September 1 2022 — In a unique collaboration with Tribeca, Berlinale, HotDocs and some of the world’s most prestigious film institutions, BBC Reel  launches the third edition of its signature online film festival, LongShots. The online streaming event, exclusively sponsored by Delta Air Lines in the US, 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 www.bbc.com/reel/longshots.

From an intimate trip with Blondie’s front woman 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’. The BBC 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 are 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 favorite film from 8 – 19 September, to be recognized with the LongShots Audience Award. The winning films will be announced online on September 21^st

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)

For more information, please contact:
Allison Rivellini
Allison.Rivellini@bbc.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the Sponsorship

Delta Air Lines is the exclusive sponsor of BBC’s LongShots in the United States. As part of the sponsorship, Delta Air Lines will air their latest advertising campaign, ‘Odyssey’, a short film with a clear message — it’s time to explore it’s time to take chances and it’s time to find inspiration– across BBC.com.

About BBC Studios

BBC Studios is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group with profits (EBITDA) of £226 million on sales of £1.6bn (21/22). Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, its activities span content financing, development, production, sales, branded services, and ancillaries across both its own productions, and programmes and formats made by high-quality UK independents, with three-quarters of its revenues from non-BBC customers including Discovery, Apple and Netflix.  Around 2,400 hours of award-winning British programmes made by the business are internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms, with brands like Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, Top Gear, Bluey and Doctor Who. BBC.com, BBC Studios’ global digital news platform, has 139 million unique browser visits each month.

About BBC Centenary

Since its first broadcast in 1922, the BBC has championed storytelling and built a reputation for innovation and quality.  Across TV, radio and online, its output has had a significant impact on broadcasting and society, shaped social attitudes and demonstrated that the BBC has been a constant pioneer from its inception to the present day. As the BBC marks its centenary in 2022 it will mark the occasion with a series of special events and programmes to celebrate the unique role it plays in public life and reflecting its to inform, educate and entertain audiences in the UK and increasingly around the world.

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