UK Film Festival
| Location | London, England |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 |
| Language | English |
| Website | ukfilmfestival |
The UK Film Festival (UKFF), founded in 2011, is an annual film festival held every November in London, England.[1] The festival provides a platform for emerging filmmakers while also presenting works by established directors.[2]
History
The festival was founded in 2011 by Mahdi H. Nejad and Murray Woodfield,[3] and holds screenings at Close-Up Cinema in Shoreditch and the Soho Hotel.[4]
Its programming has included films that later won Academy Awards, including Ida (2013),[5] The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012),[3] Stutterer (2015) and The Phone Call (2013). BAFTA Award winners include Operator (2015) and 73 Cows (2018).[6] The festival has also hosted the world premiere of Esio Trot (2015),[7] and the European premiere of Billy Knight (2025).[8]
Notable winners include Willem Dafoe,[9][10] Timothy Spall,[11][12] Oscar Isaac,[13] and Olivia Colman.[14]
The festival director is Murray Woodfield.[15]
Screenplay competition
In addition to the festival, the organisers run an annual script competition.[16]
The winning script of the 2012 edition, Mike, was later co-produced by the UK Film Festival and won the Crystal Bear for Best Short Film at the 2014 Berlin International Film Festival, the first British film to win this award.[17][18] The following year, the winning screenplay, A Confession, was made into a film and, among other awards, also received the Crystal Bear at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival.[19][20] Both films were directed by Petros Silvestros and achieved worldwide distribution through Interfilm.[21][22]
Reception
The festival has been featured in the following lists:
- "The top UK film festivals" – Metro[23]
- "The best film festivals in London" – ThatsUp[24]
- "UK’s best indie film fests" – FilmDaily[25]
- "The best UK festivals" – London & Partners[26]
- "The best film festivals in London" – The Clermont[27]
- "7 best film festivals in London" – Visit London[28]
- "The 8 best film festivals in the UK" – El Ibérico[29]
- "10 of the best film festivals in London" – Secret London[30]
Awards
Award categories include:[31]
- Best Feature Film
- Best Feature Documentary
- Best Short Film
- Best Short Documentary
- Best British Short
- Best Animation
- Best Music Video
- Best Student Film
Special awards for excellence are also presented.
References
- ^ "British Council: UK Film Festival". British Council. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ White, Allie (15 September 2017). "The London Film Festival That Showcases New Comers Right Next to Established Pros". Backstage. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
- ^ a b "UK Film Festival returns to Aubin Cinema". Hackney Citizen. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
- ^ "Billy Knight to headline 2025 UK Film Festival". CinemaBang. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- ^ "2014 Lux Prize Screenings in London". Europees Parlement (in Dutch). 16 January 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ "UK Film Festival 2019". FabUK Magazine. 20 November 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ Rose, Steve (20 November 2015). "This week's new film events". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ White, George (13 November 2025). "UK Film Festival London reveals full programme". British Cinematographer. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ "The 2018 UK Film Festival presents Willem Dafoe in Padre". FabUK Magazine. 13 November 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ "Willem Dafoe wins the Edgeware Award for Best Actor". UK Film Festival. 25 November 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ "Timothy Spall wins Edgeware Outstanding Achievement Award". Film News. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
- ^ EdgewareTV (9 January 2017). A conversation with Timothy Spall. Retrieved 12 October 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ "The UK Film Festival 2021 winners are announced". UK Film Festival. 4 December 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ "2014 Awards - UKFF". UK Film Festival. 13 April 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ^ "UK Film Festival". CenterFrame. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ^ "The UK Film Festival Script Competitions". FilmFreeway. 15 April 2025. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ "2014 Awards - Berlinale". Berlinale. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ Rosser, Michael. "52 Tuesdays wins Berlin's Crystal Bear". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ^ "2015 Awards - Berlinale". Berlinale. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (14 February 2015). "Berlin: Banned Iranian Helmer Jafar Panahi's 'Taxi' Takes Golden Bear". Deadline. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- ^ "Mike - Interfilm". Interfilm. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
- ^ "A Confession - Interfilm". Interfilm. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
- ^ Nsubuga, Jimmy (28 May 2016). "The top UK film festivals you need to know about". Metro. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
- ^ Sheppard, Daniel (8 March 2023). "London's Best Film Festivals – 30 Film Festivals in London". ThatsUp. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ Roberts, Amy (14 March 2018). "God save the screen: UK's best indie film fests". FilmDaily. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ "Film Is Great" (PDF). London & Partners.
- ^ "Discover the Best Film Festivals in London". The Clermont. 13 May 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "7 best film festivals in London". VisitLondon. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ Martínez, Miriam (2 August 2016). "Los 8 mejores festivales de cine en Reino Unido" [The 8 best film festivals in the UK]. El Ibérico (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 October 2025.
- ^ "10 Of The Best Film Festivals in London To Catch The Newest Flicks". Secret London. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ "UK Film Festival - London". FilmFreeway. 2 December 2024. Retrieved 5 November 2025.