Leiden International Film Festival

The Leiden International Film Festival (LIFF), founded in 2006, has become one of the leading film festivals in the Netherlands showcasing feature films that examine the border between art-house and mainstream from all over the world.[1] The 2014 edition lasted 10 days, screened 87 films, from 28 countries including Whiplash, Coming Home, Mommy, Leviathan, Wish I Was Here, Camp X-Ray, What We Do in the Shadows, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, I, Daniel Blake and Swiss Army Man. With its American Indie Competition LIFF aims to discover and cultivate an audience for today's emerging American filmmakers in the Netherlands.[2]

Leiden International Film Festival
LocationLeiden, Netherlands
Founded2006
Directed byAlexander Mouret
Websitehttp://www.leidenfilmfestival.nl/en/

Program

The festival's programming consists of many different kinds of fiction films, both big blockbusters and small arthouse films.[3] The festival is a visitors' and not a market festival, attracting mainly film-fans and not sales agents. During the festival, films are not only screened in cinemas but special screenings are also hosted at venues like museums, an old factory, a historic church and an observatory.[4] On the one hand, the LIFF has a deep connection with the city of Leiden, on the other hand it has over the years evolved into a festival with international ambitions, which is noticeable in its focus on American independent cinema and resulted in the American Indie Competition.[5]

American Independent Cinema and the American Indie Competition

The LIFF attempts to bring American independent cinema to the continent.[6] The American Indie Competition is the festival's main competition, focusing entirely on American independent cinema. Winners of previous competitions include (Untitled) and Safety Not Guaranteed. The prize is not awarded by a jury, but is voted for by all visitors of the selected films.

Some American indies that were screened in the Netherlands at the festival: Breaking Upwards, (Untitled), Safety Not Guaranteed, Howl, Towelhead, Winter's Bone, Please Give, Lola Versus, Precious, Little Miss Sunshine, Short Term 12, Whiplash, Tangerine, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and Swiss Army Man.

2013 American Indie Competition

On September 28, the lineup for the 2013 American Indie Competition was announced by Filmmaker Magazine. Films that will be screening are: Ain't Them Bodies Saints, Bluebird, C.O.G., Coldwater, Computer Chess, Enough Said, Fruitvale Station, A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, Hide Your Smiling Faces, Kill Your Darlings, Prince Avalanche, The Spectacular Now, Starlet, Sweetwater and Trust Me.[1] The American Indie Competition of 2013 was won by Short Term 12.[7]

2014 American Indie Competition

On October 4, the lineup for the 2014 American Indie Competition was announced on the website of LIFF. The competing films were: Camp X-Ray, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him, Gabriël, The Heart Machine, Imperial Dreams, Listen Up Philip, Love is Strange, The One I Love, Sequoia, The Skeleton Twins, Summer of Blood, The Well, Whiplash, White Bird in a Blizzard, Wish I Was Here and The Young Kieslowski.[8]

2015 American Indie Competition

The lineup for the 2015 American Indie Competition was announced on October 5. The competing films were: Mistress America, The End of the Tour, Consumed, Cronies, Houses, Results, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Cop Car, Z for Zachariah, Rosewater, Tangerine and The Gift.[9]

2016 American Indie Competition

On October 7, the lineup for the 2016 American Indie Competition was announced on the LIFF website. Films in competition this year are: First Girl I Loved, Lovesong, From Nowhere, Born to Be Blue, Swiss Army Man, Goat, American Pastoral, Transpecos, As You Are, Kicks, Joshy and Burn Your Maps. Additionally in 2016, an album called Sitting Through Credits, based on the competition, was made by Dutch artist Moon Moon Moon and was launched during the festival.[10]

2018 American Indie Competition

On October 5, the lineup for the 2018 American Indie Competition was announced on the LIFF website. Films in competition this year are: Eighth Grade, The Kindergarten Teacher, Blaze, Damsel (2018 film), Leave No Trace, Love After Love, Cam, American Animals, The Miseducation of Cameron Post and Diane, Her Smell, Wildlife and Thunder Road.[11]

2019 American Indie Competition

On October 6, the lineup for the 2019 American Indie Competition was announced on the LIFF website. Films in competition this year are: The Farewell, To the Stars (film), Luce (film), The Death of Dick Long, The Friend, The Peanut Butter Falcon, Lucky Grandma and Seberg.[12]

Panorama

LIFF's Panorama program screens films from all over the world, from established names to newly discovered filmmakers.

Some films that were screened in the Netherlands for the first time during the Panorama program: Amour, Argo, The Artist, Burn After Reading, Children of Men, Drive, Gone Baby Gone, Das Weiße Band, We Need To Talk About Kevin, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, 50/50, La grande bellezza, Inside Llewyn Davis, Mommy, Youth, I, Daniel Blake, Lion, The Birth of a Nation and Everybody Wants Some!!.

During the 2016 edition, the Audience Award was won by Toni Erdmann.[13]

Side program

Besides the American Indie and Panorama programs, the LIFF also hosts many special screenings at locations like St Peter's Church (Pieterkerk) and the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden.[14][15] In 2013, the festival hosted a grand opening in the church with two Charlie Chaplin films, accompanied by live music from composer Timothy Brock.[16]

One of the most important aspects of the side programming is the Science & Cinema program, combining cinema with contributions from Leiden University.[17] In the past few years, the festival has hosted several special on-location screenings, such as a screening of Spring Breakers in a local public pool and several jungle-themed films in a large greenhouse at Hortus Botanicus Leiden.

