Leiden International Film Festival

The Leiden International Film Festival (LIFF) is a film festival based in the Netherlands. The Leiden International Film Festival was founded in 2006 by Alexander Mouret, Michaël Roumen, Michel Zorge, Wouter de Bres and Job Zeestraten.[1] The festival's main competition is American Indie Competition LIFF which screens films from American filmmakers.[2]

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

Program

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The festival's programming consists of many different kinds of fiction films, including both mainstream and arthouse films.[3] 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]

American Independent Cinema and the American Indie Competition

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Although the festival is based in Leiden, it is an international film festival which has focused on American independent cinema, resulting in the American Indie Competition.[5] 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.[6]

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.[citation needed]

2013 American Indie Competition

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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.[7] The American Indie Competition of 2013 was won by Short Term 12.[8]

2014 American Indie Competition

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The 2014 edition lasted 10 days, screened 87 films, from 28 countries. 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.[9]

2015 American Indie Competition

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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.[10]

2016 American Indie Competition

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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.[11]

2018 American Indie Competition

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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, Leave No Trace, Love After Love, Cam, American Animals, The Miseducation of Cameron Post and Diane, Her Smell, Wildlife and Thunder Road.[12]

2019 American Indie Competition

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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.[13]

Panorama

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LIFF's Panorama program screens films from all over the world. Some films that were screened during the Panorama program include 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!!.[citation needed]

During the 2016 edition, the Audience Award was won by Toni Erdmann.[14]

Side program

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Besides the American Indie and Panorama programs, the LIFF also hosts special screenings at locations like St Peter's Church (Pieterkerk) and the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden.[15][16] In 2013, the festival hosted a grand opening in the church with two Charlie Chaplin films, accompanied by live music from composer Timothy Brock.[17]

One of the most important aspects of the side programming is the Science & Cinema program, combining cinema with contributions from Leiden University.[18]

Attendance, opening films and prize winners

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Year Number of visitors Opening film Competition Winner[citation needed]
2006 6.000 The Black Dahlia - -
2007 8.000 American Gangster - -
2008 10.000 W. - -
2009 15.000 The Informant! - -
2010 18.000 You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger[19] Iron Herring (Untitled)
2011 25.000 Margin Call Iron Herring Avé
2012 27.500 Argo[20][unreliable source?] Iron Herring Safety Not Guaranteed[21]
2013 30.000 The Immigrant & The Pilgrim American Indie Competition: Short Term 12[8]
2014 33.000 Whiplash American Indie Competition:
Audience Award:
Whiplash
Pride[22]
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[23] Arrival American Indie Competition:

Audience Award:

Burn Your Maps

Toni Erdmann[14]

2017 39.000[24] Suburbicon[25] American Indie Competition:
Audience Award:
Menashe[26]
Vele hemels boven de zevende[26]
2018 41.000[27] American Animals American Indie Competition:
Audience Award:
Leave No Trace[28]
Werk ohne Autor[28]
2019 42.000[29] Jojo Rabbit[30] American Indie Competition:
Audience Award:
The Peanut Butter Falcon[29]
Hors Normes[29]
2020 20.000[31] Nomadland, Supernova, Save Yourselves!, Las Niñas, Wildland, Yallah! Underground[32][33] American Indie Competition:
Audience Award:
Nomadland[31]
Supernova[31]
2021 31.000[34] Ich bin dein Mensch[35] American Indie Competition:
Audience Award:
First Feature Competition:
Mass[36]
Maixabel[36]
Death of a virgin, and the sin of not living[36]
2022 42.000[37] The Banshees of Inisherin[38] American Indie Competition:
Audience Award:
First Feature Competition:
Vengeance[37]
Rose[37]
Everybody hates Johan[37]

European Network for Independent American Cinema

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In 2014, LIFF launched the European Network for Independent American Cinema in collaboration with the American Film Festival in Poland. Its mission is to promote American Independent productions throughout Europe. The Network works to fulfil this mission through its film festival members in Europe and its supporting partners in Asia and North America.[39]

