Disney’s Jennifer Lee And Academy Head Bill Kramer Among Names Set For London Film Festival’s Industry Forum

Zac Ntim
·11 min read
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The BFI London Film Festival has unveiled the full lineup for its revamped “Industry Forum,” which will feature keynote sessions with Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer of Disney Animation Studios, and Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts (AMPAS).

Lee will headline what the BFI described as one of three “spotlight” conversations during the forum. She will be joined on stage by former LFF head Tricia Tuttle, who is now Head of Directing Fiction at the National Film and Television School. The other headline speakers are Emile Sherman and Iain Canning, the co-founders of See-Saw Films, and Carole Baraton, CEO of the leading French sales company Charades. Elsewhere, Kramer will take part in an on-stage conversation with BFI CEO Ben Roberts, alongside his British counterpart, BAFTA head Jane Millichip.

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Away from industry keynotes, LFF will host its second annual New Waves co-production meetings. This year 12 producers from France will participate in meetings with UK producers. The event is organised by the Institut français UK, the BFI and the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC) in partnership with Unifrance. There will also be a networking reception hosted by Dragoslav Zachariev, Deputy Director, Institut Français UK. The Institut Français and BFI International will also be meeting CNC representatives on October 7 ahead of the Cultural Olympiad 2024, which will take place in Paris.

The LFF will also welcome producers from South Africa, supported by the National Film and Video Foundation, who are looking to forge partnerships with UK producers interested in working with South Africa.

“We’re excited to be welcoming European, international, and UK talents to this year’s Industry Forum,” Kristy Matheson, BFI London Film Festival Director, said of this year’s industry lineup. “In sharing their expertise, experience, and ideas, we all have the opportunity to learn with each other which is more vital than ever in this fast-evolving landscape. We’re looking forward to welcoming colleagues to our Industry Forum to gain insights and build contacts.”

This year is Matheson’s first year at the helm of the LFF.

Check out the full lineup below:

ACADEMIES, AWARDS AND THE FUTURE OF CINEMA

We are delighted to be welcoming BAFTA and AMPAS in a first joint festival Academy conversation at a time when the industry is experiencing the effects of globalisation at every stage of the journey from creation to audience.  In response, the UK and US Academies have been evolving at pace in the last two decades. Alongside their high-profile peer awards ceremonies, they have taken an increasing leadership role in building for the future, developing talent, and leading their industries to be more inclusive and accessible.  They also play a key role in connecting professionals across national borders, as well as raising public appreciation of the artistic and cultural value of film and television. Bill Kramer, Chief Executive Officer, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and Jane Millichip, Chief Executive Officer of BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts), join Ben Roberts, BFI Chief Executive in conversation.  Thursday 5 October, 11:30, Picturehouse Central

SPOTLIGHT CONVERSATIONS WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS – JENNIFER LEE, CAROLE BARATON AND SEE-SAW’S EMILE SHERMAN, IAIN CANNING AND HELEN GREGORY

SPOTLIGHT CONVERSATION WITH JENNIFER LEE

As Walt Disney Animation Studios celebrates its first century, the LFF welcomes Jennifer Lee for a Spotlight conversation. As a writer, director and executive producer, she is behind the phenomenally successful and award-winning Frozen (2013) which she co-wrote and co-directed with Chris Buck, followed by its 2019 sequel which continues to be the highest-grossing animated feature ever released. Her career with the studio started in 2011, when she co-wrote 2012’s Oscar®-nominated Wreck-It Ralph. Today, as the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, she has creative oversight of all projects by the studio.  Join Jennifer Lee in conversation with Tricia Tuttle, Head of Directing Fiction at the National Film and Television School, to talk about her career, her time working at Disney and the creative vision behind the upcoming animated musical comedy adventure Wish, which Lee co-wrote and executive produced. Thursday 5 October, 15:00, Picturehouse Central

