East of England secures almost half of the BFI London Film Festival Expanded selection
BFI London Film Festival Expanded highlights new dimensions in storytelling through immersive art and extended reality (XR). One third of the successful projects to showcase as part of LFF Expanded are created by East of England video games studios!
The Games Lounge showcases five creative projects which exist at the intersection of game culture and interactive arts, playfully exploring alternative storytelling methods and diverse approaches to audience interaction and game design. LFF Expanded’s free Games Lounge will have taking place at Bargehouse at Oxo Tower Wharf, in the heart of London’s South Bank from 11 to 27 October 2024.
“We are delighted to see these incredible successes for the East of England, demonstrating the ever growing momentum for this region’s enormous capabilities in creative industries and immersive tech.” says James Allen, Connected Innovation Programme Manager.
A Highland Song (Inkle Studios – Cambridge, Cambridgeshire)
An adventure through the Scottish Highlands, with open platforming and dynamic storytelling, interactive maps and an exhilarating musical score.
Inkle was founded in 2011 by two Cambridge game developers with a passion for storytelling and beautiful design.
“At inkle, we’re thrilled to have been recognised by the London Film Festival, and we’re excited to be part of the movement to bring games and interactive storytelling out of the basement and into the cultural mainstream.” says Jon Ingold, Inkle Studios Narrative Director
Paper Trail (Newfangled Games – Norwich, Norfolk)
Set in a foldable paper world, this top-down puzzle-adventure about leaving home invites you to uncover hidden routes and secret pathways.
Newfangled Games is a premium mobile, PC and console game development studio. Founded by BAFTA-winning game developer Henry Hoffman and award-winning artist Frederick Hoffman, Newfangled develops original IP with a focus on artistic, narrative-driven, emotionally engaging experiences.
“We’re thrilled to be showing ‘Paper Trail’ at this year’s London Film Festival as part of the expanded selection. This is the first time they’ve included games in the lineup, so it’s really cool to be a small part of the festival’s history. It’s a tight selection of great titles, so we were honoured to be included amongst them. We hope to get Paper Trail in front of lots of people who wouldn’t normally seek out games, as it’s a big public exhibition in a busy part of London. It’s a great opportunity to broaden our audience, and to represent the Norwich indie game scene!” says Henry Hoffman, Newfangled Games Co-Founder
Find out more about BFI London Film Festival Expanded: https://www.bfi.org.uk/london-film-festival/news/lff-expanded-programme-2024
