{"id":232086,"date":"2026-10-01T14:12:20","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T12:12:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iffr.com\/en\/?p=232086"},"modified":"2026-10-01T14:22:41","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T12:22:41","slug":"blog-iffr-supported-films-at-the-70th-bfi-london-film-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iffr.com\/en\/blog-iffr-supported-films-at-the-70th-bfi-london-film-festival","title":{"rendered":"IFFR-supported films at the 70th BFI London Film Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Several Hubert Bals Fund, IFFR Pro and IFFR 2026 titles feature in this year’s BFI London Film Festival (7\u201318 October 2026), across the First Feature Competition, Love, Thrill, Journey, Create, Dare and Expanded strands as well as the Displacement Film Fund short film collection as part of LFF for Free.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Displacement Film Fund: LFF for Free<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first five Displacement Film Fund (DFF) shorts<\/a>, which had their world premieres at IFFR last edition, feature in this year’s LFF for Free programme: Allies in Exile<\/strong> (dir. Hasan Kattan, Fadi Al Halabi), Rotation<\/strong> (dir. Maryna Er Gorbach), Sense of Water<\/strong> (dir. Mohammad Rasoulof), Super Afghan Gym<\/strong> (dir. Shahrbanoo Sadat) and Whispers of a Burning Scent<\/strong> (dir. Mo Harawe). Each was backed with a \u20ac100,000 production grant through the DFF, spearheaded by actor, producer and UNHCR Global Goodwill Ambassador Cate Blanchett, who will present the programme in person alongside a selection of the filmmakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First Feature Competition<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ben’Imana<\/strong> by Marie-Cl\u00e9mentine Dusabejambo, Rwanda, Gabon, France, Norway | HBF Development 2022<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dusabejambo made history at Cannes 2026 as the first Rwandan filmmaker in the festival’s Official Selection, and Ben’Imana<\/strong> went on to win the Cam\u00e9ra d’Or for best first feature. Her debut, backed by HBF Development in 2022, now competes for the Sutherland Award at LFF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Love<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Variations on a Theme<\/strong> by Jason Jacobs, Devon Delmar South Africa | IFFR 2026 Tiger Award-winner, HBF+Europe: Post-Production 2025<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ouma Hettie is an elderly goat herder in South Africa\u2019s Kamiesberge. Drawn into a scam offering overdue reparations for her father\u2019s unpaid wartime service, her rituals are unsettled and her independence imperilled in this lyrical portrait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Variations on a Theme <\/strong>won the Tiger Award, at IFFR 2026, backed through HBF+Europe: Post-Production Support and is now South Africa\u2019s submission to the Oscars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Film still: Ben’imana<\/strong> by Marie-Cl\u00e9mentine Dusabejambo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Thrill<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Elephants in the Fog<\/strong> by Abinash Bikram Shah, Nepal, France, Germany, Brazil, Norway | HBF Development 2021, HBF+Europe: Minority Co-production Support 2023<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Set in a Nepalese village populated by wild elephants, the thriller follows Pirati, matriarch of a Kinnar community, as she investigates her daughter’s disappearance and weighs love against duty to her community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shah’s feature directing debut premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes 2026 where it won a Special Jury Award. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\t

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