The Independent Film Festivals Association (IFFA), also known as the Association of Independent Film Festivals (AIFF), officially launched on 20 August at The Garden Cinema in Covent Garden, London, with an evening of independent film screenings, a filmmaker Q&A, and industry networking.

Founded by a collective of UK independent film festivals, AIFF was created to promote best practice in the film festival industry, protect independent filmmakers, and improve transparency across the global film festival circuit. With more than 12,000 film festivals worldwide, filmmakers increasingly face challenges such as high festival submission fees, misleading online-only festivals, lack of screening transparency, and fraudulent events.

AIFF aims to offer filmmakers greater confidence, security, and trust when submitting films to festivals. Its charter was developed by directors from respected UK festivals, including St Andrews Film Festival director Boris Bosilkov, to encourage a more ethical, transparent, and filmmaker-friendly festival landscape.

The launch event at The Garden Cinema celebrated the growing need for legitimate independent film festivals that support artists and champion fair festival standards. Guests enjoyed a curated screening of short films selected by participating festivals, reflecting the diversity, creativity, and strength of the UK independent film community.

By bringing together trusted festivals under one banner, the Independent Film Festivals Association seeks to support filmmakers, film festivals, and the wider independent film industry through collaboration, accountability, and shared standards.

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Programme Presented:

UNCLE  – Dir: Michelle Jones, 2022, from Bute Street Festival                 Calving – Dir: Louis Bhose, 2021, from Exit 6 Film Festival

A Moral Man – Dir: Simon & Paul Wade, 2021, from Kingston International Film Festival

Do Not Touch – Dir: James & Harrison Newman, from Kino London Short Film Festival

Selling Out – Dir: George Hackforth-Jones, 2021, from Spirit of Independence Film Festival

Brutal – Dir: Jordan Chandler, 2022, from St Andrews Film Festival

Tap Boy – Dir: Will Kenning, 2021, from TweetFest Film Festival

Voices – Dir: Abbie Lucas, 2022, from Unrestricted View Film Festival

A riveting Q&A session ensued, where the directors, screenwriters, actors, and producers from the screened films selected by the AIFF festivals revealed their inspirations behind their creations, and spoke of the full process from page to screen. Hosted by Angela Peters from Tweetfest and Boris Bosilkov from St. Andrews Film Festival, this was a rare opportunity for the audience to peer behind the curtain and witness the magic in the process of filmmaking.

With AIFF's spectacular debut in Covent Garden, the stage is set for a future brimming with both opportunity and security for independent filmmakers. We look forward to a more protected world of indie filmmaking!