are reaching audiences, but there are other more creative ways the ground is shifting, with ‘filmmakers’ and producers increasingly working across different platforms, and greater connections and dialogue across different creative forms,” said Tuttle. “We look forward to showing their work here, and offering a new platform where audiences can engage with different kinds of moving image-based storytelling, fiction and nonfiction.”

Financial Accessibility

According to Deadline, the festival is also hoping to increase its amount of free-to-access events, including screenings, strands, and talks. Tuttle stresses the importance of this accessibility, saying that finances shouldn’t be a hindrance to one’s participation with the arts. The 64th iteration of the BFI London Film Festival will take place from October 7-18, 2020. The official film selection will likely be released sometime in early September. Leave your thoughts on the BFI London Film Festival’s program expansions (via THR) and this article below in the comments section. Readers seeking to support this type of content can visit our Patreon Page and become one of FilmBook’s patrons. For more Film Festival news coverage, photos, videos, and information, visit our Film Festival Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Flipboard.

London Film Festival 2020  Program To Add TV  VR  And Industry Sections - 47