The Let’s All Be Free Film Festival explores and celebrates what 'being free' means to you as an individual, and to our world.

LABF Festival 2017, will be a continuing celebration and exploration of what being free means to people from all across the globe with its fifth edition.

As a participant, you are contributing to a worldwide movement meant to make allies out of strangers, and find similarities through differences.

The festival will seek to screen the most brilliant and thoughtful international films, all struggling to define: What does being free mean to you? You will be surrounded by a group of diverse individuals who are curious about the answer to this question. This shared curiosity, along with the medium of film, will be our common language.

It will be a festival of learning; exploring; and aesthetic enjoyment; of familiarity and occasional discomfort. We hope you laugh; sympathize; become inspired, uneasy, or unsure; but in the end find hope from many points of view. We hope your assumptions will be challenged; your energies renewed; and your mind opened to the possibilities and definitions of a freer future.

What that freedom will mean to you, well – that’s something only you can discover. We only hope to celebrate and honour that journey to your answer. (Or non-answer.)

Make sure you are part of our continuing adventure, and that your personal contribution joins the film 'dialogue' that will help define what a freely lived life can mean.

We seek to create a comfortable and open forum that will encourage constructive dialogue, and debate around the notion of being free, with the aim of creating greater understanding and awareness around this vital issue.

We also hold great festival parties that include live music, and celebration of food and drink from around the world. These are always great forums for our participants, special guests, and audiences to mingle, network, and to simply enjoy while sharing creative ideas.

We welcome anyone who is interested in becoming involved, in whatever way you can. If you have something to say about what being free means to you, then we want to hear it.

"The Let’s All Be Free Film Festival was brilliant” (Hannah Khalil, BBC)

“Definitely a bright new star on London’s film festival circuit” (Life Is A Festival)

"We loved being at Let's All Be Free! Amazing films and people!" (Rachael Henley, actress - Chronicles of Narnia)

"Wow - the Let's All Be Free Film Festival was one of the best independent film festivals I've been to in years." (Maggie Gogler, producer)

Let’s All Be Free was founded in 2012 by award-winning film director Tariq Nasir, who has been exploring issues of equality and what it means to be free all his life. Born in New York to an American mother and a Palestinian father, Tariq has always wanted to improve communication and understanding between people; a shared aim of the Let’s All Be Free project.

With its overwhelmingly successful start, and now five years old, The Let’s All Be Free Film Festival has caught the world’s attention - and we want you to be part of the next one!

For more information about the LABF Festival 2017, check out our website at www.letsallbefree.com

Fiction Category - 1st Prize of £300

Documentary Category - 1st Prize - A trip to the US to participate for 5 days as artist in residence at the Center for Documentary Studies, at Duke University.

Expressions Category - 1st Prize of £150

Rising Star Award - £150

FICTION & DOCUMENTARY CATEGORIES: Films should be 5 minutes to feature length.

EXPRESSIONS CATEGORY: Films must be under 5 minutes in length.

DEADLINES: All submissions must be made by the festival deadlines.

SUBMISSIONS: All films must be submitted via FilmFreeway. Films not submitted via FilmFreeway will not be considered.

PRIOR SUBMISSIONS: An entry that has been previously submitted to the Let’s All Be Free Film Festival is not eligible unless it has been re-edited, or otherwise altered so that it is substantially a different film.

FEE WAIVERS: Fee waivers will not be granted under any circumstances.

WORKS IN PROGRESS: Works in progress will not be accepted for consideration.

LENGTH: Any length, from short to feature length.

GENRE / TYPE: Any genre accepted.

SUBTITLES: All films not in English language must be subtitled in English.

COMPLETION DATE: All films must have been completed from 1st January 2015 onwards

POSTAGE / CUSTOMS: All postage and customs costs are the responsibility of the sender.

EXHIBITION FORMATS: The only accepted exhibition formats are .mov digital files.

PROMOTIONAL USE: Let’s All Be Free Film Festival reserves the rights to use up to 30 seconds of all selected films, trailers and press kits for promotional purposes.

Have any questions about the festival? We have lots of information on our FAQ page

(http://letsallbefree.com/film-festival/submission/faq/) and on our General Guidelines/Rules page (http://letsallbefree.com/film-festival/submission/festival-guidelines/) - please make sure you read both carefully.

SUBMISSION FORMATS: Films can only be submitted via FilmFreeway. The only submission formats that are accepted are Secure Online Screeners (SOS)

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Charlie Dupre

    LABF is a really unique festival. Run by a lovely team across a series of delightfully intimate venues around East London, I felt immediately at home as a first-time filmmaker. The program was dynamic and varied. As well as a compelling selection of shorts, it included music performances, panel discussions.. and a poetry night in a bookshop! It also fostered a real sense of community, from the opening party to the Bagel Brunch finale. I came away with many new friends and contacts (some of whom I have already collaborated with since), and it was a wonderful opportunity for me to deepen my experience of the film industry. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone, and I hope to be back next year!

    January 2017
  • Alejandra Carmen Díaz

    A few months ago, I graduated from filmmaking school with: Seven questions about being-twenty seven, a film that participated this year at LABFF. I must say I was more than thrilled to be accepted into their official selection. I never thought I would be, but it happened and it was an awesome experience, because my short film is about the freedom of the spirit. It explores the black holes in our minds that we have to over come. Its about receiving light and never looking back. So, this experience made me feel accomplished. I felt that my work was actually being received as I wanted. Also, this festival made a very complete promotional work. They shared ,over and over, with a very impressive strategy, valuable information about the directors and our films. For example, my short film was featured on september the 27th, honoring its original title. We were pampered and vauled and respected. They made us feel unique and heard. We had a a strong voice and became free.
    Unfortunately, I couldnt attend the festival but I was informed about everything that was happening and I even received photographs and reviews about the screening of my short film. I also connected with other creatives.
    I am still quite grateful and I hope to be part of this beautiful festival over and over again.

    December 2016
  • LABF is an extremely warm and welcoming festival. It was a great place to meet film makers working in challenging territories and inspired good conversation and debate.

    November 2016
  • Hamish Downie

    It was a great pleasure to be selected to this festival! Harriet was so kind and generous, and was very good to my friend who came and picked up the award for me. There's a great community vibe about the festival that extended beyond the festival itself into social media and beyond. The festival goes out of it's way to promote every film and director that gets selected. Great festival.

    October 2016