Still: Silver Haze - Sacha Polak

Starting the Dutch line-up with Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen's Occupied City, a documentary based on the book Atlas of an Occupied City by Bianca Stigter. The film world premiered in Cannes, screened at Telluride Film Festival (among others) and already has a release by A24 in the USA in prospect. McQueen's both devastating and life-affirming meditation on memory, time, and where we’re headed, is programmed for the Special Presentations section in London. It is produced by Family Affair Films and sales are handled by A24.

The 'sata taas collective' investigate the loss of indigenous culture and knowledge systems in Siberia through displaced items in ethnographic museums in their short film Wells of Despair. It is competing in BFI's Short Film Competition.

Fifteen years after she got burnt when the pub where she slept as a child caught fire, Franky seeks revenge because she still hasn’t found any answers.

Sacha Polak's Silver Haze world premiered in Berlinale Panorama, where lead actress Vicky Knight won the Teddy Award for her role as Franky. Silver Haze is their second collaboration after Dirty God and got carefully chosen to screen in BFI's strand programme. It is a Viking Film production and sales are handled by New Europe Film Sales.

In BFI's Expanded programme, new dimensions of storytelling are being explored. Steye Hallema's Virtual Reality film The Imaginary Friend got selected for the programme, after it world premiered in the Venice Immersive competition. The film invites you to take part in the vivid imagination of a grieving eight-year-old struggling with the line between reality and fantasy. It is produced by Studio Biarritz.

Adriaan Lokman's Flow is screening in the same Expanded section. This captivating virtual reality experience transports users into a world entirely composed of air. It world premiered in Venice's Immersive competition where it received a Special Mention from the jury. The film is produced by Valk Productions.

Dutch minority co-productions in the BFI selection:

• Tiger Stripes – First Feature Competition
  Amanda Nell Eu
  Min. co-prod. PRPL
  Sales: Films Boutique
  
  World premiered in Cannes Semaine de la Critique - won the Grand Prize.

• Omen – ‘Dare’ strand
  Baloji
  Min. co-prod. New Ams Film Company
  Sales Memento Films International
  
  World premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard - won the New Voice Prize.

• Youth (Spring) – Debate strand
  Wang Bing
  Min. co-prod. Volya Films
  SalesPyramide Films
  
  World premiered in Cannes Competition.

• Lost in the Night – Thrill strand
  Amat Escalante
  Min. co-prod. Lemming Film
  Sales The Match Factory

World premiered in Cannes.

• They Shot the Piano Player – Create strand
  Fernando Trueba & Javier Mariscal
  Min. co-prod. Submarine
  Sales Film Constellation

World premiered at Telluride Film Festival, screened at a.o. Toronto and San Sebastian.

For more information on BFI London Film Festival 2023, click here.
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*Film is supported by the Netherlands Film Fund
**Film is supported by the Netherlands Film Fund and Production Incentive