LFS News:

LFS wins appeal and reinstated to the US Federal Student Aid Direct Loan programme

2013-05-18T21:23:00.004Z

We are delighted to announce that LFS has won the appeal and has been reinstated to the US Federal Student Aid Direct Loan programme.

We would like to thank the many organisations and individuals who have campaigned on this issue, on behalf of LFS and other conservatoires affected by the policy changes. Special thanks to Michael Mann, Mike Leigh, Sean McNally, Harrison Wadsworth (International Education Council) and Jenny Roberts, Head of Graduate Funding, Oxford University, LFS Student Union, NUS, BIS, British Council, our students and graduates for their support

Details of the process for applying will be posted on the website soon.

Rachel Smith wins Rhode Island International Film Festival Screenplay Prize.

2013-05-18T20:42:00.000Z

2011 MA Screenwriting graduate Rachel Smith has won a prize for her screenplay "Fix You Up" developed at the London Film School. It was the winner of the Rhode Island International Film Festival's "Spotlight on Rhode Island" competition.
Her screenplay tells the story of a workaholic transplant surgeon who cares more about the organs she operates on than the people they belong to. When an injury sidelines her from work, she meets a musician who prompts her to question aspects of her life.

Check out Rachel's website at www.racheljeansmith.tumblr.com

Visit the LFS website at www.lfs.org.uk

LFS in Cannes to celebrate emerging talent and launch new Film Business postgraduate Degree

2013-05-18T20:25:00.000Z

Press Release 13 May 2013
London Film School in Cannes to celebrate emerging talent and launch new Film Business Degree
BENDS, the first feature from 2009 London Film School graduate Flora Lau, from Hong Kong, has been selected to play in Official Selection at Cannes 2013 (Un Certain Regard).

BENDS tells the story of Anna (Carina Lau), an affluent housewife and Fai (Chen Kun), her chauffeur, and their unexpected friendship as they each negotiate the pressure of Hong Kong life and the city's increasingly complex relationship to mainland China. Cinematographer is Christopher Doyle (IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, RABBIT-PROOF FENCE, HERO).

LFS Director Ben Gibson said: “I’m so happy that Flora has got this great platform for her first feature --she’s an exceptionally gifted director whose films are marvels of precision and discovery. It’s especially exciting because LFS was celebrating an Un Certain Regard selection this time last year for Flora’s 2009 classmate Oliver Hermanus, from South Africa. For us the Cannes selection comes in a year of 130 festivals, 15 major prizes, a Cinefondation residence, a BAFTA best short nomination – the kind of year only a school full of talent can easily conjure up!”

LFS will host a reception in Cannes to launch its new MA Independent Film Business (www.exeter.ac.uk/filmbusiness) , a programme to be delivered in collaboration with University of Exeter from September. It’s a new kind of film business degree built to train future producers, distributors, sales agents and executives and taking in business skills, distribution practice and history, the whole value chain as well as placements and field trips. LFS and Exeter are offering three scholarships for the first year of the degree.

Angus Finney, former director of Renaissance Films, project manager of the Film London Production Finance Market and author of ‘The International Film Business: A Market Guide Beyond Hollywood’ has been appointed lead tutor on the programme alongside course co-ordinator Will Higbee of the University of Exeter.

The producer Scott Meek will chair an Advisory Panel for all Production studies at LFS, which will support teaching and mentorship on the MA Independent Film Business. Members include David Garrett, Stephen Woolley, Hilary Davis, Peter Watson, Steve Jenkins, Sue Bruce-Smith, Mike Goodridge, Terry Ilott, Keith Northr0p, Lee Magiday, and Camilla Bray

"The LFS and Exeter are offering a compelling, focussed and highly relevant course for future practitioners dedicated to a career in the independent film business," said Angus Finney. "Our ambition is to consistently populate the sector with some of the brightest and most informed players who grasp both current market demands and capture future value."

"The Masters programme aims to combine teaching expertise from world-class researchers in film and business studies at the University of Exeter, with the LFS's detailed knowledge of, and direct relationship to, the industry,” said Will Higbee “We are proud and excited to be collaborating with the LFS on such a genuinely innovative Masters programme."

Some other LFS filmmakers receiving accolades for their graduation films on the circuit in the past few months: a Student Academy Award nomination for THE LIBRARY OF BURNED BOOKS, written and directed by Alasdair Beckett-King, Muriel d’Ansembourg received a BAFTA nomination for GOOD NIGHT; Sonia Liza’s Kenterman’s NICOLETA received the Platinum Award at Worldfest Houston, Brian O’Toole’s SUNDAY MORNING won the jury prize at Une Nuit Trop Courte, Clara Kraft Isono’s ACHELE competed at Clermond-Ferrand and Jamie Chambers’s WHEN THE SONG DIES played at Tribeca.

