“We want to bring a bit of the Cannes Film Festival to Soho,” says London acting legend Tamer Hassan, “And already word is spreading like wildfire. Trust me on this: we're going to make this grow into a big international event.” Can Soho become the new Cannes? Speaking the co-founders behind of the new Cine International Film Festival, you wouldn’t bet against them. In fact, since the Evening Standard will be their media partner, we are very much betting on them. And they do talk a good game, Hassan, plus director Ben Charles Edwards, and producer Kirsty Bell. “When you look at other festivals, they've all got the glitz, but we've got the grit and that's what filmmaking in cinema is about,” says Edwards, “I'd stand in cow shit in the middle of a field to get the shot, and guess what? That's filmmaking. Glitz? Save it for 25 minutes on a red carpet. But you need to have the grit, and if there's one city in the world that has that, it's London.” Edwards and Bell are behind production company DREAMTOWN Entertainment, and the idea for CIFF started from a chat about film festivals with Hassan, who had just taken on a role as co-owner of the Karma Sanctum Soho Hotel. “We were discussing how London's a very cinematic city,” says Edwards, “It has lots of film festivals already, but they all feel quite exclusive and niche, and have a disconnect from the culture of what London actually is. We wanted to create something that's at the heart of the city. It is about bringing global cinema to London, while still celebrating what London itself has to offer. We want to create something that's accessible, where there's a cultural exchange.” Cine International Film Festival (CIFF) was duly born, and will be taking place between 7-10 May 2025 at Hassan’s Hotel. The four-day event is a celebration of the best of British independent film, featuring premieres and screenings, actor and director Q&As, an awards ceremony, networking events and talks to inform attendees about everything from financing to AI. With all this going on, plus an emphasis on music too, it’s no wonder interest has rocketed since the festival was announced. Quite simply, it looks like being inclusive and fun. “One of the strongest things that we spoke about was creating a community,” says Bell, “And we're celebrating the music side of filmmaking as well as independent and short filmmaking as well. The way that it's developed over the last two months has surpassed everything that we thought it would do in its first year. The level of submissions is high.. It's just grown so quickly in a really organic way. If you build it and they will come, and that's exactly what's happening.” There is an impressive jury panel deciding upon the festival’s winners, featuring the likes of Asia Argento, Paul Oakenfold, Sadie Frost and Roger Daltrey. The festival will also be raising funds for Daltrey’s Teenage Cancer Trust, and will be running an auction at one event. The overall aim is celebrate independent cinema from around the world but particularly to kick-start film activity in the capital, which they say has become an increasingly inaccessible place for young people. “When we look back historically at this city, at times of need or struggle or economic or political change, there's always been exciting new zeitgeist born,” says Edwards, “Seeds of culture. And we're not talking about execs. We're not talking about the labels or the studios. We're talking about the power of the filmmakers or the power of the musicians. That's always been the case throughout the last 100 years in this country. We've always found a platform to say something, and we continue to. We're only up shit creek when we lose our voice. That’s the whole agenda for this festival. We've got to make sure we keep that voice pure. We've got to make sure we tap into the seed of filmmakers and give them that screen, that ability to be seen. It’s the only way London's gonna find the next Danny Boyle, it's not gonna happen by letting Netflix and all these other big execs push us around.” To aid this further, Goldfinch, the Academy Award and BAFTA-winning production company, which Bell co-founded will be launching the Goldfinch Academy Bursary as part of the festival. This bursary award will assist some of the most deserving new voices in filmmaking, providing them with the tools and resources needed to bring their creative visions to life. “The object is to help less privileged filmmakers,” says Bell, “Young filmmakers, people who would love to be filmmakers, but can't give up their day to day job. They need some kind of financial support. The objectives of our festival are to help filmmakers and help charities, so we can make a difference. It's hard work to get your foot up on that ladder.” “It's more than hard, it's absolutely impossible,” chimes in Edwards, You’ve got all the stars against you. It's just purely down to luck and we've got a responsibility to look back and to help people.” Everything will revolve around the Karma Sanctum Soho Hotel, and Hassan – who is co-owner alongside Mark and Sherene Fuller - says the festival has basically evolved from their sociable, rock n roll approach to running the hotel, where creative types could make use of the hotel’s screening room for projects, or the rooftop hot tub for networking: “I've worked up the ladder to get to where I am, where people give respect to me and to Ben and Kirsty. These kids are making films on a phone, or borrowing equipment or remortgaging their houses, because filmmakers are so passionate about what they do. But they can't afford to screen the film, and this was really niggling at us. So it was just about creating a space for the struggling independent British independent film industry. This competition gives £10,000 pounds to aspiring young filmmakers. Now I've seen what these kids can do, they can make £10,000 look like £2 million. It's not a cash grab for us at all. We genuinely, from the bottom of our heart, want to give somebody a chance.” Inspiring stuff, and a great chance to support the future of film, as well as raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust. And a word to wise Londoners: don’t miss the parties. CIFF takes place 7-10 May at the Karma Sanctum Soho Hotel. For further information visit www.cineinternationalfilmfestival.com