Co-directors David Mills and Danielle Boucher took the grand prize at the London Independent Film Festival over the weekend for their debut feature film THE BURIAL. The film, telling the story of three French brothers taking their dead mother on a road trip to fulfill her final wish, was the festival’s closing night film. The prize, sponsored by Prime Focus London, secures a significant portion of the finance for Mills and Boucher’s next feature.

UK director Sam Holland took the festival’s prize for Best Director for ZEBRA CROSSINGS -- his brutal portrayal of London youth culture. Maeve Murphy took the prize for Best UK Feature for BEYOND THE FIRE, a harrowing tale of sexual abuse and sexual healing. And Nick Pilton won for Best No-Budget Feature with RESERVATIONS.

Oscar nominated director Mike Figgis and the British Film Institute each received the festival’s CHAMPION OF INDEPENDENT CINEMA award, which annually recognizes one celebrity and one organisation for outstanding service to the UK independent filmmaking community

Hosted at several screening venues across London, including the Coronet, the Roxy, and Curzon cinemas, the 2009 London Independent Film Festival screened over 110 films over 10 days. The festival highlights the best in micro-budget filmmaking every April and has been called “A treasure trove of undiscovered cinematic gems. One of Europe's top indie film fests” by British Film Magazine, 2008.

More information about the THE BURIAL can be found on the film website:
http://www.theburial-film.com/.

Festival contacts:
Erich Schultz
London Independent Film Festival
info@londonindependent.org
http://www.londonindependent.org
twitter: http://twitter.com/londoniff

Press photos: (click for larger)

The Burial

The Burial

Mike Figgis accepts LIFF's CHAMPION OF INDEPENDENT CINEMA award

The London Independent Film Festival today announced that the World Premier of Julien Temple’s new music film about the band Madness, THE LIBERTY OF NORTON FOLGATE, will be the Opening Night Film for the 2009 festival, opening April 17.

LIFF 2009 will also screen more than 115 new independent films and present an array of special events including indie filmmaking master classes, live performances, panel discussion on filmmaking in the UK, filmmaker Q&As, launch parties, and a grand Closing Night Gala party on London’s South Bank..

THE LIBERTY OF NORTON FOLGATE
The band Madness are about to release a new album after 10 years, which consists of an interrelated song cycle about London called 'The Liberty of Norton Folgate'. Filmed in the surroundings of London’s Hackney Empire and the streets of London, old and new, Julien Temple’s musical film tells tales of a city born in blood, mud and immigrant dreams. The inherent pop sensibility of Madness is woven through a sinuous journey of cultural reference and influence, to deliver a film spectacular which will enthral, enrapture, even exhilarate and undeniably entertain.

Mulit-award winning director Julien Temple (Joe Strummer, The Filth and the Fury) is an icon of the British filmmaking scene, and widely regarded as one of the world's foremost music documentary filmmakers. The Liberty of Norton Folgate was shot with a minimal crew on a low budget. A true indie pic all the way.

THE BURIAL
LIFF’s closing night film on April 27 will be another world premier, a micro-budget film made by first-time directors Danielle Boucher & David Mills called THE BURIAL.

The London Independent Film Festival is the premier event for no-budget and micro-budget films in the UK. LIFF combines the best of UK low-budget films with inspirational micro-budget films from around the world, and mixes it up with relevant industry discussions and targeted social networking events. LIFF's audience is London's sizable independent filmmaking community. It's an indie film festival run by and for London’s indie filmmakers.

LIFF 2009 runs April 17 to 27 in venues across the capital. Tickets to all screenings are available through the LIFF website:
http://www.londonindependent.org

Prizes are awarded in numerous categories, include the festival’s Champion of Independent Cinema award, shared last year by actor Bob Hoskins and Film London. Chief among LIFF’s prizes is the £50,000 award for Best Picture to support the filmmaker’s next feature – sponsored by Prime Focus London, one of Soho's top post-production houses.

Contacts:
Erich Schultz
London Independent Film Festival
info@londonindependent.org
http://www.londonindependent.org
twitter: http://twitter.com/londoniff

Press photos: (click for larger)

The Liberty of Norton Folgate

The Liberty of Norton Folgate

The Burial

The Burial