By Maria Bregman, founder of the British Global Talent Council; film critic and documentary director.
Every October, London becomes the centre of the film world. While photographers gather around the red carpet at the Royal Festival Hall, another kind of conversation is taking place nearby. Away from the cameras, producers, filmmakers, programmers and industry professionals meet to discuss the ideas, projects and challenges that may shape British cinema in the years ahead.
This year, those conversations will take place at Picturehouse Central as part of the Industry Forum of the 70th BFI London Film Festival, running from 8 to 15 October. The complete programme, announced on 22 September, offers more than a series of industry talks. Taken together, the sessions provide a snapshot of the questions currently facing British cinema.
Producers take centre stage
One of the most notable features of this year's programme is the prominence given to producers. Two of the three main conversations focus on them rather than directors.
On 8 October, James Wilson will open the week in conversation with journalist Danny Leigh. With three decades of experience in independent film production, Wilson's career includes projects such as Under the Skin, Lynne Ramsay's You Were Never Really Here, the Oscar-winning The Zone of Interest and Kaouther Ben Hania's The Voice of Hind Rajab.
His filmography reflects a willingness to support ambitious projects that challenge conventional forms and expect an active audience.
On 12 October, producer Pippa Harris will speak with Edith Bowman. Her work includes 1917 and Hamnet, but her current projects offer another reason to pay attention. Through Neal Street Productions, Harris is currently working on Sam Mendes's ambitious series of four films about The Beatles. Conceived as one interconnected project, the production demonstrates the scale of creative and financial decisions that producers increasingly have to navigate.
Danny Boyle and the state of the industry
On 9 October, Danny Boyle will join Matt Belloni for a conversation for The Town podcast. Their discussion will focus on the current state of the UK film industry and Ink, Boyle's drama about Rupert Murdoch, which opened this year's Venice Film Festival.
Boyle's career spans independent cinema, major studio productions and large-scale cultural events, including the opening ceremony of the London Olympics. Belloni, meanwhile, approaches the film business from the perspective of Hollywood journalism and industry analysis. Their conversation brings together two different views of the business and its current challenges.
The following morning shifts attention from industry strategy to the craft itself. Costume designer PC Williams, known for We Are Lady Parts and My Father's Shadow, will speak with British-Nigerian filmmaker and visual artist Akinola Davies Jr.
Their discussion will explore working across genres and creating opportunities for emerging voices. It also highlights the role of costume in filmmaking. Long before a character speaks, clothing can establish identity, background and atmosphere.
Inside the working side of cinema
The Forum begins on 8 October with a discussion about audiences and exhibition. Ben Lyndon of Curzon, Carol McKay of Picturehouse and Madeleine Mullett of BFI IMAX will examine changing audience behaviour following a season that included titles such as Obsession, The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Starting with the audience is significant. Before filmmakers decide what stories to tell, the industry needs to understand what audiences are choosing to see and how those choices are changing.
Other sessions turn to the practical realities of production and distribution. On 12 October, producers from Ireland, Spain, Norway and Brazil will discuss international co-production, including both its opportunities and its challenges.
On 13 October, directors Theo Rollason, Nanette Burstein and Rafael Guendelman will join Simon McCallum of the BFI National Archive to explore the use of found footage in storytelling. The session is hosted by Sheffield DocFest.
The programme also includes the fourth edition of Fade In on 11 October, presenting six emerging screenwriters introduced by Holly Daniel of Take Three.
On 15 October, LFF Expanded will host its Industry Day. The programme includes works in progress such as DARKFIELD's participatory audio project Pilgrims and a solarpunk adaptation of Peter and the Wolf using augmented reality. The day will also feature funding surgeries connected to three BFI funds.
Beyond the programme
Some of the Forum's most important conversations may happen outside the main sessions.
The New Waves meetings, organised by the BFI and France's CNC, will bring twelve established French producers together with UK counterparts to explore potential collaborations. For filmmakers looking beyond the domestic market, these direct connections with European producers can create opportunities that a panel discussion alone cannot provide.
Silvia Angrisani, the festival's industry programme manager, describes the Forum's purpose as connecting “filmmakers at the top of their game” with “cinema programmers taking the pulse” of audiences.
That idea captures the broader role of the Industry Forum. Its value is not limited to the talks themselves. The real outcome may be a new collaboration, a project discussed for the first time, or a connection between professionals who would otherwise never have met.
Industry passes start at £85 and are available to UK and international professionals. The complete programme is available through the BFI.
The red carpet may capture the attention of the cameras, but the Industry Forum is where many of the conversations about cinema's next chapter begin.