Love, Crime and Protest: BFI London Film Fest Showcases Nine Cutting-Edge Works-in-Progress U.K. Features
The BFI London Film Festival is set to unveil a diverse slate of promising U.K. features at its fifth annual Works-in-Progress Showcase, offering a glimpse into the future of British cinema.
Nine projects, ranging from gritty documentaries to offbeat comedies, will be presented to industry professionals on Oct. 12 at London’s Picturehouse Central. The lineup includes “Be of Good Behaviour” from directors Giulio Gobbetti and Jan St?ckel, following two ex-prisoners navigating life after incarceration. Richard Bracewell’s “Chicken Town” tells the story of a young man’s return to his hometown after serving time for a crime he didn’t commit.
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Sarah Elizabeth Drummond’s documentary “Don’t Say Gay” explores the impact of homophobic law Section 28 in 1980s Britain, while Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor’s “Dreamers” presents a love story set in a removal center. Felipe Bustos Sierra’s “Everybody to Kenmure Street” documents a community’s response to an immigration raid in Glasgow.
Daniel Gough’s personal documentary “Night Gardener” examines the filmmaker’s relationship with his late father. Liam Calvert’s “On a Winter Night” follows two strangers on a quest for meaning in London, and Brian Durnin’s “Spilt Milk” offers a coming-of-age story set in 1984 Dublin. Rounding out the selection is Ondine Vi?ao’s “Two Neighbors,” a dark comedy inspired by Aesop’s fable “Avaricious and Envious.”
The event, a key component of the festival’s U.K. Talent Days in partnership with the British Council, aims to spotlight both emerging directors and established filmmakers. It provides an opportunity for international buyers, U.K. sales agents, and festival programmers to view exclusive extracts from each project, introduced by the filmmakers themselves.
The showcase has a track record of supporting projects that go on to achieve success at international festivals and in distribution. Notable alumni include “The Ceremony” by Jack King, “Girl” by Adura Onashile and “Hoard” by Luna Carmoon.
Kristy Matheson, BFI London Film Festival Director, said: “The BFI London Film Festival Works-in-Progress showcase offers an energizing forum for creative discovery and connecting filmmakers with sales agents, distributors and festival programmers.”
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