Hello! We're Hanna and Hannah – two film journalists working in London. We've decided to put together a fundraiser to help low-income film critics attend the 2024 BFI London Film Festival. WHY? The BFI London Film Festival is a highlight of the cinema calendar but increasingly it's becoming harder for some people to attend, due to the rising cost of accreditation. This year the cost of a press badge for the festival is £52, which is unaffordable to many on a low income, including those who are unemployed or have family or caring responsibilities. Film journalists are among some of the lowest paid in the industry, and for many, the London Film Festival is a place they are able to pick up substantial work. The middle and upper class are already disproportionately represented in film journalism, so we're hoping to try and correct that a little bit by widening the pool of people who are able to take part in this year's London Film Festival. We particularly welcome applications from writers who are from an underrepresented group (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent and/or disabled) but are accepting all requests from those facing financial hardship. HOW WILL FUNDS BE RAISED? This LFEBridge page has been set up to encourage donations from those in the industry and outside. The aim is to raise a minimum of £4000 to cover the accreditation costs for 70 journalists at this year's festival (plus LFEBridge admin fees). If the fund exceeds that amount we will be able to increase the number of recipients who receive financial aid and potentially provide additional grants for travel and accommodation. HOW WILL RECIPIENTS BE CHOSEN? Applicants must fill out an online form to apply for a £52 grant to cover the cost of their accreditation. To apply, applicants must: Be from a low-income household in the UK Provide a brief statement on how the funds would help them attend LFF 2024 A committee will review all applications; eligible applicants will then be entered into a lottery to avoid bias. Funds will be transferred to the successful applicants before the festival commences in October. The LFF 2024 Critics' Support Fund is completely separate from the BFI and has no control over LFF accreditation applications. HOW YOU CAN HELP Any donations to the fund would be greatly appreciated as well as social sharing of this fundraising page and application. We hope this will generate interest and support to make the fund an annual initiative. FURTHER INFORMATION Any questions about this campaign can be directed to Hanna Flint and Hannah Strong.
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