A Student’s Survival Guide to LIFF 2023
“Sit back, relax and enjoy the film”. You can expect to hear this phrase throughout the course of the next two (and a bit) weeks during the Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF). As the second largest film festival in the UK, LIFF is taking over the city between 3rd – 19th November. If you haven’t attended LIFF before, fret not! This will be your survival guide over the course of the festival.
LIFF 2023 Programme
Over 17 days, Leeds will witness over 250 different screenings. That may seem overwhelming, but the programme is broken down into several sections to help you digest the catalogue. While all 7 categories are worthy of your attention, here are three of the biggest.
Official Selection & LIFF 2023 Feature Film Competition
This category (displayed in red in the official guide) is the headline previews and premieres. The obvious highlights are Poor Things (starring Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe) and All Of Us Strangers (with lead actors Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott). But unless you are one of the lucky few already with a ticket, both films have already sold out. As the biggest screenings of the festival, you’ll want to get in there early if you are to see the remaining Official Selection screenings with tickets still available. Other highlights with tickets still available include Anatomy of a Fall and closing film Slow, for now…
Cinema Versa
For those into documentary films, this is your category (displayed in blue on the guide). An often-overlooked area of the festival, Cinema Versa screens premieres of documentaries by new and upcoming filmmakers, all with a story to tell about the world we live in. Personally, my most anticipated includes This is Going to Be Big and Your Fat Friend. The latter features author Aubrey Gordon’s campaign for body positivity whereas the former focuses on a group of neurodivergent schoolkids producing and performing a musical. But none seem more timely than Another Body which tackles the implications of deepfake pornography.
Fanomenon
Quiet literally, Fanomenon is the fan favourite. The section (displayed in orange in the guide) explores sci-fi, fantasy, dark comedy, animations and of course, horror. While many films featured in LIFF’s Official Selection will receive a major cinema release, Fanomenon’s lineup is littered with films only seen at the festival. Don’t expect many, if any, to end up on streaming either. Arguably no film portrays this more than Killing Romance – a South Korean film in which a superstar actress is trapped in a toxic marriage. With the help of a young fanboy and the power of K-pop, the two scheme to break free. Other personal most eagerly anticipated include Hundreds of Beavers and Mad Cats.
Key Info
If you are going to take away one thing from this article, it’s this – LIFF does not show adverts. The scheduled time is when the films are due to start so arrive early to avoid missing any of the film. No more 30/45 minute adverts and trailers before the film!
Speaking of running late (we’re all prone to it), there are some tips to make up time. Volunteers are present at all screenings to help. When you arrive at a screen, there may be a queue of people by the front desk. But before you launch into an argument as to who is responsible for being late, simply head to the screen labelled on your ticket and a volunteer will check your ticket before letting you in. You only need to queue if you are yet to purchase your ticket or have any issues.
While volunteers are there to check your tickets, they also collect score cards at the end of the film. A popular feature of the film festival is the ratings viewers give to each film, ultimately deciding how the festival’s awards are distributed. Each film is scored out of 5 stars by tearing on the dotted line and then handing it back to a volunteer. Simple. And aside from the pride of the film makers, the scores can result in additional screenings added towards the end of the festival for particularly popular screenings.
When scanning the lineup of films, you may notice the vast majority of films are rated 18+. Don’t worry, not all films overflow with gory details. The nature of a film festival means most of the program is yet to be released anywhere else. As a result, the certification board is yet to give an age rating to the films. Therefore the age rating is 18+ by default. This weird quirk of the festival may scare you off certain films, but be sure to read the synopsis of the film on the LIFF website. This will give you any trigger warnings you may need to be aware of before attending a screening.
Tickets & Passes
There are numerous deals and passes available to students. Below are a selection of the best, but visit the link to see more. And remember, students are eligible for concessions!
LIFF Buzz Pass: 6 tickets for £30
The LIFF Buzz pass is the best value-for-money pass available for LIFF. For those aged 25 and under, you can purchase 6 tickets to any film for £30. Whilst the initial cost may raise eyebrows, it equates to £5 per ticket. These tickets can be used in any combination and can be shared, meaning you could book 6 tickets to one film, 2 tickets to 3 screenings, or attend six movies solo.
LIFF LITE Pass: 6 tickets for £37.50
For students over 25, the LIFF LITE Pass is the next best option. Coming out to £6.25 per ticket, the pass works in exactly the same way as the Buzz Pass. Any film, any combination. The pass usually comes to £47.50, so it’s definitely worth taking advantage of to save yourself £10 (basically two Bakery 164 trips, what’s not to love?).
For all pass holders, you can access a selection of food and drink deals across the city. Just flex your physical pass or email confirmation and then you’ll receive a discount on your post-film pint. Student faves including Belgrave Music Hall are offering 10% off food and drink while Hyde Park Book Club are giving 25% off (yes, you read that right) food and coffee.
Individual Concession Tickets: £7.50 per film
Maybe you just want to see Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott get it on? Or maybe the rebel motorbike gang drama featuring Tom Hardy, Austin Butler and Jodie Comer? Or Emma Stone in a Frankenstein-inspired story of female liberation? Well, you can see feature films for £7.50 as a student with no annoying booking fees either online, over the phone or on the door.
Events
LIFF is more than just a collection of films. The festival hosts several sub-events throughout the festival. For those interested in a career in the film industry, check out the BFI Network Industry Day, and for film buffs, the Day Of The Dead will be up your alley.
BFI Network Industry Day
Film Hub North, BFI’s northern program, is hosting an industry day as part of LIFF 2023. On 8th November from 13:00 – 19:30, budding filmmakers will overtake Hyde Park Picture House (HPPH). For £5, students will be able to take part in several talks and workshops to improve their skills before ending the day on a Shorts Showcase. Undeniably, the highlight of the day will be the Writing Masterclass led by Rye Lane co-writers Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia, writers of one of the best recent rom-coms. To see the full line-up of events and to book your tickets, visit the link.
Day of the Dead
An annual tradition as part of LIFF, Day of the Dead is an overnight marathon of new, independent horror films. On 11th November at HPPH, cinema-goers will stem the flood of Christmas and keep Halloween alive (or dead) a little longer with 4 horror films back-to-back. From Gothic horror to comedy. Passes for the whole event are available from £25 for students or tickets can be purchased to individual screenings.
Sci-fi Day
A new addition to the LIFF schedule, Sci-Fi Day is much like the aforementioned Day of the Dead but for those with weaker stomachs (including me). The all-day event takes place at Vue on 4th November. From 11:00, five films from five nations will explore ideas set in a not-too-distant future. Like before, passes for the day cost £25 but individual tickets are available too.
