IFFR Instant Favourite 2019

A film to instantly fall in love with, picked from the BankGiro Loterij Audience Award Top 10. Ideal if you just can’t choose from the broad film programme, but also the perfect choice for those looking for the crème de la crème of this year’s festival.

The title of this festival hit? It has just been announced! The film was picked from the films leading the field in the BankGiro Loterij Audience Award Top 10, which will be compiled during the festival based on audience ratings: Beats by Brian Welsh.

About Beats
In the mid-1990s, the United Kingdom was overrun by raves: illegal parties with heavy beats and an endless supply of drugs. The Criminal Justice Bill introduced by the government in 1994 criminalised ‘gathering around repetitive beats’. This led to massive protests and even more raves.

Against that background, Beats showcases the unlikely friendship; between teens Spanner and Johnno in a Scottish town. The first is living with his criminal brother, the other is facing a move to a new town with his family and his potential new stepfather, who happens to be a cop. On their last night out, the two friends steal cash from Spanner's brother and journey into an underworld of anarchy, freedom and collision with the forces of law and order. This universal story of friendship, rebellion and the irresistible power of gathered youth, is set to a soundtrack as eclectic and electrifying as the scene it gave birth to.