AboutLift-Off Global Network
The Lift-Off Season
Each season features a series of festivals & showcases, culminating with the Season Awards screenings and ceremony @ Pinewood Studios, England
Throughout the year-long celebration of indie film, the Lift-Off Global Network identifies projects and allocates nominations for the Lift-Off Season Awards. The Season’s final event held at Pinewood Studios, the Season Awards recognises the best-of-the-best and promotes the filmmaking talent from within the projects.
Previous Season Awards Winners have gone on to win Oscars and acquire global distribution deals. But beyond the headline successes are countless stories of creative development, inspiration and collaborations with a true indie spirit from within the Network.
Season Awards
Celebrating the best-of-the-best from the Lift-Off Season
Screening at Lift-Off’s HQ in Pinewood Studios, the event kicks off with screenings of the nominated films in each category and culminates with an awards ceremony & celebration of the outstanding creativity from the Lift-Off Network.
Deserving projects secure a shortlist placement from various events throughout the Lift-Off Season.
Global
Film Festivals
Supporting ‘true-indie’ film and connecting new voices to global audiences, each festival screens a wide array of talents during an event comprising online screenings & in-person networking sessions. Alongside screenings, Official Selections are invited to participate in focus groups and online workshops throughout the event.
All festival screenings are in competition & Lift-Off Season Award Qualifying
Festival Events
Each festival hosts a series of online and in-person events, connecting filmmaking talent across the globe
Focus Group Feedback
Meet fellow filmmakers, exchange feedback and discuss your projects. Focus Group participants attend an online meeting to pitch their work before participating in the Feedback Session.
In-Person Networking Speeddate
Join us in the city for a showcase & networking event held in conjunction with the festival’s online screenings. Attendees chat to everyone in the room in a 'speed-date' style networking session.
Online Networking SpeedDate
Pitch your future projects or share previous work. Attendees can screen a trailer or pitch deck before meeting with everyone in a 'speed-date' style network session.
Online & Inperson
Showcases
The Lift-Off Showcases help emerging filmmakers develop their careers and reach new audiences with workshops tailored around peer-to-peer feedback, with a potential distribution via Lift-Off’s ‘Filmmakers in the Spotlight’ YouTube channel.
Free to submit
Sessions & First-Time Filmmaker Sessions
Lift-Off Sessions & First-Time Filmmaker Sessions are monthly events that offer screening opportunities for everyone. If you are just starting your journey, Sessions is for you! The events are free & hosted in a monthly online showcase tailored around feedback.
Judging & Awards
Each season, the Lift-Off Global Network screens hundreds of incredible films from diverse artists that all deserve praise
In the first round, the Lift-Off judges and the general audience review the films and vote for the four projects they wish to see progress to the second round – The Network Round. After the festival closes, audience votes are combined with the judge’s scores and the top-rated films in each programme progress to the Network Round.
Hosted on the Lift-Off Network Hub, the Network Round is an internal screening where Lift-Off members can review the films and the Network Round Jury select the winners and allocate Season Award Nominations.
Network Round FInal
The final round of each festival. Featuring projects that scored highly with the judges and audiences in the first round
Audience Choice Award
Each audience member votes for their favourite projects. The highest-scoring films are combined with the Judges' picks and promoted into the Network Round final.
Season Award Nominations
The winning projects from the Network Round are awarded shortlist places and become eligible for a Lift-Off Season Award Nomination.
