We already knew the opening and closing films of this year’s London Film Fesitval would be 360 and The Deep Blue Sea (both starring Rachel Weisz), but today the rest of the programme was announced, which includes 204 films (plus over 100 shorts), including 13 World Premieres, 18 International Premieres and 22 European Premieres.
There are loads of high profile flicks included on the programme, including George Clooney’s directorial venture The Ides Of March, as well as his starring role in The Descendants. There’s also a double dose of Michael Fassbender in Shame and A Dangerous Method, as well as the highly-acclaimed Tilda Swinton starrer We Need To Talk About Kevin, Ralph Fiennes’ directorial debut Coriolanus, and Roland Emmerich’s Anonymous (yep, Roland Emmerich has managed to make a movie that’s getting festival play).
Add to that Gus Van Sant’s Restless, Michael Winterbottom’s Trishna, Roman Polanski’s Carnage, Todd Solondz’s Dark Horse, Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights and Nick Broomfield’s Sarah Palin – You Betcha!, and you’ve got yourself quite a festival lineup! It should ensure a starry lineup, with everyone from George Clooney to Freida Pinto expected to attend the various galas and events.
But rather than just me waffling on, take a look below for the full announcement press release, which includes more details on what movies will be shown between the 12th and 27th October this year in London town, as well as everything else that’s going on.
London, Wednesday 7 September: The programme for the 55th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express launched today by Artistic Director Sandra Hebron, celebrates the imagination and excellence of international filmmaking from both established and emerging talent. Over 16 days the Festival will screen a total of 204 fiction and documentary features, including 13 World Premieres, 18 International Premieres and 22 European Premieres. There will also be screenings of 110 live action and animated shorts. Many of the films will be presented by their directors, cast members and crew, some of whom will also take part in career interviews, masterclasses, and other special events. The 55th BFI London Film Festival will run from 12-27 October.
GALAS & SPECIAL SCREENINGS:
Opening the festival is Fernando Meirelles 360, written by Peter Morgan, and starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law and Rachel Weisz. Weisz is also the star of Terence Davies closing night film, THE DEEP BLUE SEA, alongside a cast which includes Simon Russell Beale and Tom Hiddleston. Key talent will be in attendance for both films. George Clooney features in two Gala presentations – the political thriller THE IDES OF MARCH which he directs and stars in alongside Ryan Gosling, Evan Rachel Wood, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti, and THE DESCENDANTS, Alexander Paynes latest feature. Among several literary adaptations are Lynne Ramsays WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN with Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly and Ezra Miller; TRISHNA, Michael Winterbottoms reworking of Thomas Hardys Tess of the DUrbervilles, with Freida Pinto and Riz Ahmed; and CORIOLANUS with Ralph Fiennes directing as well as taking the lead role alongside Gerard Butler and Vanessa Redgrave. Redgrave is also cast in Roland Emmerichs ANONYMOUS with Rhys Ifans, Joely Richardson and David Thewlis. Madonna directs romantic drama W.E. which stars Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough and James DArcy whilst Steve McQueens second feature SHAME has a cast that includes Carey Mulligan and Michael Fassbender. Fassbender can also be seen alongside Viggo Mortensen and Keira Knightley in David Cronenbergs A DANGEROUS METHOD. Foreign language cinema is represented by THE KID WITH A BIKE, the Cannes Grand Prix winner from the Dardenne brothers; Nanni Morettis WE HAVE A POPE; and Michel Ocelots enchanting animation TALES OF THE NIGHT. Hollywoods silent era is celebrated in Michel Hazanavicius THE ARTIST whilst this years Archive Gala is the BFI National Archives restoration of Miles Manders THE FIRST BORN with a new score by Stephen Horne.
FILM ON THE SQUARE:
Showcasing some of this years most anticipated and acclaimed films, the selection includes work from renowned directors such as Roman Polanski (CARNAGE), Gus Van Sant (RESTLESS), Werner Herzog (INTO THE ABYSS: A TALE OF DEATH, A TALE OF LIFE), Todd Solondz (DARK HORSE), Jonathan Demme (IM CAROLYN PARKER) and Jonas Mekas (SLEEPLESS NIGHTS STORIES). Star power is provided by Jack Black in Richard Linklaters BERNIE; Sean Penn in Paolo Sorrentinos THIS MUST BE THE PLACE; Joseph Gordon-Levitt teams with Seth Rogen in Jonathan Levines 50/50, whilst Woody Harrelson stars in Oren Movermans RAMPART, developed from a screenplay by James Ellroy. British films include Andrea Arnolds bold retelling of WUTHERING HEIGHTS, Marc Evans HUNKY DORY, a celebration of pre-punk 70s pop culture, and Nick Broomfields SARAH PALIN YOU BETCHA! International cinema takes centre stage in the West End with a powerful selection of premieres including Norways Joachim Triers stunning OSLO, AUGUST 31st; Bruno Dumonts provocative HORS SATAN; and Cannes Grand Prix winner Nuri Bilge Ceylans audacious ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA. Mexicos Gerardo Naranjo delivers a thrilling action film with MISS BALA, whist divided family life in Japan is the focus of Hirokazu Kore-edas engaging I WISH, and Australias most infamous serial murder case inspires Justin Kurzels first feature SNOWTOWN. Other feature debuts include Dee Reess emotionally powerful PARIAH; Sean Durkins beautifully disturbing MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE and Nick Murphys 1920s set supernatural tale THE AWAKENING.
