Somersault LFS ANNUAL REVIEW - DECEMBER 2013
CLEANING UP In 2013 we’ve been regrouping, negotiating new partnerships, launching new teaching , raising money -and excelling at our most important job, filmmaking.
Ben Gibson
Welcome to Somersault, our celebration of a year’s work at LFS – the films, talent and feature projects that are the output of intense activity at the school and beyond.
There were challenges. LFS joined forces with other conservatoires to lobby against suspension of US Federal Student Loans (now resolved), and rapid changes to the UK student visa system have been damaging to international recruitment for postgraduate education. However, creatively and strategically this school year has been a triumphant success. One way of measuring impact is to read through the festival calendar.
A MESSAGE FROM MIKE LEIGH many from the UK. Every filmmaker will see in graduation day their first step along an individual path towards a working life in film. They’ll also see, from the successes of 2012’s LFS Associates, what they can achieve. They will have digested skills, made friendships, drawn conclusions, discovered and understood instincts that they could only begin to imagine on arrival.
2013 graduation film ROSEMARY JANE, directed by Carolina Petro, was selected for Palm Springs and Encounters, where it won the Best of British Award.
In the past year, LFS films had 232 festival entries across 179 events, winning 43 prizes, nominations or special mentions. The tally breaks our own records for global visibility and graduate success. And if we look more deeply into what this excellent year can tell us about the qualities of the school and the
talent it’s developing? Many will imagine small events in far-flung places, focused entirely on student work. In fact only 8 are student showcases, leaving 121 specialist short film events for all comers, shorts competitions and sidebars in bigger festivals. The list covers Toronto, Venice, Tribeca, San Sebastian, Clermont Ferrand, The London Film Festival, San Francisco, the BAFTAs and the Student Academy Awards.
‘LFS films have had 232 festival entries across 179 events, earning 43 prizes’ LFS performs well at film school festivals too. Last month we had 6 films playing at ÁČKO 2013 in Bratislava and 3 films at the Munich Student Film Festival. But the dominating picture here is not of a world divided between 2013 graduation film REWIND, directed by Cristina Wolf and shot by Rafael Medina Adalfio, was selected for Camerimage.
Welcome to another celebration of emerging filmmakers from LFS. These films are testaments to an institution built on hard work, creative inspiration and internationalism. In a school producing over 170 films a year, graduation day tells part of our story. LFS is run as a busy studio in the heart of London, energetically nurturing craft, collaboration, selfdiscovery and, we hope you’ll agree, delivering originality too. There are films here from China, India, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, the USA, Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Germany Ireland, Italy as well as
On your behalf I want to thank: the filmmakers for their energy, their craft and their belief in cinema; the tireless teachers and administrators of LFS for the uncompromising commitment which makes the school what it is; those who have given – volunteers, performers, industry sponsors, parents, friends – so that this work can exist and the talent can shine through. Come and help us make the next chapter a success as we head for our 60th anniversary and the new LFS in 2016. Bring a spirit of discovery, an open mind – and where possible a cheque book. Mike Leigh, LFS Chairman and 1964 graduate.
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