PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
Promo LOGO
All eyes on the capital T
he London UK Film Focus (LUFF) and the Production Finance Market (PFM) demon- strate Film London’s desire to represent Lon-
don as an international, collaborative fi lm city. Film London invites international distributors
for LUFF in June and global fi nanciers for the PFM in October. And they vote with their feet: some $11.5m worth of sales were generated at LUFF in 2011, while the PFM attracts serious players of the calibre of Summit Entertainment, IM Global, Ingenious, Entertainment One, Focus and Presci- ence. Around 80% return year after year. LUFF, which is run by Film London in partner-
ship with the BFI, the Mayor of London, Film Export UK (FEUK) and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), has carved out a dedicated three-day space in the calendar for UK sales agents to present UK fi lms to international buyers without the compet- ing voices present at other festivals and markets. “It provides, for both buyers and sellers, undi-
vided attention to their business,” says Helena Mackenzie, the head of inward investment and business development at Film London. As LUFF approaches its ninth edition in June,
Mackenzie says she is particularly proud of the Breakthrough strand, which since last year has enjoyed a partnership with Bafta. Launched in 2006, it is a selective showcase of fi lms by emerg- ing UK talents looking for a sales agent. She adds: “Last year our undoubted success was Wild Bill, which premiered at Breakthrough and went on to secure its distribution through Universal.” This year LUFF hopes to screen more UK fi lms
sold by non-UK agents. UK sales companies can screen up to fi ve foreign fi lms each. “In terms of accessibility, it’s a great event,” says
Stephen Kelliher, the head of sales and marketing at Bankside Films, chair of Film Export UK and a member of the LUFF steering committee. He has used LUFF to pique buyer interest in titles includ- ing Colm McCarthy’s Celtic horror Outcast and Belinda Chayko’s Australian drama Lou, starring John Hurt. “I might start talking about something at LUFF that I end up doing a deal on at the AFM.” Similarly, the influence of the PFM, set up by
Film London fi ve years ago and timed to coincide with the BFI London Film Festival, easily extends past the two days spent by 120 producers and fi n-
FACTFILE
London UK Film Focus: June 25-28, 2012 LUFF is an export initiative supporting new UK fi lms and UK fi lm companies. Film London has developed a strategic partnership to continue support of LUFF, which sees it returning for a ninth year.
www.fi lmlondon.org.uk/luff
Film London PFM: October 17-18, 2012 Taking place during the BFI London Film Festival, the PFM is the only event of its kind in the UK, connecting producers and major fi nanciers to encourage and foster new fi nancing relationships.
www.fi lmlondon.org.uk/pfm
‘LUFF provides undivided attention to the business of UK buyers and
sellers’ Helena Mackenzie, Film London
Wild Bill
anciers at a London hotel. Producers will e-mail PFM project manager Angus Finney throughout the year, keen to get his opinion on the best sales companies, lawyers, accountants and potential alternative fi nanciers to approach. The independent marketplace is a tough one
and the shrewdly commercial PFM refl ects this. “There is no silver bullet for producers,” is how Finney puts it. “The PFM is a refl ective exercise. It’s not a one-stop destination.” After fi ve years, around 30 PFM projects have
progressed to active production or found signifi - cant support. Meetings have a 60%-70% follow-up rate. “We try to create a real network,” says Finney. “Financiers may say to producers, ‘This project is not for me but if you see so-and-so on table 62 this is exactly what they’re looking for.’” Adventure Pictures’ Christopher Sheppard
attended the 2010 event with Sally Potter’s untitled new fi lm and returned last year with another Potter
■ 32 Screen International at Cannes May 21, 2012 n 32 Screen International at Cannes May XX, 2012
project, Elsewhere. “We had a script and not much else,” recalls Sheppard of the untitled film, which recently completely principal photography and is eyeing a Venice or Toronto launch. “It was a good opportunity to test the pitch. It’s a great meeting place between producers and fi nanciers. There aren’t that many dedicated spaces in which that happens.” The 2012 edition will have more of an interna-
tional accent than ever. Thanks to MEDIA funding, at least half of the selected producers will now be non-national EU members. The event is also aligned with Rome’s New Cinema Market, Mel- bourne’s 37 Degrees South market, the Ile de France Film Commission and Toronto’s Interna- tional Financing Forum. Also new for 2012 is a boutique sidebar focusing
on some 10 transmedia projects. As Amanda Nevill, CEO of the BFI, notes: “[The
PFM and LUFF] put a spotlight on London as one of the great fi lm business centres of the world.”
London is an attractive place for international distributors and global financiers to do business at both the London UK Film Focus in June and the Film London Production Finance Market in October
The Production Finance Market in London attracts serious players and producers with well-packaged projects
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