The BFI Young Programmers Festival, curated by a group of young people aged 16-19, runs from February 13th to February 18th at the Showroom.
The festival is five nights of independent programming, with various themes, designed by the programmers.
It completes a month-long training course from Showroom Cinema and the BFI, giving young people an insight into film programming.
30 people from across the UK learn about film marketing, programming, distribution and audience development with professionals from across the world.
This year’s festival presents five double bills:
- Unlikeable Women (13 Feb): Re-examining the legacy of controversial female filmmakers through two films that were received unfavourably upon release – Daisies, directed by Vera Chytilova, and Wanda, directed by Barbara Loden.
- Look How Far We’ve Come (14 Feb): Stories from working-class and immigrant communities. Films looked at will be Rocks, directed by Sarah Gavron, and La Haine, directed by Mathieu Kassovitz.
- Communist History (15 Feb): Films that attempt to demonstrate the scale and scope of 20th Century History. Death of Stalin, directed by Armando Iannucci, and Cold War, directed by Pawel Pawlikowski.
- A Night to Remember (16 Feb): Adventure and entertainment themed around nocturnal stories. The Warriors, directed by Walter Hill, and Attack the Block, directed by Joe Cornish.
- Fake Realities (17 Feb): Sci-Fi stories, looking at the role of dreams in our reality. Japanese anime Paprika, directed by Satoshi Kon, and Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan.
View this post on Instagram
On the festival’s final day, the 18th of February, Showroom will host a showcase of regional filmmaking talent in 2024’s Sci-Fi themed DIY Filmmaking Challenge. A panel discussion with industry professionals will follow.
Isobel Harrop, Programming Assistant, Young Audiences for Showroom Cinema, says:
“We’re delighted to be working with the BFI Film Academy once more, to deliver the Young Programmers Festival 2024.
“As an independent exhibitor, it’s important to us that we promote diverse voices and help people to take their first step towards a career in film programming and the cinema exhibition sector.”
Tickets to individual films or for the whole season can be purchased here.
