ELSPA, TIGA, LDA and BAFTA have teamed up to create the London Games Festival, a week-long series of events through London, beginning on October 2nd.

The growing importance of computer and video games to entertainment culture will be recognised as part of the Games Festival by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), which has elevated the sector to become an equal to those for Film and Television. Champions of the moving image, BAFTA seeks to reward artistic and creative innovation within video games as one of the principal contemporary art forms.

This newly defined status means The British Academy Video Games Awards are set to confirm their position as the most independent and valued awards in this arena; they move to October to climax the London Games Festival.

Roger Bennett, director general of ELSPA, said: "London Games Festival will be an exciting week of activity that will become a focus for the International reputation of the UK. The alliance between ELSPA, TIGA, the LDA and BAFTA provides the games industry with a perfect opportunity to build substantial trade and consumer activity that will firmly establish games as the entertainment phenomenon of the 21st century."

The London Games Festival will build critical mass and awareness of the initiative around the three primary events, inviting other interested parties and organisations to contribute ideas and events to the Festival.

Fred Hasson, CEO of TIGA added: "The festival has the potential to become the 'Cannes' of the games industry, fittingly so since the UK is the most important centre for the games sector in Europe in both consumer and business terms. London Games Festival 2006 will be predominantly trade focused, but it is foreseen that cultural, artistic, educational and consumer elements will evolve as part of the activities in the future."

There will be two business events during the festival, with the London Games Summit on the 4th and 5th, and a Content Marketplace on the 3rd and 4th.