Bird's Eye View

Birds Eye View Film Festival 2010

We are back for our 6th annual Film Festival of celebrating, championing and showcasing women filmmakers.

Multi-talented actress Jane Horrocks will officially open the festivities on 4 March, and present to you our trademark showcase of the world's best new shorts by women and a taster of our acclaimed Sound and Silents events before we all gather to discuss our favourites in the BFI bar. Have a good sleep that night, because the next eight days are packed full of the hottest of films, events and and festival fun that you do not want to miss!

UK premieres include the fresh US/Palestinian drama Amreeka, the supreme and close-to heartbreaking Entre Nos, candid Polish teen-drama Mall Girls, enthralling Indian music documentary The Other Song, and She Is The Matador - a study of the passionate struggles of female matadors. We also present awesome work from the new generation of Kenyan filmmakers Wanuri Kahiu and Judy Kibinge and previews of two sure hits to be released after the festival, Austrian mystery Lourdes and Drew Barrymore's Whip It.

Through you, our esteemed First Weekender Clubbers, we also devote special support to Mia Hansen-Løve's new release The Father Of My Children.

Add to this already delicious mix our groundbreaking Fashion Film event, Music Video showcase presented by Miranda Sawyer, lots of heavily subsidised bespoke-designed Training from the likes of the LFA, NFTS, BAFTA and Shooting People, and our groundbreaking Innovation strand to bring you close to the cutting edge of new technologies.

Our distinguished Masterclass speaker this year is Danish auteur Susanne Bier, who has notched up equal Hollywood and European success with her dynamic writing and directing style, we are also screening three of her films so you can be fully versed in her work.

The already-legendary BEV Sound and Silents performances hit their usual top notes of visionary composition as we commission leading female musicians, including Patti Plinko and Gwyneth Herbert, to accompany archive films in complement to our Retrospective theme of Blonde Crazy, which has its own mini-season at the BFI, plus The Adventures of Prince Achmed - the first ever feature animation directed by Lotte Reiniger in 1926, with a new live score from award-winning Mira Calix. 

Phew! And there's more: special guests, visting filmmakers, Q&As, a tea-party or two, and open screen opportunities for aspiring names of the future... plus this year's Festival Party -  start browsing and filling your diaries!