Founder and Festival Director of Soho London International Film Festival (SohoLIFF) Liz Farahadi talks about celebrating its 5th anniversary

Synonymous with the world of entertainment – Soho, situated in the heart of London, is home to an array of integral arts institutions such as Soho Theatre, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club and The Arts Club to name but a few. A hub for the creative mind, the industry has laid firm roots there for decades. Returning for their 5th year this January, the Soho London International Film Festival continues on with the locality’s artsy tradition – hosting a vast range of short films with stars including celebrated actors Mark Rylance, Riz Ahmed, Phil Davies and singer Toyah Wilcox all having created work, as well as emerging artists showcasing their craft. Taking place at De Lane Lea / Warner Bros Building from Thursday 23rd until Sunday 26th January, the festival will continue to champion original work, and will culminate in an awards ceremony whereby 16 categories will be acknowledged. Ahead of the event, festival founder and director Liz Farahadi tells us more about this vital platform and offers advice to anyone looking to submit work in the future!

Hi Liz, the Soho London Independent Film Festival returns from 23rd to 26th January at the Warner Bros Studio, De Lane Lea. How are you feeling ahead of the event?

Right now, exhausted! But very excited! It’s always such a high, the films are incredible and we have filmmakers attending from all over the world to be a part of showcasing their beautiful films. It’s an honour to be sharing them with everyone and one of my highlights is the q&a’s after where we find out the stories behind the films. 

 

Celebrating 5 years, SohoLIFF will showcase over 50 films that originate from 25 countries – showcasing the festival’s global reach. How is it decided what films make the final line up?

We have a large team that watch all the films and we all share our favourites and between us decide which ones will make the cut. It’s tough for filmmakers to get in but we pride ourselves on having such a high standard of films. We love that alongside huge stars we are also showing films from the stars of the future.

Filmmakers will compete for 16 awards, which will culminate in a ceremony. Can you tell us more about this element of the festival?

Judging is s a long process that goes on for months but eventually they all agree on 15 and we then have an audience choice award which is completely out of our hands. Every ticket holder has a vote and this award is very much covetedas the prize is huge. The film wins 5 hours on 3 of Clear Channels massive digital screens in Central LondonIt’s a miney cant buy prize. The awards night is a big event where we celebrate our amazing filmmakers and this year we have the wonderful West End Choir singing movie themes throughout it. It’s also streamed live so if you can’t make the event you can watch it on our website. As it is our 5thanniversary our trophies are made of reclaimed wood and they look amazing. They are made by the stunning artist George Thompson and you will have to see to believe as they are part of something very special and completely unique!! It’s quite the event!!

Judges of this year’s festival are – writer Selina Armoudon, producer Stephanie Bamberg, national treasure Michelle Collins, actor Joe Ferrera, director Chris Michael Fretwell, actress and producer Kate Magowan, award-winning filmmaker Athena Mandis, esteemed director Neil Marshall, cameraman and cinematography expert Steve Montgomery, BAFTA award-winning actor Jane Perry and producer Daria Polunina. How have you all collaborated to achieve the festival’s aims?

Collaboration is definitely the key to how thorough and fair the judging is. I am very proud of our team of judges. They are super experienced with a wide range of knowledge. Each one has a specific skill set and that means nothing gets overlooked with the films. They are all passionate about film and will fight the corner of films they believe in. They are so committed to what they do and it’s an honour to have them as such an important part of our team.

For anyone looking to submit work to a future festival, what advice would you give them?

Know your film. Know what is it and what do you want to achieve with it. This is so important for knowing where to submit. Also be prepared, have a trailer and all your press kit ready to go. Make it easy for the festival to see you are worth backing.

What can audiences expect from the festival?

Incredible films! Amazing panels and masterclasses that are free for our ticket holders. We have Golden Globe winner Justin Chadwick doing a masterclass, Joe Ferrera doing an acting master class, Sky Studios doing a green filmmaking panel, triple exposure to name a few. The festival is a film lovers treat and it is a wonderful place to meet people. So many new projects have come out of the friendships formed here. It is wonderful bringing in a new audience who are hungry for brilliant films and an experience that leaves you buzzing. It is a joyful celebration of film and community spirit in the heart of Soho.

What would you like for audiences to take away from the festival?

A renewed passion for life, to be inspired by the incredible stories they will see. Our films are inspirational, raw and exciting. Independent film has a super power when done well because it come from the heart. These films are made with so much passion and it feeds through, you cant help but be effected by it. When you have stars like Mark Rylance and Riz Ahmed making a film because they believe in it you are taken on a journey with so much depth. We have up and coming stars alongside these names and they all stand tall and deserve their place on the screen. SohoLIFF is where you can be part of something that matters. I hope that is what they take with them and put into their lives.

Interview by Lucy Basaba.

Written by Theatrefullstop