Asia Argento and Roger Daltrey to serve on jury for film festival with AI prize

Actresses Asia Argento and Sadie Frost as well as The Who star Roger Daltrey are among the jury for a new London film festival that will have a prize for artificial intelligence (AI).

Cine International Film Festival (CIFF), which will come to the capital in May next year, will support the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT), a charity that Daltrey serves as an honorary patron.

Argento, known for period dramas The Last Mistress and Marie Antoinette as well as action film XXX, will be the president of the jury of the CIFF awards.

It is going to honour talent from the UK and beyond, along with traditional and cutting-edge achievements in cinema including with a best AI production category.

Daltrey, who stepped down as curator of the TCT earlier this year, will be on the panel on behalf of the charity’s award at the event.

CIFF and Dreamtown co-founder and director Ben Charles Edwards said: “CIFF is more than just a film festival — it’s a dynamic platform of partnerships celebrating innovation and creativity in the heart of our city, championing the boldest voices in cinema.

“There’s a clear gap in the market for a forward-thinking festival like CIFF, one that not only showcases cutting-edge films but is also structured to welcome partnerships and to give back to its film community and support charitable causes. CIFF comes at a crucial time for our industry.”

The four-day event, which will be a celebration of the best of British independent film, is a collaboration between Dreamtown Entertainment, hotel Karma Sanctum Soho London and production company Goldfinch, whose project An Irish Goodbye won a 2022 short film Oscar prize.

The festival will also have the Goldfinch Academy Bursary, a charitable initiative which will provide tools and resources to new filmmakers.

Kirsty Bell, co-founder of Goldfinch and Dreamtown, said: “Supporting filmmakers has always been at the core of what we do, from financing to production.

“CIFF takes that a step further through meaningful partnerships. By collaborating with industry leaders like Karma Sanctum Soho and Dreamtown, CIFF not only celebrates British filmmakers but actively invests in their future.

“Through The Goldfinch Academy Bursary, we’re providing vital financial and mentoring support to emerging talent. CIFF is a testament to the power of collaboration.”

CIFF takes place at the Karma Sanctum Soho Hotel from May 7 to 10 2025.