BFI London Film Festival

LFF Core Programming Team

Tricia Tuttle is Director of BFI Festivals following her role as Artistic Director of the 62nd Edition of the BFI London Film Festival and five successful years as Deputy Head of Festivals at BFI, including BFI Flare: LGBTQ+ Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival. Previously Film Programme Manager at BAFTA and Event Producer at The Script Factory, Tricia has also worked as a programmer, lecturer, writer and journalist.

Kate Taylor is the LFF’s Senior Film Programmer. Previously she has worked for the Independent Cinema Office (ICO), co-founded the London Short Film Festival, was Festival Director for Abandon Normal Devices, and co-curated Project: New Cinephilia.

Michael Blyth is a Film Programmer for the LFF, with a specific focus on the Cult strand. He is also Senior Programmer for BFI Flare: London LGBTQ+ Film Festival. A devoted horror fanatic, Michael has recently published his first book, on John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness.

Laure Bonville is the LFF’s lead documentary programmer. She previously worked in the Cinema department of the BFI Southbank and at the Hamburg short film festival and Clermont-Ferrand short film festival.

Manish Agarwal is the LFF’s Assistant Programmer, leading on features submissions viewing and the Create strand. He previously held roles at Overnight Film Festival, Birds Eye View, The Quietus, Secretly Group, MOJO, Kerrang! and Time Out.

LFF Programme & Strand Advisors

Geoff Andrew has been an LFF Programme Advisor and BFI Southbank Programmer since 1999. He has written extensively on film in numerous books, for Sight & Sound, Time Out and elsewhere; regularly teaches at the London Film School; and has served on juries in Cannes, Venice, Turin, Istanbul and many other festivals.

Robin Baker is the Head Curator for the BFI National Archive and a co-Advisor of the LFF’s Treasures from the Archive strand.

Christine Bardsley is a documentary Programme Advisor for the LFF. Christine works as a Film Programme Manager at the British Council where she leads on their international film work in documentary.

Sophie Brown is a Programme Advisor for the Debate strand. She is the Associate Programmer of Bertha DocHouse, views documentaries for Sheffield Doc/Fest and Sundance Film Festival, and writes for Sight & Sound.

Helen de Witt is a Programme Advisor for the Experimenta strand. She is a curator and lecturer in Film Studies at Birkbeck and University of the Arts London. Helen was previously Head of Cinemas at the BFI.

Maria Delgado is a Programme Advisor on Spanish and Latin American cinema for the LFF. She is an academic, critic and curator, working for the BFI and ICA among others.

Jemma Desai is a Programme Advisor for LFF, contributing across the programme with a special focus on South Asia. Previously Programmer at the ICO, and in the Film Team at British Council specialising in film programmes in Sub Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa, Jemma is currently an AHRC funded academic researcher exploring the relationship between film programming and cultural and social change. She is the founder of the screenings series I am Dora.

William Fowler is a Programme Advisor for the LFF’s Experimenta strand. He is Curator of Artists’ Moving Image at the BFI National Archive and programmes the Experimenta strand at BFI Southbank through the rest of the year.

Juliane Grieb is a Programme Advisor for the LFF’s German-language selection. She has worked in the German film industry for many years and was part of Berlinale’s competition team before joining BFI in 2013.

Peter Hames is Programme Advisor for Central and Eastern Europe and Russia for the LFF. His books include The Cinema of Central Europe, The Czechoslovak New Wave, and The Cinema of Jan Svankmajer. He is Visiting Professor at Staffordshire University and a member of the editorial board of Studies in Eastern European Cinema.

Philip Ilson is the LFF’s Senior Short Film Advisor. He is also the Artistic Director of the London Short Film Festival, which he co-founded in 2004, and has previously worked as a programmer at the East End, Cork and Branchage Film Festivals as well as Curzon Soho Cinema.

Ali Jaafar is a Programme Advisor for LFF for films from the MENA region. He is Senior Manager of content at O3 Productions, responsible for international projects. Ali is also Executive Director of Mezza Terra Media, with producing credits including Hany Abu-Assad’s award-winning feature The Idol.

Justin Johnson is a Programme Advisor for the LFF’s Family strand and Animation. He is also Lead Programmer for BFI Southbank and has been on juries for BAFTA and many international festivals. Justin regularly talks about film in the media and has hosted events for BAFTA, TIFF and the Royal Television Society.

Rabz Lansiquot is a Programme Advisor for LFF’s Experimenta strand. A filmmaker, curator, and DJ. She is currently curator in residence at LUX Moving Image and works collaboratively alongside Imani Robinson under the name Languid Hands producing artworks and curatorial projects, and is a leading member of London-based collective sorryyoufeeluncomfortable (SYFU).

Sarah Lutton is a Programme Advisor for the LFF’s Nordic selection, specialising in films from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Sarah has been contributing to LFF in a variety roles since 1998. Sarah also works with the British Council Film Team as a research and editorial consultant.

Tega Okiti is Programme Advisor for African and African Diaspora cinema. She is a freelance Film Programmer and writer. Recent projects include Film Africa 2018, No Direct Flight and Unbound: Visions of the Black Feminine. Tega has also written for outlets including Nataal, Sight & Sound, BFI Publishing and Arts journal Something We African’s Got. 

Julie Pearce is a co-Programmer of the Treasures from the Archive strand. She is currently Head of Distribution and Programme Operations at the BFI. Previously, Julie was Head of Programme Planning for BFI Southbank, Programmer at the BFI IMAX and a book and CD buyer for Virgin.

