London Indie Fest honours Forget Me Not, Breathe, Beyond the Pole

Alexander Holt and Lance Roehrig’s romantic drama Forget Me Not has taken the grand prize at the London Independent Film Festival, which closed today (April 27).

Written by Mark Underwood and produced by Rebecca Long, the film takes place during one night in London when a musician crosses paths with a beautiful woman who works in a bar.

The best international feature award went to Rika Ohara for The Heart of No Place, a modern art reinterpretation of Yoko Ono’s life and work.

UK director Nicholas Winter picked up the award for best director for Breathe, a drama about a group of troubled youths, whilst Cosima Shaw won the award for best actress for her title role in Ana Begins, a story of a young widow’s passage from grief to rebirth.

Meanwhile, the best comedy feature went to David L Williams’ UK mockumentary Beyond The Pole about two friends who set out on the world’s first Carbon Neutral, Vegetarian, Organic expedition to the North Pole.The film stars Stephen Mangan, Rhys Thomas and actress Helen Baxendale, who also executive produced the project for her company Shooting Pictures.

The festival, which showcases low budget film-making screened over 110 films in 10 days.

Festival Director Erich Schultz said: “I take my hat off to these filmmakers who create such innovative and imaginative work with very little financial backing. I feel certain we have discovered a great deal of new talent.”