The 14th edition of the London Rolling Film Festival will take place at VUE Piccadilly London on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th September.

The London Rolling Film Festival has a reputation among cinema insiders as a place of nurturing for new talent, and for this year, during the festival’s 14th edition, the aspiring filmmakers have been chosen. They will receive invaluable feedback on their projects from industry professionals Mike Smith and Adriana Kulig.

Continuing the tradition of fostering new talent, Mike Smith will run the popular Pitch Corner, where aspiring filmmakers can present their project ideas and receive valuable feedback. LRFF is proud to facilitate connections between filmmakers and investors to create new projects, and this year will be no different.

The winner of the Help to Roll Fund, who will receive a £1000 grant, will be announced at the Award Ceremony on the evening of September 28th. Throughout the year, participants submitted pitches via FilmFreeway, and finalists have been selected to present their ideas in front of an audience and a panel of industry experts at the festival.

The festival’s founder, Alida Pantone, also announced earlier this week a new partnership with 'Yes She Cannes', a campaign which aims to celebrate and champion women in the film industry. As previously announced, Palm Tree Universal is the main sponsor for this year’s festival.

Born as a fusion of film screenings and Q&A events for film enthusiasts alongside industry networking sessions, the festival serves as a platform for filmmakers to connect with experienced industry professionals, including independent financiers, lending it a unique boutique quality. As before, the organizers will facilitate these connections, as the festival’s core values are: “Connect, Inspire, Support”, and their motto is “Stay Focused and Keep Rolling”.

The London Rolling Film Festival has seen a remarkable 325% increase in submissions in 2024 compared to last year and has doubled both the number of days and films shown. This year’s submissions include filmmakers from the United Kingdom, Iran, the United States, Italy, France, Poland, India, Sweden, Peru, Ireland, Germany, Cyprus, Ukraine, Switzerland, Slovenia, Portugal, the Netherlands, Mexico, Iraq, Estonia, Denmark, the Czech Republic, China, Canada, Belgium, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. This highlights its significant growth, as well as its expanding influence in the film industry, and across the globe. The films, chosen for their high calibre and outstanding storytelling, represent the very best in independent filmmaking.

This year has also seen a significant increase in female filmmakers in competition, with 70 percent of the selected films directed by women.

For the very first time the festival will open with a feature film, The Chocolate Club, which will be followed by a Q&A with the director Deborah Hadfield, setting the tone for this inspiring two-day event.

In the evening on Saturday 28th September there will be an award ceremony, where the winner of the £1000, Help to Roll Grant will be announced, alongside the other 12 prizes assigned by a distinguished panel.

To be noted, all the filmmakers present at the event will meet with the press, a direct U-turn from the recent fumbles at film festivals around the world which have foregone the independent media altogether in favor of trending social media posts and the trades.

Other highlights include a panel discussion led by renowned filmmaker Robbie Moffat. Joining our host Rachele Fregonese, Moffat will provide insights into the processes behind filmmaking and the journey from concept to screen. The discussion will also cover film distribution and TV production on a global scale. The panel will be followed by a Q&A session. 

This year’s Jury at the London Rolling FF includes renowned actor, writer, producer, and director Joanne Mitchell. She joins Paul McEvoy (director of FrightFest), Rachael Sutherland (producer at Palm Tree Universal) and President of the Jury Amanny Mohamed (TV Producer/Director, Presenter and Broadcaster at Sky, BBC). Among the awards is the “Kimberley Marren Recognition Award” sponsored by The Fan Carpet. This award honors the memory of the beloved actress and model, celebrating those in the industry who work tirelessly behind the scenes and often do not receive the recognition they deserve. 

The full program is as follows.

Friday 27th September

1700 Doors opens / Red Carpet interviews at VUE Cinema Piccadilly – London

1800 Industry Panel + film trailer

1900 Feature Film + Q&A with the filmmaker 

Saturday 28th September

14:00 Doors open. Red carpet photos and interviews. Networking

14:45 Welcome speech 

15:15 Block 1 Short Films screening:

• The Sands of Time by James Hughes (U)

• Trigger by Renzo Vasquez (12A)

• (w)hole by Natasha Redmond (U)

• Forbidden by Charlotte Vacková (PG)

• Marvin The Vampire by Adrian Ramirez León (PG)

• Enamour by Doulla Panaretou (PG)

• Good Luck Nelle by Carissa Thorne (PG)

• Meeting Mr. Oscar by Toni Short (U)

16:45 Short break 30’

17:15 Block 2 Short Films screening 

• Echo by Jo Southwell (UG)

• My Husband Is A Dog by Sara Jordan (U)

• Unique Together by Lena Kadriye Ziyal (U)

• Wuss by Nadine Wilson (UG)

• Unravel by Maxime Bonett and Yorgo Glynatsis (UG)

• Pretty Bonnets by Mick Dow (18)

18:45 Netwoking break 45’ / Audience Award voting starts 

19:30 Pitch corner + Pitch Clinic with Mike Smith & Adriana Kulig

20:30 Award Ceremony 

The Bar area will be open to Festival goers from 2pm to 10pm for networking.

Sunday 29 September 2024

3pm – Panel “A Coffee With…” (recorded for our Youtube channel) at The Queen’s Head pub Piccadilly.

For more info and to purchase tickets, check out their website.