Missed out on tickets to the BFI London Film Festival? All is not lost; this is London after all, so there’s always another film fest lurking around the corner, each one more niche than the last. Here are ten of our favourites:
American horror film The Pact will screen at the Frightfest all nighter
1 Film4 Fright Fest (A Halloween all nighter)
On top of the five day horror show which runs in August, Fright Fest will be running a Halloween all nighter this October. The event will feature back to back films including The ABCs of Death 2 and the demonic horror, Last Shift. The film sit-in will take place at The Prince Charles Cinema, where the Fright Fest first began 15 years ago. From 9pm to 7.30am on 25 October, audiences will enjoy five horror films, the perfect way to introduce Halloween. Tickets are priced at £40.
25 October, The Prince Charles Cinema. For details visit frightfest.co.uk
2 London Short Film Festival
The London Short Film Festival (LSFF) begins the second week of January. The festival features the best talent in short films, which can be viewed at various independent theatres and venues. If feature films are the modern novels of cinema, then short films provide the flash fiction. LSFF isn’t afraid to house new talent, and has always offered a great jumping point for first-time filmmakers. This year, LSFF will open up to international filmmakers for the first time. Its founder Philip Ilson is known for his inventive cross-arts programming, so expect to find live music and industry events on the calendar.
9-18 January at various venues. For details visit shortfilms.org.uk
3 Crystal Palace International Film Festival
SE Londoners might just see an influx of North-siders crossing the river this November for the 5th installment of the Crystal Palace International Film Festival (CPIFF). The event opens with a short film night and a ‘Yak and Yeti’ banquet curry, held in St John the Evangelist church on 1 November, £18.50. A family matinee of Snow White will take place at 1.30pm at the church on the same day. The programme of 69 screenings promises a mix of horror, Sci-Fi, international and documentary films. There will also be a series of events in the beautiful community-run venue, Stanley Halls throughout the two week festival.
Takes place 1 to 15 November at various venues. For tickets and screening details visit cpiff.co.uk
4 United Kingdom Iranian Film Festival
As the only film festival dedicated to celebrating Iranian film in the UK, the United Kingdom Iranian Film Festival (UKIFF) is one you won’t want to miss, exploring a diverse range of films from the region. At Cine Lumiere, in South Kensington from the 1-9 of November, audiences can see anything from feature films, documentaries, animation and short films from established filmmakers and new talent. Tickets are priced from £10-£12.
1-9 November at various venues. For details visit ukiff.org.uk
London Korean Film Festival is now in its 9th year
5 London Korean Film Festival
The London Korean Film Festival (LKFF) showcases the best in contemporary Korean film. They will be having over 50 screenings presenting a vast variety of films ranging from romantic comedies to thrillers to documentaries. Audiences will also be invited into the world of the producers, writers and directors. The main hub for LKFF will be at The Odeon West End, but will also play films at the Korean Cultural Centre and other Odeon theatres.
6-21 November at various venues. For more information visit koreanfilm.co.uk
6 The UK Film Festival
The UK Film Festival is host to new talent that has yet to surface, and they showcase films from around the UK. The festival will be from November 17-21. Over four days, the screenings will be split between two venues. The first venue, home to nights of November 17-19, will be Mondrian Cinema in the new Mondrian Hotel on the Southbank. From the 19-21 you can catch the screenings at the Aubin Cinema in Shoreditch.
17-21 November. Tickets are priced from £10-£20. For more information visit ukfilmfestival.com
7 We The Peoples Film Festival
We the Peoples Film Festival focuses on filmmakers generating work around the following themes: three pillars of freedom and the environment and Kofi Annan’s Millennium Report. Human rights, diversity and peace have been at the forefront of the festival since its start in 2006. As the UK’s first peace-themed film season, it separates itself from the rest, becoming more than just a festival, but a voice that speaks out on behalf of others in order to find a positive solution.
8-24 November. For more information visit wethepeoples.org.uk/index.html
Rocks in my Pockets, a Signe Baumane, Latvia/US animated feature will have its UK premiere at LIAF
8 London International Animation Festival
The 10-day London International Animation Festival (LIAF) will introduce audiences to world of animation. LIAF allows festival goers to gain a fully encompassed experience by not only screening films, but also hosting Q and A’s with animators, workshops and gala premiers. Screenings will include The Boy and The Word (main image) a Brazilian animation about a boy’s quest to find his father, and the UK premiere of Latvian animated feature, Rocks in my Pockets.
24 October- 2 November. For more information visit .liaf.org.uk
9 The UK Jewish Film Festival
For the last 17 years, The UK Jewish Film Festival has been making its mark, showcasing the best in Jewish film. The event will take place in 14 cinemas across London (including the BFI Southbank, Curzon Mayfair and JW3) as well as various venues in Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham and Glasgow. UKJFF will open with The Art Dealer on 6 November at the BFI. The event will span across 12 different theatres, and screen an abundance of films from 6-23 November.
For more information visit ukjewishfilm.org
10 Nordic Film Festival
Not every film that comes out of Scandinavia falls under ‘Nordic noir’. Expand your repertoire beyond crime dramas and jumpers with the Nordic Film Festival, which returns to London for its third year this November. There will be a series of shorts, documentaries and features celebrating Nordic fimmaking, both new and old. One highlight is Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson’s second feature, Paris of the North, a deadpan comedy which follows Hugi, a 30-something recovering alcoholic who’s trying to pull his life together. Set in a remote fishing village, the film’s bleakness is set apart by its stunning backdrop of Iceland’s West Fjords. Screening 30 November at the ICA, 12.30pm. Full programme has yet to be announced.
26 Nov – 7 Dec 2014 at the ICA, Arthouse Crouch End, Hackney Picturehouse and The Proud Activist
day-for-night.org/nordic-film-festival