Why I’ll Always Say Yes to a Film Festival

The Film Business is booming in London

I have always loved film. Not just watching it, but the whole ecosystem around it. The anticipation, the storytelling, the way a dark cinema can make a room full of strangers feel connected. I even get excited watching the trailers. They are an art form of their own. 

California Living

A couple of years ago, I went to the Newport Beach Film Festival in California with my son. Just writing that makes me smile as I remember our adventure there. As he’s studying film, it was the perfect busman’s holiday, just the two of us.  There is something very special about experiencing cinema with your child when they are old enough to really get it. I remember the first film I took him to see with his dad in the Clapham Picturehouse. It was WALL:E and as we sat in the bar before it began, there were some promo reels on the tv screen, and Forrest thought the film had begun and that that was the cinema screen. How we’ve moved on since then!

The Newport Beach Film Festival itself was everything you would hope for. Sunshine, creativity, industry energy and that intoxicating sense that you are somewhere stories matter. It was fun in the best way. The kind where you return home slightly sleep deprived, totally inspired and already plotting how to go again.

Hollywood Spirit in the Heart of London

So to find myself at the Newport Beach Film Festival UK & Ireland Honours in London felt like a full circle moment. Held at Raffles London at The OWO, the UK Honours has that rare quality: glamour without intimidation. Yes, the room is packed with serious talent. Yes, the awards carry weight. But there is a warmth to it and an inclusivity. It feels like a celebration of craft rather than a velvet rope situation. In fact, you are very likely to find yourself standing next to a celeb in the queue for the loo, it’s that kind of night.

Hosted by Edith Bowman and Nick Mohammed, the evening moved effortlessly between humour and heartfelt recognition. The Icon Award went to Jennifer Saunders, who accepted it with the kind of sharp self awareness only she can deliver. Watching her undercut the word “Icon” with perfectly timed wit was a masterclass in presence. What I loved too is that she was at the event with her mum and daughter – a true family affair.

Actor Nell Fisher and parents

Jennifer Saunders and Jay Lycurgo

One of the most joyful aspects of the evening was the mix of established icons and rising talent. Meeting Nell Fisher, who plays Holly in Stranger Things and was named one of Variety’s 10 Brits to Watch, was a particular highlight. She was warm, grounded and completely unassuming. She had come along with her proud parents, and as a fellow mum of an ambitious youngster, I found that quietly relatable. I did wonder what it must feel like from their perspective though, standing nearby while a stream of enthusiastic adults approach to tell your daughter how brilliant she is in one of the biggest tv series ever made. Slightly surreal, I imagine, but also rather lovely.

We also met Jay Lycurgo who won a Breakout award, and in his speech he mentioned his parents, saying ‘my mum is ‘bonkers’ but she told me she prefers ‘quirky’!’ I brought this up when I met his folks later in the evening, and they were still laughing about it.

Simon Farnaby and Childhood Stories Reimagined

Also in the room was Simon Farnaby, writer of Paddington and Ghosts, and involved in the upcoming adaptation of The Magic Faraway Tree. Meeting him felt particularly special. We compared our velvet jackets as we propped up the bar, and he told me he’s been busy promoting his new film out later this month. The Magic Faraway Tree was part of my childhood. Dog eared paperbacks and wild imagination territory. To hear it being brought to life for a new generation felt brilliantly nostalgic. Seeing beloved stories reimagined for the screen is fascinating. What do you keep? What do you update? How do you honour nostalgia while making something fresh? Paddington was a masterclass in how to do it properly, so I’m feeling quietly hopeful that this is the same.

A Proper Ab Fab Moment

And then, as the evening drew to a close, came my personal Ab Fab highlight. Edith Bowman was heading upstairs with a bottle of Champagne, looking like she was very sensibly staying over at The OWO. Jennifer Saunders clocked it immediately and was openly jealous she was not doing the same. It was such a brilliantly human exchange. Two formidable women, a bottle of Champagne and a flash of playful envy. For someone who grew up quoting Absolutely Fabulous, it was surreal and wonderful in equal measure. A proper fangirl moment, handled with what I hope was composure, but after several glasses of fizz, I really couldn’t say for sure.