BBC Reel, part of BBC Studios – a commercial subsidiary of the BBC, has launched a unique collaboration with Tribeca, Berlinale, HotDocs and some of the world’s most prestigious film institutions, for the third edition of its signature online film festival, LongShots. The online streaming event showcases a lineup of critically acclaimed, yet undistributed, documentary shorts to film fans across the globe. All six films will be available for audiences to stream for free starting 8 September on BBC’s website.
From an intimate trip with Blondie’s frontwoman Debbie Harry in Cuba to the universally heartbreaking love story of two young girls in Brussels, this year’s film selection is dedicated to reinventing and reframing the idea of ‘journeys’. BBC Reel is proud to leverage its global audience to broaden the visibility of these hidden gems and celebrate the diverse talent behind the screen. This year, the list recognizes the work of two Indigenous artists and features rising stars in filmmaking hailing from Italy, Senegal, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and the US.
“Life is a journey, cliché but true. Making movies is a journey too. It takes passion, hard work, talent, time and resources. I always found it sad, that even if they reach the screen of a major festival, so many great documentaries are lost to a global audience. At the BBC, we are determined to do something about it,” says BBC Reel US Editor Anna Bressanin. “With LongShots, the most promising emerging talents, handpicked by the world’s leading curators, will take our audience on a magical, surprising, hilarious and life-changing journey”.
An international jury of four luminaries in the film industry will decide on the festival’s main prize. Among this year’s panel of jurors is rising star of American arthouse cinema Courtney Stephens, this year’s winner of the grand jury prize in World Cinema Drama at Sundance Alejandro Loayza Grisi, US film critic and writer Jourdain Searles and director of the acclaimed ‘Fire of Love’ Sara Dosa. In addition to the main prize, audiences will be able to vote for their favourite film from 8 – 19 September, to be recognized with the LongShots Audience Award. The winning films will be announced online on September 21st
Selected Films
Svonni vs The Swedish Tax Agency Directed by Maria Fredriksson (Sweden)
A Swedish family’s peculiar fight against the government.
I Bought a Time Machine Directed by Yeon Park (South Korea)
A young woman buys a time machine for her father on eBay, and enters the odd world of internet mysticism, revisiting old memories, and the very real question of what we would do differently if given the chance.
In this Moment Directed by Serena Vittorini (Italy)
Two young women’s thoughts on love, violence and lust taking place during the lockdown imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kicking the Clouds Directed by Sky Hopinka (US)
An unreleased audio recording tracing trails of a language about to disappear forever.
Blondie: Vivir en La Habana Directed by Rob Roth (US)
Blondie on an intimate discovery trip to Cuba.
Seeking Aline Directed by Rokhaya Marieme Balde (Senegal, Switzerland)
A young director returns to her home in Dakar to make a film about a local historical figure.
Participating Festivals and Institutions
- Tribeca (US)
- Hot Docs (Canada)
- Visions du Réel (Switzerland)
- Sheffield DocFest (UK)
- Berlinale (Germany)
- Giornate degli Autori (Italy)
