1. Playing 'Best of the Fests'
One of the quickest ways for a festival to lose its edge is by simply importing the greatest hits from Cannes, Venice, and Toronto. While it's tempting to secure big, buzzy titles that have already earned acclaim, over-reliance on them can make a program
feel like a rerun. London audiences expect more than just a second look at films that have been dominating the conversation for months. A truly distinctive slate balances major award-winners with genuine discoveries, ensuring the festival is a place where new voices are platformed, not just where established ones are echoed.
2. Forgetting the 'London' in LFF
Every great city film festival should reflect its host city. While the LFF serves the entire UK, its London base is a massive asset. A slate can feel generic when it lacks a strong sense of place. This doesn't mean every film must be set in the UK, but the program should engage with the cultural, social, and artistic questions that resonate with its local audience. Showcasing emerging British talent and films that speak to the contemporary UK experience is crucial for maintaining a unique identity and serving the home crowd.
3. Curating by Checklist
In a well-intentioned effort to be inclusive, programmers can fall into the trap of curating by checklist: a film from every continent, a certain number of genre pictures, a prescribed quota of issue-led documentaries. While diversity in programming is essential, it should be the organic result of a broad and curious search for great cinema, not a box-ticking exercise. When a slate feels assembled rather than passionately curated, audiences can sense the lack of a guiding vision, resulting in a program that is diverse but not necessarily coherent.
4. Fearing the Divisive Film
Crowd-pleasers pay the bills, but it's often the divisive, challenging films that define a festival's legacy. A program that plays it too safe, avoiding films that might provoke or polarize, risks being unforgettable. The goal isn't to alienate the audience, but to trust them. Some of the most memorable festival experiences come from films that spark intense debate. By programming bold, audacious cinema, a festival like LFF declares itself a space for serious cinematic conversation, not just passive consumption.
5. Letting Galas Overshadow Gems
The red carpet premieres with big stars are a vital part of a festival's public profile and media strategy. However, a mistake is made when the glitz of the headline galas completely eclipses the smaller, quieter films in the lineup. A successful festival must create pathways for audiences to discover hidden gems. Whether through curated strands, programmer recommendations, or smart marketing, the festival should champion its entire program, ensuring that a low-budget debut from an unknown director feels just as essential as the star-studded opening night.
6. A Bloated, Unnavigable Program
More is not always better. When a festival program swells to an unmanageable size, it can induce decision paralysis in audiences. With hundreds of films to choose from, it becomes difficult to see the forest for the trees. A tighter, more focused selection can feel more significant. It implies that every single film has been chosen for a specific reason and has earned its place. A distinctive program is not just about what you choose to show, but also about what you choose to leave out. Quality over quantity sends a powerful message of curatorial confidence.
7. Inconsistent Thematic Strands
Many festivals organize their films into thematic strands like 'Love', 'Debate', or 'Thrill'. This can be a brilliant tool for helping audiences navigate the program. The mistake occurs when these strands are too vague, too broad, or feel retroactively applied. A strand should represent a genuine curatorial argument, grouping films that are in conversation with one another in a meaningful way. When the connections feel forced, the strands lose their utility and the overall program feels less thoughtfully constructed. A strong thematic structure enhances a festival's identity; a weak one only adds to the noise.
