The Independent and the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) are launching Celebrating Free Thinkers – a festival presented by The Independent at ICA London, including a series of screenings and events bringing together distinctive voices from across film and culture.
The festival forms part of The Independent’s 40th anniversary celebrations and reflects a shared commitment between the two organisations to championing independent thought, creative expression, and ideas that challenge convention.
Running from 20-25 October, the public programme will bring audiences to the ICA for a specially curated series of screenings, conversations and cultural events. Q&As will feature The Independent’s journalists in conversation with very special guests.
Launching the festival on 19 October, Editor-in-Chief Geordie Greig will also host an exclusive Q&A with Helen Fielding for Independent Members, during which she will announce a new writer prize, followed by a film screening of Bridget Jones. The evening will also include a reception in the ICA’s Nash and Brandon rooms, which featured in the film. It is a fitting kick off to the series, since Bridget Jones was famously born in The Independent news room.
The public programme will begin on Tuesday 20 October with Geordie Greig’s film, Cancelled: The Rise and Fall of Aung San Suu Kyi, a documentary exploring the dramatic rise and fall of Myanmar’s former leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with a special guest. Later that evening, the festival will screen Wombs of Debt, a brand new 25-minute documentary examining the experiences of female sugarcane cutters in southern India, where punishing working conditions and financial pressures put women’s reproductive health at risk.
On 21 October, the ICA will present Arrows of Desire: Peter Wollen, a screening of Peter Wollen’s Friendship’s Death (1987). The event marks the publication of a new anthology of Wollen’s writings and will include a conversation with the book’s editors, Kodwo Eshun, Oliver Fuke and Nicolas Helm-Grovas.
On 22 October, the ICA will screen Shōhei Imamura’s debut feature Stolen Desire, opening its Long Takes retrospective dedicated to the influential Japanese filmmaker. The programme marks the first major UK retrospective of Imamura’s work in more than 25 years.
Further highlights across the festival include the Off-Circuit premiere of The Night Is Fading Away and a screening of Orlando, both accompanied by Q&As. Further films and programme details will be announced soon.
The full public programme comprises:
Geordie Greig, Editor-in-Chief of The Independent, said: “The Independent has always existed to champion free thought and fearless ideas. As we celebrate our 40th anniversary, this partnership with the ICA gives us an exciting opportunity to bring that spirit to life through film, conversation and culture, creating a space for audiences to engage with original voices and ideas.”
Bengi Ünsal, Director of ICA London, said: “The ICA has a long history of being a home for free thinkers – a place where artists can take risks, experiment and challenge the ideas that shape our culture. We’re delighted to partner with The Independent for ‘Celebrating Free Thinkers’, a season that resonates deeply with our commitment to artistic freedom, independent voices and ideas that can shape what comes next.”
The Independent’s full 40th programme will be announced in the coming days.
Tickets and further programme information: ica.art/the-independent
Members of The Independent can have a 20% discount to The Independent’s ICA series.