Sarah Perks is a Programme Advisor for LFF’s Experimenta strand. She is an independent curator, writer and producer and is Professor of Visual Art at Manchester School of Art.

Paul Ridd is Programme Advisor for the Dare strand at LFF. He is Acquisitions Manager at Picturehouse Entertainment and an International Consultant for Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Tim Robey is a Programme Advisor for the LFF. He has written on film, and occasionally books, for the Daily Telegraph since 2000, and turns up on Radio 4’s Front Row, the Film Programme and Monocle FM Radio.

Jonathan Romney is a Programme Advisor for French cinema for the LFF. He writes for Film Comment, Sight & Sound, The Observer and others, and teaches at the NFTS.

Cary Rajinder Sawhney MBE is a Programme Adviser for the LFF’s South Asian selection. He is also Executive and Programming Director of the London Indian Film Festival, a filmmaker and former Head of Diversity at the BFI.

Elhum Shakerifar is an LFF Programme Advisor for Iran and the MENA region. She is a BAFTA nominated producer (A Syrian Love Story; Even When I Fall), recipient of the Women in Film and TV Factual Award 2017 and was named a Producer on the Rise in the Screen International Brit50 2018. 

Keith Shiri is an LFF Programme Advisor for African cinema. He is an international film curator and a Visiting Research Fellow for the Centre for Research and Education in Arts and Media (CREAM) University of Westminster.

Leigh Singer is a Programme Advisor for the LFF’s Laugh strand. He is a freelance film journalist, programmer and video essayist for Sight & Sound, the BFI, Little White Lies, the BBC and other outlets, and teaches at the NFTS.

Damon Wise is a Programme Advisor for the LFF’s Thrill strand. A freelance film writer since 1987, his features, interviews and reviews have been published widely in various UK and US publications.

Adrian Wootton OBE is a Programme Advisor for the LFF’s Italian selection. He is the CEO of Film London and the British Film Commission and also programme advisor for the Venice Film Festival; Noir in Festival, Milan; and Curator of Cinema Made in Italy.

LFF Submissions Viewers

Amaya Bañuelos Marco is an Open Submissions viewer for the LFF and for Sheffield Doc/Fest. As well as programming, she works in a transitional education project with young people with complex needs.

Jason Barker is a Submissions Viewer for the LFF and is on the programming team for FilmBath Festival. Previously, he was a programmer for BFI Flare: London LGBTQ+ Film Festival. Jason is also a filmmaker and occasional actor.

Ana David is a Submissions Viewer for the LFF. She is a shorts programmer and industry manager at IndieLisboa and a member of the advisory board at Berlinale Panorama. She has previously worked at Queer Lisboa, Festival Scope, Lisbon Docs and Portugal Film.

Elizabeth Frey is a Submissions Viewer for the LFF’s Experimenta strand and oversees the Artists’ Film section in the BFI Shop. She has also previously worked as the LFF’s Experimenta Project Coordinator.

Qila Gill is a Submissions Viewer for the LFF. Qila is a Malaysian born, London based, artist, curator and programmer. This year she is also pre-selecting for Encounter Film Festival and Cork International Film Festival.

Isabel Moir is a Submissions Viewer for the LFF. She is also a Film Programmer at ICO and previously worked at Overnight Film Festival and the Barbican Centre.

Lynn Nwokorie is a Submissions Viewer for the LFF. She is an Editorial and Programming Consultant working with international organisations including, Sundance, Doc Society and IFP. She previously worked as Film Officer for the UK’s national documentary film fund, the BFI Doc Society Fund.

Laura Perrachon is an Open Submissions viewer for the LFF. She was previously Film Programmer at Ciné Lumière and is now working on the LFF Programme and Guest team.

Matt Turner is a Submissions Viewer for the LFF. A freelance writer and programmer, with a focus on non-fiction and artists’ moving image, Matt is also marketing manager at Open City Documentary Festival.

Becca Voelcker is a Submissions Viewer for the LFF. She is currently completing a PhD in film studies at Harvard University. She has programmed for Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival and is a regular contributor to Film Comment and Sight & Sound.

Rowan Woods is the Industry Events Programmer for the LFF. She also manages the international festival selector screening programme for the British Council and previously worked as a Development Executive at BBC Films.

LFF Short Film Pre-selectors

Nellie Alston is a member of the Pre-Selection Panel for the LFF’s Short Film Programme. She has previously worked for London Short Film Festival, East End Film Festival, Film Africa and Chronic Youth festivals among others. She currently works for NT Live and also co-runs TAPE film collective.

Aga Baranowska is a member of the Pre-Selection Panel for the LFF’s Short Film Programme. She currently works as an Events Programmer at BFI Southbank. She previously worked at the ICA where she looked after the film programme and distribution projects. Aga is also a pre-selector for Sheffield Doc/Fest.

Aduke King is a member of the Pre-Selection Panel for the LFF’s Short Film Programme. She has previously worked for the festival in 2017 and 2018 as well as East End Film Festival, Underwire and London Short Film Festival and Aesthetica Short Film Festival.

Seán McGovern is a member of the Pre-Selection Panel for the LFF’s Short Film Programme. He is the Assistant Programmer at GAZE: Dublin International LGBT Film Festival.

Elaine Wong is a member of the Pre-Selection Panel for the LFF’s Short Film Programme. Elaine works as the Immersive Partnerships Manager for the UKRI funded StoryFutures Academy. She has previously worked on Sheffield Doc/Fest, London Short Film Festival, Underwire, Raindance and Chinese Visual Festival.