About us
“(LSFF) is a festival not afraid to take creative risks and nurture new talent, something rarely seen in this age of austerity and conformity.” — i-D
Founded in 2003, London Short Festival (LSFF) is a BAFTA-qualifying, internationally regarded independent short film festival.
Each January, LSFF hosts ten days of short form, conversation and multidisciplinary curation. We present between 250-500 British and international films each edition, collaboratively programmed down from 5000+ open submissions, alongside Special Events and an industry offering of workshops, panels and discussion for filmmakers and workers.
LSFF exists to spotlight a multiplicity of filmmakers, visual artists and creatives, across intersections and with a commitment to peripheral voices. We pride ourselves on an 18 year ethos of giving screen-space and visibility to unconventional and thoroughly independent filmmaking, and our programming seeks to situate the contemporary in dialogue with its history and the world at large. We consider LSFF both a platform where filmmakers can cut their teeth and define their careers, and a celebrator of the archival treasures and talent that got us here.
Need to get in touch? You can drop a line to info@shortfilms.org.uk and we’ll get back to you.
The team
AMANDA PARKER, Festival Director
Amanda joined the team in 2020. A former BBC TV Development Producer and Campaigns Manager, Amanda’s held communications leadership roles across media, arts and cultural sector organisations including Creative England, Directors UK and London Film School. She sits on Film London’s management board, and is an FRSA Fellow and Clore Leadership graduate.
PHILIP ILSON, Artistic Director
Philip co-founded LSFF with Kate Taylor in 2003 under its original nominer Halloween Short Film Festival, following ten years of running its predecessor The Halloween Society through its various guises as a film and club night. He is Short Film Programmer for the BFI London Film Festival and has previously programmed for East End Film Festival, Cork Film Festival, Branchage Festival, Latitude and Curzon Soho.
TOM GRIMSHAW, Senior Programmer
Tom is the Senior Programmer at LSFF where he’s worked since 2014. He curates both the International Competition selection and Special Events with an emphasis on experimental and artist-based work. He holds an MA in Documentary Filmmaking from LCC, and also works on the selection committees of Kurzfilmtage Winterthur and Filmfest Dresden.
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AKINNA AQUINO, Producer
Akinna joined the team in 2020 as Festival Producer having just delivered the first virtual London Screenwriters’ Festival during the height of the initial UK lockdown. Previously, she worked with Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity as Production Manager for the Awards Production Team.
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JENNA ROBERTS, Industry Producer
Jenna has been with the festival since 2016, where she began interning in a marketing capacity. She has contributed to Special Events and New Shorts programming, international preselection and co-produces the Industry offering.
MIRANDA MUNGAI, Documentary Programmer, Industry Producer
Miranda has been with the festival as Documentary Programmer and Industry events co-producer since 2018.
DESIGN
Kit Mason, Designer
christopherwallacemason@gmail.com
Georgia Lowe, Website design
Charlotte Tatham, Trailer designer
EXTENDED PROGRAMMING
UK selection committee: Philip Ilson, Sylvie Dumont, Dan Guthrie
International selection committee: Tom Grimshaw, Laura Jacobs, Mo-Jai Mckeown, Ben Nicholson, Maria Paradinas, Jenna Roberts
Clara Helbig, Documentary preselector
Sarah Chorley, Animation programmer
Grant Gulczynski, Martha Kate Margetson, Alex Karotsch, Fringe! Queer Arts & Film Fest
Miranda Mungai, With Warmth and Ecstatic Solidarity
Tal Rosner, Sophie Clements, Motion Suspended
PRODUCTION
Helen MacKenzie, Will Swinburne, Motion Suspended, LSFF 2021 Awards
Nick Randles, Cinebox
Natalie Williams, Subly
Stuart Brown, Sophie Kendrick, Simon Duffy, Justin Johnson, Ruby McGuigan, Kimberley Sheehan, Charlie Bligh, Dominic Sissons, Chris Clarke, BFI Southbank
Michael Garrad, Curzon Soho
Peter Howden, Andrew Woodyatt, Rio Cinema
Federica Pugliese, Catford Mews
Adam Hemming, The Space
Caragh Davison, BFI NETWORK
Ginette Harrold, LFS
Darren Raymond, Sue Radford, Intermission Theatre
Niks Delanancy, Marketing Assistant
Maya Sfakianaki, Marketing assistance
With special thanks to:
Sarah Chorley
Mike Fallows
Dan Guthrie
Miguel Armas, Light Cone
Hannah Barry, Hannah Barry Gallery
Tamara Becerra Valdez, Video Data Bank
Nico Marzano, ICA
Bob Hunter, Icarus Films
Matthieu de Laborde, Iskara
Our short filmmakers, for keeping on creating and entertaining in trying times.
All of our beloved independent cinemas, who’ve hosted LSFFs past and future. Support UK Cinema Workers here.