I started this week at Conservative Party Conference where I made a speech celebrating the fantastic achievement of our Creative Industries over the last decade. I described how we were in a Golden Age for British Culture and this had been supported by Government action, from tax reliefs to the Covid Recovery Fund. And at the end of that Conference I hurtled down the M6 to make it back from Manchester to the capital in time for the opening of a great celebration of these Creative Industries – the BFILondon Film Festival.
Every year the programme blends big and small, with hits from Cannes and Venice, alongside lesser-known independent premieres and hidden gems. This year is no exception and I saw that first-hand on Wednesday night where the Festival premiered the British director Emerald Fennell’s psychological thriller, Saltburn. A truly original film, with a gripping story featuring all kinds of unexpected twists. It was the perfect curtain raiser for a Festival set to air 252 films, shorts, plus an immersive and VR programme, across 11 nights, from an astonishing 92 countries.
