The 70th edition of the BFI London Film Festival concluded with winners announced, but filmmakers continued engaging with press through festival-organized events. Three directors participated in discussions about their featured films, representing works from Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Isabel Sandoval, writer-director of Moonglow, discussed her 1970s Manila-set neo-noir featuring a police officer-turned-criminal under investigation by a former lover. Sandoval emphasized the film’s focus on exploring why characters make their choices rather than following traditional mystery conventions. She highlighted her approach to character development, noting that the female protagonist operates as a morally complex figure rather than a conventional femme fatale. Sandoval also described her portrayal of antagonists as multidimensional characters who may appear sympathetic on the surface while engaging in corrupt practices. The film marks Sandoval’s second work addressing martial law in the Philippines, though it approaches the subject obliquely by keeping violent historical events off-screen. Sandoval indicated that future projects include work on a film about a covert CIA operation set in the Philippines during the 1960s.
Daniel Oriahi presented The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, an adaptation of Lola Shoneyin’s novel examining dynamics within a traditional Yoruba household in Nigeria. The film follows patriarch Baba Segi and his three wives as tensions emerge with the arrival of a university-educated fourth wife unable to conceive. Oriahi, who co-wrote the screenplay with collaborators including Mo Abudu, emphasized balancing fidelity to the source material while employing cinematic language to reach a broader international audience. The filmmakers aim for the story to resonate universally so Nigerian narratives gain wider global distribution.
Lili Horvát discussed My Notes on Mars, her English-language feature debut starring Mackenzie Davis and Rupert Friend as a couple in Hungary confronting relationship trauma through a science fiction framework. Horvát described the film as playing with genre conventions and unexpected narrative elements. She attributed her move to English-language filmmaking partly to international representation and a desire to work outside Hungary’s political environment. Horvát expressed satisfaction with her cast’s collaborative approach and indicated openness to future projects in both English and Hungarian depending on the material’s requirements.
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