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How did the LFF begin?
It started in 1956 when a group of film critics headed by the famous
Dilys Powell - the film critic for the Sunday Times - got together
over dinner. They discussed the festivals at Cannes and Venice and
agreed that London needed one too.
It started with
around 20 films all shown at the National Film Theatre on the South
Bank. Gradually the size and significance has grown as the public
has become more interested.
Who is the festival
for?
We do
have an important industry and marketing function but the public
is definitely the priority. Other festivals are competitive, industry
events orientated around press and selling and the public cannot
attend.
More than 65% of
the films and videos we show receive their only UK screenings at
the festival. We regard it as being critically important to show
people what's going on in the world of cinema.
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Director
Emily Young's first feature, Kiss Of Life, is an example of
new British cinema supported by the LFF
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How are films
selected?
The festival has a very broad remit, which is to screen the
best of world cinema from the previous 12 months. This includes
feature films, documentaries, short films and artists' films and
videos. Alongside this there is also a dedicated strand of archive
restorations.
The programming
team spend a considerable amount of time travelling to view films,
either at other international festivals, or in their countries of
origin.
In every section,
we look for a balance of quality, diversity, innovation, the first
flowering of new talent and examples of how different countries
are experimenting with certain genres.
How does the
content compare to other festivals?
As we are primarily a public festival, we are able to retain
something of the feel of a "festival of festivals", which
means audiences will have the opportunity to see some of the films
they've read about from other international festivals such as Cannes
or Venice.
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"The
buzz goes way beyond the actual people who come to the Festival,"
says director Sandra Hebron
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One of the festival's
defining features is the diversity of what's on offer. So on the
one hand, some of the best known filmmakers and stars attend and
are pleased to present their work - big US directors like Martin
Scorsese and Steven Soderbergh have been regular visitors, alongside
key names in world cinema and the rising stars of tomorrow.
Are any types
of film considered unacceptable?
We have formal restrictions, for example whether a film is a
British première. But there are no restrictions based on
category or type as it could mean missing some interesting work.
That said, there
is not any extreme horror or pornography because it is unlikely
that those types of film produce the quality we want - but we don't
rule them out.
London
Film Festival overview and Jason Solomons' film choice here
London
Film Festival news background here
More
news, interviews and previews of London's film scene, plus audio
and trailers here
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This
year's LFF boasts 27 feature-length new documentaries, including
Errol Morris's The Fog of War and Nick Broomfield's
Aileen: Portrait of a Serial Killer. 
Listen live
Click
through amazing shots of London from high up in a helicopter!