Further information: Kate Hughes k.hughes@lfs.org.uk, Tel +44 (0) 7788 432 852

www.lfs.org.uk

Bends, directed by Flora Lau

In Cannes
Ben Gibson 18 – 23 May
Angus Finney 17 - 23 May
Will Higbee - 20 – 22 May
Kate Hughes 19 – 23 May
Notes to editors

The London Film School, founded in 1956, is one of the world's longest established graduate schools of filmmaking. It is constituted as an international conservatoire with 70% of its MA Filmmaking students coming from outside the UK. The School produces 160 films a year including work for the five teaching exercises on the MA Filmmaking. The School also offers MA degrees in Screenwriting and Independent Film Business (in partnership with University of Exeter) and Continuous Professional Development courses as LFS Workshops. LFS graduates (Associates) are established in film and television production in more than eighty countries. Associates include world-renowned filmmakers covering all kinds of cinema - names like Mike Leigh, Michael Mann, Tak Fujimoto, Roger Pratt, Ueli Steiger, Iain Smith, Duncan Jones, Danny Huston, Franc Roddam, Ann Hui, Marius Holst, Oliver Hermanus and Bill Douglas.
LFS is one of three Creative Skillset Film Academies, postgraduate institutions approved by the UK film industry as centres of excellence.

The University of Exeter is a leading UK university and in the top one percent of institutions globally. It combines world-class research with very high levels of student satisfaction. Exeter is ranked 9th in The Sunday Times University Guide, 10th in the UK in The Times Good University Guide 2012 and 11th in the Guardian University Guide 2012. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 90% of the University’s research was rated as being at internationally recognised levels and 16 of its 31 subjects are ranked in the top 10, with 27 subjects ranked in the top 20.

The University has over 17,000 students and is developing its campuses in Exeter and Cornwall with almost £350 million worth of new facilities due for completion by 2012.

LFS @ Apple Store - free taster session "How Long is a Short" with Roger Hyams 23 May

2013-05-17T13:11:00.003Z

The next event in our regular LFS Workshops monthly "taster" series at the Apple Store Covent Garden is an insight into the short film with Roger Hyams.

The London Film School: How Long is a Short Film?
23 May, 6:30 pm
Join us to hear Roger Hyams, filmmaker, writer, script consultant and tutor at The London Film School, as he discusses the art, craft and ideas behind the short film.
No need to book, it's a drop in event. More details here

Film started short. Yet since its dazzling first appearance in the 19th Century, with such sensations as the Lumières' ARRIVAL OF A TRAIN AT LA CIOTAT, the form has been largely demoted. Features are seen as the natural structure for a film. But the short is not the poor cousin of the feature film. Flexible in concept and open to endless experimentation, it remains the territory where new ideas are born. This is partly because it eludes definition: is it comparable with the short story? The poem? The song? The joke? What is worthy of inclusion in a short film, and are there any rules to its construction? And how long can it be?

For info on the full workshop with Roger in November 2013 click here .

Watch highlights from Trainspotting: The Reunion with Danny Boyle

2013-05-15T15:40:00.001Z

The London Film School, in association with Ciné Lumière and Time Out Live, have launched a new series 'The Reunion'. We ask director, key actors, producers and technicians to look back over a landmark film with a major legacy.

The series kicked off with a special screening of Trainspotting with Danny Boyle on Monday 13th May. He was joined by actor Robert Carlyle, producer Andrew Macdonald, cinematographer Brian Tufano , editor Masahiro Hirakubo, production designer Kave Quinn., costume designer Rachael Fleming and David Aukin and Allon Reich, the Channel 4 executives who commissioned the project. There was a live link with actor Ewan McGregor.

From HiBROW

After 17 years, the cast and crew of the brilliant British film 'Trainspotting' (1996) came together for a very special reunion screening in London this month. This unique event was part of a fundraising initiative for the London Film School, and on stage at the Ciné Lumière in South Kensington after the film were director Danny Boyle, actor Robert Carlyle, producer Andrew Macdonald and David Aukin, the Channel 4 executive who commissioned this lively, inventive adaptation of Irvine Welsh's novel from the team who previously made 1994's 'Shallow Grave'. Also in the room on this special night were the film's editor, costume designer, director of photography and production designer.

The audience was also treated to an appearance by phone from Ewan McGregor, who played the lead character Renton in the 1996 film. The actor said he is ready to rejoin the team of 'Trainspotting' and make a sequel to the 1996 black comic drama about Scottish junkies that made his name.
'It's funny, Irvine Welsh's novel, "Porno" [which features the same characters, now older], is set ten years after "Trainspotting", but I wasn't ready to do it then, for lots of reasons. But now there's talk of it happening in a few years' time, and I'm totally up for it. I'd be so chuffed to be back on set with everybody and I think it would be an extraordinary experience.'