Attendance, opening films and prize winners
YearNumber of visitorsOpening filmCompetitionWinner
20066.000The Black Dahlia--
20078.000American Gangster--
200810.000W.--
200915.000The Informant!--
201018.000You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger[18]Iron Herring(Untitled)
201125.000Margin CallIron HerringAvé
201227.500Argo[19]Iron HerringSafety Not Guaranteed[20]
201330.000The Immigrant & The PilgrimAmerican Indie Competition:Short Term 12[7]
201433.000WhiplashAmerican Indie Competition:
Audience Award:		Whiplash
Pride[21]
2015 35.000 Steve Jobs (film) American Indie Competition:

Audience Award:

 Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Le tout nouveau Testament

2016 35.000 Arrival American Indie Competition:

Audience Award:

 Burn Your Maps

Toni Erdmann[13]

2017 Suburbicon[22] American Indie Competition:
Audience Award:		 Menashe[23]
Vele hemels boven de zevende[23]
2018 American Animals Audience Award: Never Look Away
2019 Jojo Rabbit[24] Audience Award:

European Netwerk For Independent American Cinema

In 2014, LIFF founded the European Netwerk For Independent American Cinema in collaboration with the American Film Festival in Poland. Its mission is to promote American Independent productions throughout Europe by enhancing their visibility both among the public and within the industry, and encouraging their circulation. The Network works to fulfil this mission through its film festival members in Europe and its supporting partners in Asia and North America.[25]

All the participating film festivals are major platforms for American Indie films in their respective regions. They all work closely within the Network, but embody diversity and individual artistic identity, through their distinct programming choices. They feature both press and audience screenings and offer a full range of side events that include master classes, conferences and industry pitching, bringing together a wide spectrum of viewers, iconic and emerging talent, and other industry professionals to share experiences and knowledge.[26]

Founding Fathers

The Leiden International Film Festival was founded in 2006 by Alexander Mouret, Michaël Roumen, Michel Zorge and Wouter de Bres with Job Zeestraten as the fifth Beatle.

See also
  • Leiden International Short Film Festival

References
  1. Dawson, Nick (28 September 2013). "Leiden International Film Festival Announces New US Indie Competition". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  2. "De Filmkrant :: Filmfestival Leiden breidt stevig uit". Filmkrant.nl. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  3. "Leiden International Film Festival". Festivalfocus.org. 2009-11-01. Archived from the original on 2012-09-11. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  4. "Locations". Leidenfilmfestival.nl. Archived from the original on 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  5. "Withoutabox". Withoutabox. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  6. "American Indie Competition". Leidenfilmfestival.nl. Archived from the original on 2013-10-08. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  7. http://www.blendbureaux.com/short-term-12-wins-american-indie-competition-leiden-international-film-festival/
  8. http://filmpjekijken.com/nieuws/details/competitie-leiden-international-film-festival-vol-premires
  9. "Focus: Amerikaanse indies in Leiden" (PDF). filmkrant.nl. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  10. "LIFF 2016 combineert liefde voor film met muziek - Leiden.TV". Leiden.TV (in Dutch). 2016-09-07. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  11. https://medium.com/leiden-international-film-festival/american-indie-competition-liff-2018-a0f2c0810d30. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. https://medium.com/leiden-international-film-festival/deze-films-doen-mee-aan-de-american-indie-competition-van-liff-2019-bd66964da5eb. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. "Filmfestival Leiden bekroont Toni Erdmann". NU (in Dutch). Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  14. "Leids Film Festival - Actueel". SieboldHuis. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  15. "Leiden International Film Festival - Pieterskerk Leiden". Pieterskerk.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-08. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  16. "Charlie Chaplin opent Leids Filmfestival" (in Dutch). RTL. 23 September 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  17. "Science and cinema at Leiden International Film Festival - Events - Leiden Bio Science Park". Leidenbiosciencepark.nl. 2012-10-23. Archived from the original on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  18. "Woody Allen opent Leids Film Festival | nu.nl/film | Het laatste nieuws het eerst op" (in Dutch). Nu.nl. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  19. "Argo (2012) : Release Info". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  20. "Safety not Guaranteed' winnaar Iron Herring Competition LFF" (in Dutch). Volnieneuws. 30 October 2012. Archived from the original on 8 October 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  21. Frequin, Vincent (10 November 2014). "Recordaantal bezoekers voor Leiden International Film Festival". Dichtbij.nl (in Dutch).
  22. "Openingsfilm Leiden International Film Festival 2017 bekend". unity.nu. 14 September 2017.
  23. "Winnaars Leiden International Film Festival bekend". unity.nu. 6 November 2017.
  24. https://www.liff.nl/en/Program/Movie/jojo-rabbit/1016/4715
  25. http://www.americanindies.eu/
  26. http://www.indiewire.com/article/bring-your-indie-to-europe-festivals-unite-to-promote-independent-american-cinema-20140625
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