Before the Doors Open: A Q&A with LoLaFF

01How do you choose the lineup? What makes a film a LoLaFF film?

For us, it starts with the story and the voice behind the film. We are looking for films that feel honest, distinctive and that have something to say.

Latin America is incredibly diverse, so we wanted the programme to reflect that. We are not looking for one particular type of Latin American film. We want different countries, different perspectives, different generations and different styles of filmmaking.

For me, a LoLaFF film is something that stays with you. It might make you think, make you laugh, make you uncomfortable or simply show you a world you have never seen before.

As this is our very first edition, we also wanted to give audiences the chance to discover filmmakers they may not have heard of before. That sense of discovery is a big part of what LoLaFF is about.

02What route does a Latin American film usually take to reach a UK screen, and where does that route break down?

There are different routes, but it can be quite difficult.

A film might premiere at a festival in Latin America, then travel to an international festival, work with a sales agent and hopefully find a UK distributor. But for many films, that process stops somewhere along the way.

Sometimes the film does not reach the right people. Sometimes there are issues around distribution rights, subtitles, marketing costs or simply a perception that there is not a big enough audience in the UK.

That is one of the reasons we wanted to create LoLaFF. We wanted to create another door into the UK for these films and give filmmakers the opportunity to connect directly with London audiences.

03Many strong Latin American films never get UK distribution. What actually changes that?

I think one of the most important things is showing that there is an audience.

A distributor needs to have confidence that people will want to watch a film. A festival can help demonstrate that. If audiences respond strongly to a film, people talk about it, reviews appear and filmmakers make new connections, that can help create opportunities afterwards.

But it is not only about numbers. It is also about people championing the work.

That is something we hope LoLaFF can do. We want to be a place where filmmakers can meet audiences, programmers, distributors and other people who can help their films travel further.

04How do you market a Latin American film to a London audience that doesn’t know the filmmaker yet?

You have to start with the film itself.

Most people are not going to come to a screening just because they recognise the director’s name. They need to see something that makes them curious.

Maybe it is a great story, a beautiful trailer, an interesting subject, a particular actor or simply an image that makes them stop and think, I want to know more about this.

We also try to think beyond the idea of a single Latin American audience. Someone might come because they are Latin American, but someone else might come because they love documentaries, animation, horror, romance or independent cinema.

London is incredibly diverse, so we want people to discover these films because they connect with them as films, not only because of where they come from.

05Who is the LoLaFF audience, and who do you hope finds it this year?

Because this is our first edition, we are still discovering exactly who our audience will be, and I think that is part of the excitement.

Of course, there is a wonderful Latin American community in London who we hope will feel that this festival is for them. But we also want film lovers, students, families, artists, people working in the industry and anyone who is simply curious.

I would especially love someone to come to LoLaFF who has never watched a Latin American film before.

One of the beautiful things about cinema is that you can have people from completely different backgrounds sitting next to each other and having the same emotional experience. That is the kind of audience we hope to create.

06What does it take, financially and logistically, to run a festival like this in London?

A lot more than people probably realise.

There are venues, film rights, subtitles, technical requirements, insurance, marketing, design, ticketing, guest travel and accommodation, staff, freelancers and volunteers. And then there are all the little things that happen behind the scenes every day.

London is also an expensive city, so you have to be very careful with resources and very creative.

Because this is our first edition, we are building a lot of these systems from scratch. Partnerships and support have been incredibly important.

There is a huge amount of work that the audience will never see. Emails, contracts, spreadsheets, film files, technical checks and, of course, the occasional last minute crisis.

Hopefully, when people walk into the cinema, none of that will be visible. They will just feel that they are there to watch a great film.

07What do filmmakers most often misunderstand about festivals?

I think sometimes filmmakers see a festival as the final destination for their film.

But actually, it can be the beginning of another chapter.

The screening is important, but so are the conversations afterwards, meeting other filmmakers, speaking to audiences, meeting programmers and connecting with people in the industry.

I would always encourage filmmakers to really be part of the festival. Come to other screenings, talk to people, tell audiences about your film and tell us what you need.

A festival is not just about showing a film. It is about creating relationships around it.

08What excites you most about the first edition?

Honestly, just seeing the idea become real.

This started with a belief that there was space for a festival like this in London. Now we are getting ready to welcome filmmakers and audiences into cinemas across the city.

That is quite an incredible feeling.

I am also really excited about the variety of the programme. We have films from different countries, different genres and different generations, with filmmakers who have very different voices.

But I think what I am most excited about is seeing the audience reaction for the first time. We have spent so much time choosing these films and talking about them. Soon, we will finally get to see what happens when people experience them for themselves.

09Where do you want LoLaFF to be in five years?

It is difficult to know exactly what it will look like in five years because we are still creating the first edition.

But I would love LoLaFF to become a recognised part of London’s cultural calendar and an important platform for Latin American cinema in the UK.

I don’t necessarily think that means simply becoming bigger every year. For me, it means building meaningful relationships with filmmakers, cinemas, distributors, universities and cultural organisations.

I would also love LoLaFF to have a life throughout the year, not just during the festival.

And most importantly, I want filmmakers from Latin America to feel that London is a place where their work can find an audience.

10Every festival starts with a bet. What was yours, and does London prove it right?

The bet was that there is an audience for this.

We believe that London is ready for a festival dedicated to Latin American cinema. But because this is our first edition, we are still testing that belief. We haven’t had the screenings yet, so I don’t think we can say whether the bet has been proven right.

For now, we are taking the first step and seeing what happens.

The response to the idea and the support we have received so far have been really encouraging, but the real moment will be when people actually walk into the cinemas, watch the films and experience the festival.

For me, that is the exciting part. We don’t know exactly what will happen yet.

We have the films, the filmmakers, the venues and the idea. Now we are about to find out what London will make of it.