Ian Bignell
Ian is a Film Festival Strategist at Festival Formula. He watches films that come into the company, providing impartial feedback on how they best fit into the worldwide film festival circuit. Drawing on his wisdom as the companies previous Submissions Coordinator, he has expert insight into the circuit and uses it to create bespoke festival strategies. Behind the scenes, he is the companies go-to nerd for technical help on anything from codecs to subtitles. Away from the desk, you will often find him at film festivals worldwide as an industry guest, sharing his expertise and giving honest advice. Previous speaking engagements include: HollyShorts, Heartland Film Festival, Hamburg Short Film Festival, Bolton International Film Festival, Palm Springs Shortfest, Cordillera International Film Festival and many more. Selected prior jury service includes: DC Shorts, Oxford Film Festival, Indy Shorts, Tallgrass Film Festival, HollyShorts London. He was the co-recipient of the Pioneering Spirit Award alongside his wife Katie Bignell which was awarded by Heartland Film, and also received the award for Outstanding Contribution to Film from London Breeze Film Festival both in 2024. The company received the Impact Award from Poppy Jasper International Film Festival in 2025.
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