An installation narrated by Tilda Swinton introduces London Film Festival Expanded, a new programme of immersive art, augmented reality and gaming experiences at this year’s event.
The 68th BFI London Film Festival, which runs from 9 to 20 October, in partnership with American Express, has unveiled the festival’s expanded programme to celebrate moving images “in all their forms”, from short and feature films to television, immersion and, for the first time, video games.
The expanded programme will centre around five major installations to be presented in iconic venues across London, including the Bargehouse at Oxo Tower Wharf, BFI Southbank, BFI IMAX and Outernet London.
Impulse: Playing with reality from British studio Anagram, narrated by British star Swinton and based on over 100 hours of interviews, explores attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a playful way and offers deeper insights into the disease and neurodiversity in general.
arcadea large immersive audio installation by Darkfield, will be installed in a shipping container
and presented in near darkness at the BFI Southbank. Combining spatial sound and sensory effects with the nostalgic aesthetic of 1980s video games, the narrative explores the evolving relationship between players and avatars.
Presented in partnership with Outernet London – the largest digital exhibition space in Europe – The Big undertaking by Liam Young promises a cinematic experience that envisions a future in which we collectively achieve planetary transformation by working to remove carbon from the atmosphere.
Last-minute will feature installations by artists Adrien M and Claire B. Inspired by Claire B’s personal experiences of grief and pregnancy, the art captures the concept of the minute just before death and just before birth at Bargehouse.
The fifth installation, Superradiance. Embodying the Earthby Memo Akten and Katie Peyton Hofstadter, presented in partnership with Digital Body Festival London, is a multiscreen video and sound installation at the BFI IMAX that combines AI with dance.
In addition to the large-scale installations, LFF Expanded will also present a programme of free activities at the Bargehouse at Oxo Tower Wharf on London’s Southbank. For the first time, the festival will showcase video games in an interactive games lounge where the audience can play for free, including Play Kafkaa video game based on the life and work of Franz Kafka.
There will also be a programme at the Bargehouse with four free XR works that explore how virtual and
Mixed reality can offer new perspectives on physical and mental health.
“LFF Expanded has become an integral part of the LFF experience and I invite audiences to push the boundaries of their imagination and beyond with this year’s program,” said Festival Director Kristy Matheson.
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