Ken Loach to give LFF keynote

LONDON -- Veteran U.K. filmmaker Ken Loach will give this year's keynote address as organizers of the BFI London International Film Festival put the finishing touches to this year's industry events.

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Loach will be only the second industry figure to deliver such a speech during the London Film Festival, following filmmaker and Focus Features chief James Schamus last year.

Festival artistic director Sandra Hebron described Loach as having "a very unique voice and place in British film culture" making him ideal to deliver a speech to industryites.

Other industry highlights during this year's movie jamboree in the British capital include an event looking at environmentally friendly filmmaking entitled "Greening the Screen -- How To Go Green Without Going Into the Red," with contributions expected from Working Title Films co-chief Tim Bevan and BAFTA chief executive Amanda Berry.

And the four-day industry screenings at the Curzon Soho, unspooling Oct. 18 through 21 also return with its "meet the buyer" program, a sort of speed dating forum for producers and acquisitions executive, is timetabled.

Also on the roster of industry events is a cross media forum under the returning "Power to the Pixel" banner that aims to explore fresh ways of creating, financing and distributing films and other stories across multiple platforms.

Hebron said: "We are delighted that in the current economic climate, the festival continues to maintain a strong industry profile and program of events."

Events have heavyweight support from a myriad of industry bodies including Film London, the London Development Agency, the U.K. Film Council and Skillset.

The festival runs Oct. 13 through 28 and boasts 11 world, 23 international and 33 European premieres across the 16 days from the 197 features programmed to unspool.