BFI Future Film Festival 2021
Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor
This February, the BFI Future Film Festival arrives with a free programme of short films and online events streaming for free via BFI Player. Aimed at aspiring filmmakers aged between 16 and 25, the globally accessible event features masterclasses and guest speakers alongside an international selection of 45 shorts, competing in a variety of categories for prizes designed to help filmmakers kick on with their careers.
This year the festival is sponsored by Netflix, who also present the Best Documentary award, which includes a year of mentoring with Jonny Taylor, Netflix’s Original Documentaries Commissioner. From the films selected, streamers can expect a range of global stories that tackle subjects from race, disability and sexuality to friendship and fandom, alongside some nods to the pandemic.
Films shortlisted for the ten awards have been listed over on the BFI website so viewers can watch along with the competition at home. Meanwhile, festival organisers have put together an all-star jury featuring the likes of broadcaster and filmmaker Reggie Yates, filmmaker Waad Al-Kateab (For Sama) and actors Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People) and Malachi Kirby (Mangrove) to award the prizes.