Take a look at highlights from the event, filmed by Hibrow.tv and moderated by Time Out's Dave Calhoun here

Muriel d'Ansembourg's GOOD NIGHT wins Jury Award at Cergy-Pontoise, to add to 3 top prizes and BAFTA nomination.

2013-05-14T15:40:00.003Z

Muriel d'Ansembourg’s graduation film GOOD NIGHT continues it’s strong festival run with another Jury Award, this time at the International Short Film Festival of Cergy-Pontoise, and a Special Mention at the Next International Film Festival in Bucharest.

It follows a BAFTA nomination, Jury Award at Palm Springs, Best Director at the European Independent Film Festival and top prize at the California Independent Film Festival.

GOOD NIGHT has been Officially Selected for 15 film festivals including the CFC Worldwide short film festival, the Dresden International Short Film Festival and the Prague Short Film Festival (the team of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival).

Since the theatrical release of GOOD NIGHT as part of the BAFTA Shorts programme, it received several reviews:

The Observer

Little White Lies

The Establishing Shot

Short Sighted Cinema

Click here for Muriel's website.

Click here for the GOOD NIGHT website.

Click here to go to the LFS website

Jan Kwiecinski selected for Sundance Directors Lab.

2013-05-14T15:26:00.000Z

2012 MA Filmmaking graduate Jan Kwiecinski has been selected for the annual Sundance Directors Lab.

Sundance Institute has announced the 13 projects selected for its annual June Directors and Screenwriters Labs, taking place at the Sundance Resort in Utah from May 27 through June 27. At the Directors Lab, Fellows work with an accomplished group of Creative Advisors, professional actors and production crews to shoot and edit key scenes from their screenplays.

Jan's feature project is The Incident about a young man whose whole life comes into focus in ways he never expected, when he decides to cover up an accidental murder.
Jan's award-winning short film, The Incident, screened internationally at many festivals including the Shanghai International Film Festival and the T-Mobile New Horizons Film Festival. For his LFS graduation project he directed a segment entitled Fawns of the omnibus feature The Fourth Dimension, co-directed by Alexey Fedorchenko and Harmony Korine. The film premiered in the Narrative Competition at the 2012 San Francisco Film Festival.

Read the full press release here

Jan's website - www.jankwiecinski.com

Visit the LFS website at www.lfs.org.uk

Fawns

Alasdair Beckett-King's THE LIBRARY OF BURNED BOOKS finalist in the Student Academy Awards

2013-05-02T14:11:00.002Z

Graduation film THE LIBRARY OF BURNED BOOKS, directed by Alasdair Beckett-King, is one of nine finalists for the 2013 Student Academy Awards in the Foreign Film category.

Other MA Filmmaking graduates involved with the film are Liam Creighton (Producer) Asier Armental (Cinematographer) Rebecca E. Marshall (Production Designer) and Nick Refuerzo (Editor)

Read the full press release here

Visit Alasdair Beckett King's website at www.abeckettking.com

Visit the LFS website at www.lfs.org.uk

Sonia Liza Kenterman's NICOLETA receives Platinum Award at the 46th Worldfest - Houston Independent Film Festival.

2013-04-26T13:07:00.003Z

Sonia Liza Kenterman's 2012 graduation film NICOLETA received the Platinum Award for Best Student Short Film at the 46th Worldfest - Houston Independent film Festival. It also received an Honorable Mention at the 12th Rome Independent Film Festival.

Nicoleta has also been officially selected at 19th Palm Springs Shortfest & Market held in June 2013 and also at Boston International Film Festival, 10th Human Rights Film Festival in Barcelona, 32nd European Media Art Festival and 13th Milan International Film Festival.

The film is co-written by Tracy Sunderland, also a 2012 MA Filmmaking graduate.

Visit Sonia's website at www.sonializakenterman.com

Flora Lau's BENDS selected for Cannes Un Certain Regard

2013-04-25T13:33:00.002Z

BENDS, the first feature from 2009 MA Filmmaking graduate Flora Lau has been selected to compete in the Cannes Film Festival's Un Certain Regard section.

BENDS tells the story of Anna (Carina Lau), an affluent housewife and Fai (Chen Kun), her chauffeur, and their unexpected friendship as they each negotiate the pressure of Hong Kong life and the city's increasingly complex relationship to mainland China. Cinematographer is Christopher Doyle. (In the Mood for Love, Rabbit-Proof Fence, Hero).
It is backed by the Hong Kong Film Development Fund, Distribution Workshop and Tomson Group.