SPOTLIGHT CONVERSATION WITH CAROLE BARATON

French sales company Charades has built a reputation for handling a wide range of quality films. In its diverse, highly international catalogue, first-time directors and their films such as Charlotte Wells’s award-winning debut Aftersun and Charlotte Regan’s recently released Scrapper stand alongside established filmmakers. Carole Baraton, co-founder of the company and Chief Executive Officer, will be talking about making editorial choices, the relationship with talent, and Charades’s vision of how to adapt to a market challenged by constant disruptions in this conversation with Isabel Davis, Executive Director of Screen Scotland. Alongside this event, the LFF is proud to be screening Mona Achache’s Little Girl Blue, Karen Tejpal’s Stolen and Cédric Khan’s The Goldman Case, which exemplify the company’s commitment to strong, original, auteur-driven films. Monday 9 October, 11:30, Picturehouse Central

SPOTLIGHT CONVERSATION WITH SEE-SAW’S EMILE SHERMAN, IAIN CANNING AND HELEN GREGORY

A winner of multiple awards, See-Saw Films is a shining beacon upon the independent film production landscape. The creative and business partnership between Emile Sherman and Iain Canning, with offices in the UK and Australia, has been behind the works of leading filmmakers including Steve McQueen (Shame, Widows) and Jane Campion (The Power Of The Dog, Top Of The Lake). Since 2021, Creative Director Helen Gregory has been driving the development of its television slate which includes the upcoming new seasons of Slow Horses and Heartstopper.  Join them in conversation with Clare Stewart, Managing Director, International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), to hear about their careers, their work with leading talent, their insights on the international market and a closer look at the three films they have in this year’s LFF – One Life, The Royal Hotel and Foe. Tuesday 10 October, 15:00, Picturehouse Central

INDUSTRY PANEL:  FADE IN. EMERGING WRITERS IN CONVERSATION in association with the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain and The Hollywood Reporter

This year, the festival is putting eight amazing emerging writers from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales in the spotlight in a session moderated by journalist and author Terri White. They are passionate and committed storytellers producing diverse work in form and story.  Some developed their skills in writers’ rooms or worked in talent labs. Others have found alternative routes to sharpening their style and perspective. Their references range from Chaucer to Murakami, the cinema of Wong Kar-wai to Dirty Dancing. Having written short films, theatre plays and for radio, these talented writers are developing feature films and TV productions. They are Emily Burnett, Lisa Clarkson, Karim Khan, Caleb J. Roberts, Sufiyaan Salam, Rashida Seriki, Charlie Tidmas and Temi Wilkey. Friday 6 October, 15:00, Picturehouse Central

INDUSTRY PANEL: I AM NOT A ROBOT – USING GENERATIVE AI IN THE SCREEN INDUSTRIES in association with Screen International

An unmissable discussion on a subject top of the industry agenda.  Our panel of experts will guide the audience through work they have pioneered using generative artificial intelligence as a tool for writing, storyboarding, and generating new images. Rianna Dearden is a narrative designer and a writer at Charisma.ai, which has been building conversational characters powered by AI. Sami Arpa is the founder and CEO of Largo.ai, a company that provides data-assisted intelligence to the film industry. Largo.ai is also testing in-house generative AI tools to create storyboards from scripts to accelerate the decision-making process at the development stage. Tim Webber is Chief Creative Officer at Framestore (The Dark Knight, Avatar, Gravity) which is also testing AI tools to generate unique images. Hannah Wylie is a partner in the law firm Harbottle & Lewis, navigating the legal landscape related to the use of generative AI. This discussion will be moderated by technology presenter and journalist Spencer Kelly (BBC’s Click).   Wednesday 11 October, 15:00, Picturehouse Central

INDUSTRY PANEL, INTERNATIONAL CO-PRODUCTIONS: THE SETTLERS 

How did eight producers from different countries work together to meet the complexities of national and international financing, the division of responsibilities in making The Settlers? Uncovering a hidden episode of Chile’s history, this first feature by director Felipe Gálvez is backed by producers from countries spanning South America, Europe and Asia. Majority producer Giancarlo Nasi (Quijote Films, Chile), together with his UK partners Emily Morgan (Quiddity Films, UK) and Denitsa Yordanova, Head of the UK Global Screen Fund (which supported the film) will take us behind the scenes of the film’s financing and production history, the complexities of national and international financing, the division of responsibilities between co-producers, and the challenges of cross-cultural collaboration. The Settlers is Chile’s American Academy® Awards submission for 2023. Film festival consultant and journalist Wendy Mitchell will moderate the discussion. Tuesday 10 October, 11:30, Picturehouse Central

