BFI London Film Festival reveals Works-in-Progress Showcase films
The sixth edition of the BFI London Film Festival in Partnership with American Express Works-in-Progress Showcase will present eight new feature films and documentaries from UK-based filmmakers at Picturehouse Central on Saturday 11 October.
The showcase event screens exclusive extracts from each project introduced by their filmmakers to an invited audience of international buyers, UK sales agents, and festival programmers, reflecting the increasing international reach of the Festival. The showcase will be followed by a networking event with the filmmakers and invited industry guests. The online package will also be available online for one week from 11 October via a secure platform to a wider pool of invited international industry professionals.
The Works-in-Progress showcase is part of the Festival’s commitment to supporting UK screen-based businesses and talent, and increasing opportunities for international collaboration. The showcase is a key part of the Festival’s UK Talent Days, in partnership with the British Council, a weekend of events and activities designed to spotlight the diversity of UK talent and to foster international networking and business opportunities for filmmakers and companies supporting the films. The Festival has doubled the attendance of international industry professional delegates over the last five years and will once again welcome world-leading figures who will share their experience and knowledge at the Industry Forum discussion events.
The Works-in-Progress showcase continues to support featured projects break into the market for domestic and international audiences. From last year’s showcase Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor’s Dreamers world premiered at Berlinale 2025 and will open in cinemas this December distributed by We Are Parable, Brian Durnin’s Spilt Milk world premiered at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2024, and went on to win the Audience Award at Glasgow Film Festival 2025 and the Discovery Award at Dublin Film Festival 2025, Ondine Viñao’s Two Neighbours screened at Edinburgh International Film Festival 2025, and Liam Calvert’s A Night Like This screened at BFI Flare 2025 and was distributed in September 2025 by Verve Pictures, who also acquired Richard Bracewell’s Chicken Town.
From the 2023 showcase, Jack King’s The Ceremony won the Sean Connery award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2024 and received two BIFA nominations, and Mark Warmington’s Harder Than the Rock premiered at Sheffield Doc/Fest. From the 2022 showcase Adura Onashile’s Girl premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2023 and Luna Carmoon’s Hoard premiered at Venice International Film Festival 2023. Previous showcase titles that have enjoyed releases include Dionne Edwards’ Pretty Red Dress, Thomas Hardimann’s Medusa Deluxe, Malachi Smyth’s The Score, Stacey Gregg’s Here Before, and Ewen Spencer’s 8 Bar – The Evolution of Grime.
BFI London Film Festival Director, Kristy Matheson, comments:
“Our 2025 Works-in-Progress Showcase offers an incredible range of films spanning narrative, hybrid and documentary forms. My thanks as ever to the filmmaking teams for generously sharing their work which showcases the vibrant state of UK filmmaking. To our industry guests we offer a very warm welcome and thanks for their continued commitment to seeking out new ideas, talents, and opportunities for creative connection.”
Silvia Angrisani, BFI London Film Festival, Industry Programmes Manager, comments:
At its sixth edition, the LFF Works-in-Progress Showcase 2025 will again spotlight an exciting selection of fiction and documentary features, bringing us on a journey across the UK and beyond. It is an honour to put forward the amazing talent behind these first and second features, and we cannot wait to share these projects with our industry guests. We are continuously thrilled to see the projects from previous editions of the showcase find their international partners and thrive at international film festivals: Hoard by Luna Carmoon, Girl by Adura Onashile, and Dreamers by Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor, to name just a few. We wish the 2025 projects an equally remarkable entry into the international market.”
The in-person showcase will take place on Saturday 11 October as part of the Festival’s UK Talent Days focus to support and promote UK screen-based businesses and talent. Presented in partnership with the British Council, the LFF will connect major international industry professionals with UK creative talent and emerging professionals from across the screen sectors to support the development of new UK films and create opportunities for investment and partnership. In addition, theannual Buyers and Sellers event returns as an in-person fixture offering a platform for international sales agents and UK distributors to meet, and NETWORK@LFF will welcome fifteen new UK-based writers, directors and producers to participate in masterclasses, screenings and events with leading industry professionals.
The 2025 LFF Works-in-Progress Showcase projects are:
A Hand Rises (Fiction)
Director/Screenwriter: Louise Stern
Producers: Helen Simmons, Manon Ardisson
La Nuit (Fiction)
Director/Screenwriter: Beatrice Gibson
Producers: Scott O’Donnell, Denna Cartamkhoob, Valentina Novati
Out There (Fiction)
Director/Screenwriter: Simon Ryninks
Producers: Tibo Travers, Katie Dolan
Public House (Fiction)
Director/Screenwriter: Martin Clark
Producers: James Heath, Martin Clark
Birds of War (Documentary)
Directors/Screenwriters: Janay Boulos, Abd Alkader Habak
Producers: Sonja Henrici, Janay Boulos, Abd Alkader Habak
Everything Is Fine (Documentary)
Director: Rich Felgate
Producers: Rich Felgate, David Allen, Gaby Bastyra
Hello Stranger (Documentary)
Director: Beryl Richards
Producers: John Archer, Alex Usborne
Re-Evaluation (Documentary)
Director: Toby Bull
Producer: Kat Mansoor
