The organisers of next month’s Manchester Film Festival have confirmed the full line-up for its industry programme.
Taking place at the end of March at the Met Film School, this year features:
- BAFTA winner Franz Bohm (Rock Paper Scissors)
- Philip Hoile (Bulldog Films)
- Emmy Nominated Director Tessa Hoffe (Zero Chill)
- LFF Winner Alice Hughes (Holloway) and
- BAFTA Winner Colin O’Toole (Cowboy Dave).
- And F1 champion Damon Hill (Sky documentary film HILL)
The programme will include a range of panels and discussions for industry professionals and students. Covering the likes of documentary filmmaking, the move from shorts to features and the future of UK independent films.
READ MORE – Manchester Film Festival unveils star-studded line
“We are passionate about providing a platform for both established and emerging talent to connect, collaborate, and learn,” said Neil Jeram Croft, Festival Director, Manchester Film Festival.
“Our Industry Days in 2025 promise to be an exciting opportunity for the North West film community to dive deep into the ever-evolving world of cinema. From documentaries to the journey from shorts to features, we are bringing together some of the brightest minds in the industry to share their knowledge and insights. ”
Some of the panels are:
Documentary Filmmaking Hosted by James Pickering.
- Featuring Jez Lewis – Director of Ghosts (2006), The Pacemakers (2017), and Elephant Mother (2022),
- Alice Hughes – Director of Half Way (2015) and Holloway (2024), the latter of which won Best Documentary Feature at the 2024 London Film Festival.
- Sonja Henrici – Director of The Oil Machine (2022 – BBC) and Merkel (2022 – Netflix), with multiple BAFTA nominations for her work in documentary.
Stepping Up From Shorts Hosted by: Chloe Bush with:
- Beth Rowland – BAFTA Connect Member, Warner Bros x Waterloo Road Directors Cohort 2024.
- Jesse Quinones – BAFTA member and writer/director currently working on multiple projects including Waterloo Road.
- Tessa Hoffe – Emmy-nominated director of Netflix’s Zero Chill and Kin (2021).
Making Award-Worthy Shorts
Panel features
- Liam White – BAFTA and BIFA-nominated director of Housewarming and Punch-Drunk.
- Colin O’Toole – BAFTA-winning director of Cowboy Dave.
- Guillaume Levil – Oscar-nominated screenwriter of The Red Suitcase.
- Franz Bohm – 2025 BAFTA winner with Rock Paper Scissors.
UK Independent Features Market
In this session, there will be discussion about the current market trends for UK independent features and what distributors, producers, and sales agents are looking for in 2025.
- Ethan Cross – Sales & Acquisitions Executive at Film Seekers.
- Gareth Jones – Executive producer and international sales expert with over 125 films to his name, including Boiling Point and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
- Philip Hoile – Head of Acquisitions at Bulldog, overseeing theatrical and home entertainment releases.
The Importance of Film Journalism
Exploring the role of film journalism, the importance of critics, and the path into the industry, with:
- Clarisse Loughrey – Chief film critic for The Independent, columnist for Flicks, and regular guest on Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review and BBC Radio 4’s Front Row.
- Emily Murray – Entertainment Editor at GamesRadar+ and social media manager for Total Film, with by-lines across multiple prominent outlets.
- Tom Percival – Film critic for BBC Radio Manchester and features editor for Dexerto, a longstanding contributor to Manchester Film Festival and other major publications.
