Last LFF platform debate tonight

The NFT Festival Delegate Centre will tonight host a panel discussion on the presentation of film in the media, the final of four provocative debates.

Nov  3 2004

Judging by the three gigs held so far, the second year of the Time Out-sponsored Platform debates at the London Film Festival is proving to be even more popular and successful than last year's event.

The first was standing room only as directors Lucrecia Martel ('La Ciénaga', 'The Holy Girl') and Daniel Burman ('Lost Embrace') joined Time Out's Geoff Andrew on a panel chaired by Maria Delgado to explore the Argentinian New Wave, arguably the most extraordinary phenomenon of the last decade in terms of world cinema.

Likewise the well-attended second event offered a forum on the practice of adapting modern novels for the screen; Time Out's Dave Calhoun chaired the debate, which featured a top-notch cast including Roger Michell and Kevin Loader, the director and producer of 'Enduring Love', and Pawel Pawlikowski and Tanya Seghatchian, director and producer of 'My Summer of Love' (and, in the latter case, co-producer of the 'Harry Potter' films). One conclusion reached by the talented quartet: how faithful you need to be to your source depends almost entirely on how well-known it is in the first place.

The third discussion, on the recent boom in documentaries being made for and shown in cinemas, was chaired by Geoff Andrew and boasted Filip Remunda, co-director of 'Czech Dream' (already a big hit in the Czech Republic), Hubert Sauper, Austrian director of the multi-award-winning 'Darwin's Nightmare', and Nick Fraser, series editor of the BBC's Storyville strand, who brought a marvellous mix of experience, eloquence, expertise and wit to the proceedings.

Once again the room was packed and produced lively discussion, mercifully little of it about Michael Moore, so expect more of the same when Time Out's Nick Bradshaw chairs the final Platform gig at 8.30pm on Wednesday November 3, where Howard Schuman, Jason Solomons and Michael Bonner will discuss what's good, what’s bad and what’s just plain mediocre in the coverage of film by the media. All you need to attend is your wits about you and either a copy of the current issue of Time Out or a ticket from one of Wednesday's LFF screenings.

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