TheTimes BFI London Film Festival, celebrating its 50th event, has launchedseveral new industry initiatives.

Whilethe festival is primarily consumer-focused, several UK deals were struck last yearfor films including Man Push Cart, QuoVadis Baby' and Heading South.

Thefestival will host a Meet The Buyer session on Oct 24.

Industryscreenings, backed by Film London, will run at the Curzon Soho from Oct 23-26.

Thisyear's film-maker development programme, Think-Shoot-Distribute (following lastyear's Discover Digital) will host 25 film-makers for a five-day programme inconjunction with Skillest and Film London. Guest speakers at those seminarswill include Tony Grisoni, Chris Collins, Terry Illott, Julie Baines, LarrySider, Nick Manzi, Joy Wong and Simon Perry.

TheUK Film Council will co-host a UK financing seminar with Revolver Entertainmentand Warp X on Oct 20, and and day of workshops on Oct 30 for career developmentin the film industry.

Michael Kuhn of Qwerty Films will present a keynote address at the programmefor film schools, entitled Working Your Future. Other industry speakers willinclude directors Nick Broomfield and Phillip Noyce.

Industry panels will work with partners including The Script Factory,New Producers Alliance, and the Centre for New Zealand Studies.

LFF artistic director Sandra Hebron said: "We are highlycommitted to our role as a Festival which serves the needs of our industrycolleagues, and which helps filmmakers achieve their true potential. This yearsees our most ambitious programme of events and services to date, and thesewill greatly assist us in furthering this important aspect of the Festival'swork'.