All the participating film festivals are platforms for American independent 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 side events including classes, conferences and industry pitching, bringing together a wide spectrum of viewers an industry professionals to share experiences and knowledge.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Blair Witch and a Brexit brunch at Leiden's no-theme international film festival". DutchNews.nl. 28 October 2019. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  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. ^ Dawson, Nick (28 September 2013). "Leiden International Film Festival Announces New US Indie Competition". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  8. ^ a b "'Short Term 12' wins American Indie Competition at Leiden International Film Festival". 12 November 2013.
  9. ^ "Competitie Leiden International Film Festival vol premières - Filmpjekijken.com | populair audiovisueel filmmagazine". filmpjekijken.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-11.
  10. ^ "Focus: Amerikaanse indies in Leiden" (PDF). filmkrant.nl. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  11. ^ "LIFF 2016 combineert liefde voor film met muziek - Leiden.TV". Leiden.TV (in Dutch). 2016-09-07. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  12. ^ Oosterom, Vera (October 5, 2018). "American Indie Competition LIFF 2018". Medium.
  13. ^ Oosterom, Vera (October 6, 2019). "Deze films doen mee aan de American Indie Competition van LIFF 2019!". Medium.
  14. ^ a b "Filmfestival Leiden bekroont Toni Erdmann". NU (in Dutch). Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  15. ^ "Leids Film Festival - Actueel". SieboldHuis. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  16. ^ "Leiden International Film Festival - Pieterskerk Leiden". Pieterskerk.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-08. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  17. ^ "Charlie Chaplin opent Leids Filmfestival" (in Dutch). RTL. 23 September 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  18. ^ "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.
  19. ^ "Woody Allen opent Leids Film Festival | nu.nl/film | Het laatste nieuws het eerst op" (in Dutch). Nu.nl. 31 August 2010. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  20. ^ "Argo (2012) : Release Info". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  21. ^ "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.
  22. ^ Frequin, Vincent (10 November 2014). "Recordaantal bezoekers voor Leiden International Film Festival". Dichtbij.nl (in Dutch).
  23. ^ "Weer meer bezoekers voor Leiden International Film Festival". unity.nu. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  24. ^ "Evaluatie Leiden International Film Festival 2017" (PDF). LIFF. p. 2. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  25. ^ "Openingsfilm Leiden International Film Festival 2017 bekend". unity.nu. 14 September 2017.
  26. ^ a b "Winnaars Leiden International Film Festival bekend". unity.nu. 6 November 2017.
  27. ^ "Evaluatie Leiden International Film Festival 2018" (PDF). LIFF. p. 2. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  28. ^ a b "Leave No Trace wint 13e editie Leiden International Film Festival". sleutelstad.nl. 13 November 2018.
  29. ^ a b c "Winnende films LIFF 2019 bekend". unity.nu. 11 November 2019.
  30. ^ "Movie | Leiden International Film Festival".
  31. ^ a b c "Leiden International Film Festival in coronatijd bereikt 20.000 bezoekers". unity.nu. 10 November 2020.
  32. ^ "LIFF 2020 van start met zes openingsfilms". hollandfilmnieuws.nl. 9 October 2020.
  33. ^ "Leiden International Film Festival, editie 14½: Zes openingsfilms, waaronder Gouden Leeuw-winnaar Nomadland". filmkrant.nl. 27 October 2020.
  34. ^ "Leiden International Film Festival, Annual Report 2021" (PDF). LIFF. October 2021. p. 4. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  35. ^ "LIFF 2021: op de grens van arthouse en mainstream cinema". deprotagonisten.nl. 15 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  36. ^ a b c "'Maixabel' meest gewaardeerd op Leids filmfestival". Leidsch Dagblad. 9 November 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  37. ^ a b c d "Leiden International Film Festival sluit af met veel bezoekers en bekroonde films". leidschdagblad.nl. 14 November 2022.
  38. ^ "Eerste tien films van Leids filmfestival LIFF zijn bekend, openingsfilm is 'The Banshees of Inisherin'". Leidsch Dagblad. 8 October 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-10-16. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  39. ^ "Wij zijn bezig". Archived from the original on 2016-01-10. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
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