An independent film festival is returning to London this week to celebrate female filmmakers.
London Breeze Film Festival starts its 11th edition this Wednesday and will bring 135 films to nine London cinemas across a five-day celebration.
More than half of this year’s programme consists of female-led films, including the opening and closing features.
This is part of London Breeze: UK Women of Film, reflecting the festival’s growing commitment to recognising women’s voices on screen and behind the camera.
London Breeze: UK Women of Film, is co-curated with Girls on Tops, a brand known for its statement t-shirts celebrating female creatives and directors.
Laura Stratford, brand director at Girls on Tops, said: “The more we encounter women’s names and become familiar with their work, the more naturally they become part of our wider cultural consciousness.”
Additionally, London Breeze is leading a Women of Film Short Documentary Pitching Competition, taking place on the closing night of the film festival, Sunday 25 October.
Emerging female directors will be given a platform to voice their ideas in front of industry professionals, with prizes including a two hour My SMASH Media workshop on pitching skills and Adobe Creative Content software for all finalists.
Laura said: “What’s nice about this partnership is that we’re covering two different stages of the filmmaking process.
“Through the short film programme, we’re introducing a selection of shorts to LBFF audiences, while the live short documentary pitch competition offers an opportunity to support ideas that are still taking shape.”
Girls on Tops t-shirts have been worn by influential figures in the film industry, including Greta Gerwig, Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern and more, with a portion of profits funding female-led film projects.
The festival’s expanded programme also marks a significant milestone for London Breeze, with its largest industry programme to date.
Festival founder and executive director Sam Cullis said: “This year feels like a real coming of age for London Breeze.
“As we enter our 11th edition, our festival is maturing and becoming more ambitious, with our biggest industry programme yet and an important focus on women in filmmaking.”
Part one of London Breeze: UK Women of film will be hosted at Regent Street cinema on Wednesday 21 October at 2pm.
Part two will be hosted at The Lexi Cinema on Sunday 25 October at 3pm.
For more information about the Film festival, visit https://londonbreezefilmfestival.com/events-2/
Featured image: still from Such a Vivid Imagination (2026), screening at the closing gala of London Breeze, directed by Ina Lüders.
Join the discussion