Kingston International Film Festival (KIFF), the three-day film festival that takes place in Kingston-Upon-Thames, is returning for another jam-packed programme in June.
From June 23 to 25, KIFF will showcase a range of feature-length films, documentaries shorts, as well as offering a number of workshops, talks, masterclasses and events that will appeal to a wide range of ages and interests. There will also be a gala awards ceremony on closing night.
“After the overwhelming success of last year, we are proud to return to Kingston with an even bigger and more exciting programme of events and screenings,” said KIFF’s director David Cunningham.
The 20 programmes of films, which include the work of filmmakers from around the world, will be shown on six screens at venues across the town, including the Rose Theatre, Kingston University’s Town House and the Odeon Cinema.
An open-air screen has also been added to this year’s offerings. The screen, in Kingston’s Canbury Gardens, will be showing the 1976 classic Bugsy Malone on June 24.
The festival has the backing of numerous celebrated actors and industry insiders, including Oscar-winning actress Dame Vanessa Redgrave, Dungeons and Dragons star Jason Wong, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Director Mike Newell.
“Kingston International Film Festival is a celebration of what makes independent cinema so special,” Wong said. “I urge film-lovers across Kingston to get involved, re-experience the classics and discover the next big filmmaking talent.”
KIFF is “the occasion that the film festival calendar, and the industry, has been crying out for”, said Newell. It aims to celebrate independent film, provide a platform for emerging talent and support filmmakers, at the same time as screening some of cinema’s old favourites.
KIFF finances the winner of its Page to Screen award, helping them to bring their film project to life, and the festival also aims to support aspiring directors, cinematographers, writers, producers and editors, through its workshops.
This year some of these will be run by businesses working in the industry, including media accountants Alliotts, virtual production studio Arri Stage London, urban regeneration company Time+Space, manufacturer Zeiss and digital platform My Smash Media.
“Our ambition is for this second edition of KIFF to continue to have an authoritative voice capable of making a difference in the film industry, as well as providing a weekend of entertainment for film lovers and Londoners,” said Cunningham.
