London’s New Film Festival Celebrates Global Emerging Talent

LONDON , UNITED KINGDOM, June 30, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The inaugural Collective Film Festival London (CFFL) will open on 18 July 2025, introducing over fifteen films from emerging and international filmmakers. Spanning three curated strands, the festival will also host the UK premiere of 50 Hours Underwater, a feature documentary by director Shahrzad Mazloumsaki.

Presented in partnership with Backstage, Celtx, and Little White Lies, CFFL is a new addition to London’s independent cinema landscape, championing bold storytelling and boundary-pushing work from early-career directors with a strong emphasis on cross-cultural storytelling in both fiction and documentary.

Festival Director Anthony Vander said, “We’re building a space where emerging filmmakers can challenge convention and connect with audiences on their own terms.”

The festival is divided into three strands. Collective One (In Competition) includes titles such as An Eighth of Him by Levi Aluede, Cats by Danilo Stanimirović, Ophelia by Frances Loy, and The Nudes by Benjamin Turner. Collective Two continues the competition programme with My Jerome by Adjani Salmon, Fractured Frame by Natalie Lauren and Simon London, The First Time I Never Met You by Eric Kole, and See You in the Dark by Asena Nour. Collective Three (Out of Competition) will feature early work by first-time filmmakers.

Also screening is the French feature Dans la peau by Pascal Tessaud. The film explores the world of krump dancing, tracing its origins and cultural resonance within diasporic communities.

Deputy Director and Programme Curator Bethany Taylor-Goh added: “The programme reflects our commitment to platforming risk-taking, community-rooted work that might otherwise go unseen.”

In addition to screenings, CFFL will host a range of industry and networking events throughout the weekend. These include masterclasses presented in collaboration with Backstage, focusing on casting, producing, and practical entry points into the screen industries. The festival also includes a celebratory karaoke night and an awards ceremony that will recognise excellence across the programme.

Speaking on the festival’s broader goals, Laura Battisti, CFFL’s Festival Producer, said: “CFFL creates space for work that often sits outside the mainstream. These are stories and voices that too often go unnoticed. It’s about giving that work the visibility and backing it needs to reach wider audiences and have real impact.”

Festival passes and individual screening tickets are now available. The full programme is available online at https://collectiveactingstudio.co.uk/film-festival, and press enquiries, interview requests, and high-res images can be directed to info@collectiveactingstudio.co.uk.

Anthony Vander
Collective Film Festival London
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Instagram

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.