INDUSTRY PANEL, ANATOMY OF A DEBUT: IN CAMERA

Naqqash Khalid makes his feature debut, which is supported by the BFI Filmmaking Fund, with vitriolic portrait of the film industry and a dive into the depths of a young man’s mind. The In Camera writer-director will be joined by cinematographer Tasha Back, actor Nabhaan Rizwan and producer Mary Burke (Public Dreams) to share the creative genesis of the film and its production. How do you light, frame, and shoot a world in which only the thinnest of lines separates reality and desire? How do you co-create your main character with the actor you have cast to portray them?  The panel will look at these challenges and also analyse the key stages in the life of this film – from development to funding, and shooting to postproduction, until that moment where the film eventually meets its audience. Film festival consultant and journalist Wendy Mitchell will moderate the discussion. Monday 9 October, 15:00,  Picturehouse Central

INDUSTRY PANEL, ANATOMY OF A DEBUT: THE END WE START FROM in association with Variety

Mahalia Belo makes an outstanding directorial feature debut, supported by the BFI Filmmaking Fund, with a bold adaptation of Megan Hunter’s first novel, The End We Start From, adapted for the screen by Alice Birch(The Wonder, Lady Macbeth). Joining the director will be producer Leah Clarke (Sunny March) and casting director Shaheen Baig as they share insights in assembling their creative team, working from pre-existing IP, raising finance, challenges in the editing room and how they secured a stellar cast including Jodie Comer, Benedict Cumberbatch, Joel Fry, Katherine Waterston and Mark Strong among others). Leo Barraclough, Director, International Features, Variety will moderate the discussion. Wednesday 11 October, 11.30, Picturehouse Central

SUPPORTING INDUSTRY AND TALENT

LFF UK TALENT DAYS

The Festival’s UK Talent Days (6-9 October), an in-person programme presented in partnership with the British Council, is a series of events presenting the rich creative talent in the UK film industry and creating opportunities for investment, partnership, and international connections. Strands of activity include the Festival’s fourth edition of a Works-in-Progress showcase, which presents feature films and documentaries made by emerging talent to international buyers, commissioners, producers and programmers with the opportunity to meet the teams behind the featured works. The filmmakers and work featuring in this year’s showcase will be announced shortly. The LFF and the UK Global Screen Fund will be co-hosting a networking lunch for invited UK and international delegates. Private View, LFF Expanded will give industry delegates the chance to attend the Festival’s XR and Immersive showcase to see new UK work in the programme. BFI NETWORK@LFF will host masterclasses and events for 15 emerging UK-based writers, directors and producers to learn from leading filmmakers and industry executives at the Festival. A UK Talent Party, supported by the British Council and Sunbelt Rentals, will celebrate new UK work and creative talent involved in the Festival; and the Festival’s Buyers & Sellers event will provide a unique opportunity for international sales agents to meet UK buyers via a speed-dating style set of one-to-one meetings organised by the festival.

LFF CRITICS MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME 2023

Now in its sixth year, the BFI LFF Critics Mentorship 2023 programme aims to address the lack of diversity in film criticism offering opportunities to a range of talented emerging writers with a particular emphasis this year for those who self-identify as Black, MENA (Middle East and North African), South Asian, South East Asian or East Asian or GRT (Gypsies, Roma and Travellers) backgrounds, including mixed ethnicity applicants, as well as D/deaf and disabled applicants, and those who are neurodivergent, or have a long-term health condition.

Successful applicants take part in a four day intensive programme at the Festival as accredited press with lead mentors Akua Gyamfi, journalist, commentator and founder of The British Blacklist, and Amon Warmann, Empire’s Contributing Editor, Talk Sport film critic and Fade To Black podcast co-host. Participants will also be individually paired with a mentor from each LFF media partner who will support them produce pieces of film journalism for publication on their websites and bfi.org.uk.

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