The London Short Film Festival, now in its 14th year, has been recognised as the premiere UK showcase for cutting-edge UK independent film, while now accepting international submissions.
Renowned for daring cross-arts programming, we have showcased the very best of the country’s raw talent for 12 years. The London Short Film Festival is a Mecca for the UK’s young creative talent and a significant date in the UK film calender.
Every year the Festival’s large and loyal audience flock to screenings and events, and this network has grown steadily over decade and beyond.
A brief history
In 2003 Philip Ilson and Kate Taylor organised the first Halloween Short Film Festival at the ICA. This was formed as a continuation of The Halloween Short Film Club which Philip had been programming since 1994. In 2008 the festival became the London Short Film Festival and has been growing year-on-year to take in more films, live music, industry and training events and diverse, high-quality venues.
Kate Taylor's last Festival was in 2009 and since then the Festival Producer has been Carla MacKinnon (2010), Chloe Roddick (2011 - 2012), Cassandra Neal (2013 - 2014) Jo Duncombe (2015 - 2016) Following the January 2015 Festival, Sarah Chorley joined the team as Business Development Director, and this year Johanna Brooks has come on board as the festival producer.
The team
- Philip Ilson (Artistic Director)
- Sarah Chorley (Development Director)
- Johanna Brooks (Producer)
2015 facts & figures
- Over 10,000 tickets sold
- 1500 UK and international submissions
- 94% of events sold to capacity
- Over 450 films screened
What they say
“The Best Short Film Festival in the World” – Guardian Guide
“Too good a party to miss” - Time Out
“A London bastion of cutting-edge short films and multimedia” - The Times
“Film fans who prefer multimedia thrills to multiplex fodder have flocked to this festival since its inception” - Metro
“Excellent film/music festival” - Critics Choice, Time Out
"This is a festival not afraid to take creative risks and nurture new talent, something rarely seen in this age of austerity and conformity." - i-D Magazine
"With so few platforms left for aspiring directors, DoPs, editors and actors their hone their art, the LSFF has never been more vital." - CineVue
"You could experience 20 things in the time it takes to watch The Hobbit. Take that Bilbo!" - Guardian Guide 2013