NEW BRITISH CINEMA:
Original cinematic voices from across the UK making their debuts this year include D.R. Hood with the haunting WRECKERS starring Claire Foy and Benedict Cumberbatch, and Tinge Krishnan with the social drama JUNKHEARTS in which Eddie Marsan heads a cast which includes Tom Sturridge and Romola Garai. London is the setting for Dexter Fletchers drama WILD BILL, starring Charlie Creed-Miles; and Andrew Haighs second feature, WEEKEND, is an original and affecting romance. Nirpal Bhogals fresh young cast enliven urban drama SKET, and LOTUS EATERS finds director Alexandra McGuinness introducing us to the citys indulgent, affluent youth. Frances Leas STRAWBERRY FIELDS provides an escape to the country with a story of lust, rivalry and liberation. A strong selection of British work include films which imaginatively blur the boundaries between documentary and drama such as Richard Jobsons response to the Iraq war, THE SOMNAMBULISTS, Simon Pummells SHOCK HEAD SOUL and DREAMS OF A LIFE by Carol Morley. Paul Kellys portrait of cult hero, LAWRENCE OF BELGRAVIA and Daniel Edelsyns HOW TO RE-ESTABLISH A VODKA EMPIRE round out the documentary selection.
FRENCH REVOLUTIONS:
The focus on French cinema brings a wide range of new and established filmmakers including Dominik Moll, with THE MONK starring Vincent Cassel and Geraldine Chaplin. Chaplin also appears with Salma Hayek in AMERICANO, the feature debut of actor Mathieu Demy. From the directorial team of Nicolas Klotz and Elisabeth Perceval, LOW LIFE is a study of the trials facing French youth that has universal resonance whilst Laurent Achard provides a macabre touch in LAST SCREENING and popular comedian Emmanuel Mouret brings wry comedy to THE ART OF LOVE. Among a number of French directors returning to the Festival are Mathieu Amalric with a modern adaptation of Corneilles classic play, THE SCREEN ILLUSION, Jean-Marc Moutout examining executive culture in EARLY ONE MORNING and Mathieu Kassovitz directing himself in the provocative military drama, REBELLION.
CINEMA EUROPA:
A diverse selection of filmmakers bring Europe into focus with films from countries including Belgium, Bulgaria, Ireland, Sweden, Austria, Romania, Poland, Slovakia, The Czech Republic, Denmark, The Netherlands, Russia and Iceland, as well as Italy, Spain and Germany. Highlights include Benito Zambranos post-Spanish Civil War drama THE SLEEPING VOICE; Icelands Rúnar Rúnarssons VOLCANO; Angelina Nikonovas TWILIGHT PORTRAIT, a study in Russian institutional corruption, Andrea Molaiolis Italian conspiratorial drama THE JEWEL , Ulrich Köhlers SLEEPING SICKNESS and the World Premiere of Hans Weingartners HUT IN THE WOODS. There are a number of outstanding directorial debuts which include Jonathan Cenzual Burleys absurdist road movie, THE SOUL OF FLIES; Andrea Segres LI AND THE POET and Marie Kreutzers THE FATHERLESS. From Germany, the unique DREILEBEN project brings together Christian Petzold, Dominik Graf and Christoph Hochhäusler with three very different features that share an incidental starting point. Documentary features include Andrey Paounovs THE BOY WHO WAS A KING and WHORES GLORY from Michael Glawogger, who will be one of the four Austrian filmmakers with work in the Festival who will be participating in a special panel discussion on the current state of Austrian cinema.
WORLD CINEMA:
An extensive selection of the finest features and documentaries from across the globe includes new films from well known filmmakers and emerging voices. Highlights from the US include NATURAL SELECTION, the brilliant debut from Robbie Pickering that swept the board at this years SXSW Film Festival awards; Ken Kesey and The Merry Band of Pranksters trek across America is revisited in MAGIC TRIP from directors Alison Ellwood and Alex Gibney; whilst a journey of a different kind features in Braden Kings HERE, part road-movie, part love-story and part investigation of cinema itself. Tristan Pattersons skateboarding documentary DRAGONSLAYER and Michael Barnetts hugely entertaining SUPERHEROES about real life crimefighters offer fascinating glimpses of American life. Latin American cinema is well represented with HARD LABOUR, a blistering dissection of the class structure of Brazilian society from directors Juliana Rojas and Marco Dutra; KAREN CRIES ON THE BUS, the debut feature from Colombias Gabriel Rojas Vera; Laura Citarellas OSTENDE and Santiago Mitres THE STUDENT, both from Argentina. The notable rise of ethnically Tibetan filmmaking is evidenced in Pema Tsedens OLD DOG and Sonthar Gyals THE SUN-BEATEN PATH whilst other East Asian highlights include Hong Sangsoos THE DAY HE ARRIVES and Kim Kyung-Mooks STATELESS THINGS, both from South Korea; Jiang Wens LET THE BULLETS FLY, Chinas highest-grossing film; Ann Huis A SIMPLE LIFE, and Yuya Ishiis MITSUKO DELIVERS. Indian cinema is represented this year by titles including Salim Ahameds ABU, SON OF ADAM, a rare and poignant tale of Muslim community life in Kerala; Gurvinder Singhs ALMS OF THE BLIND HORSE and Kaushik Mukherjees cult film in the making ASSHOLE.
EXPERIMENTA:
This years programme features an innovative and cutting edge selection of films to inspire. Highlights include TWO YEARS AT SEA, the new work from Jarman Prize nominee and Rotterdam Tiger Award winner Ben Rivers; CORRESPONDENCE: JONAS MEKAS JL GUERÍN, a series of five cinematic letters presented in Spanish and English; and FREE RADICALS: A HISTORY OF EXPERIMENTAL FILM from Pip Chodorov. Lewis Klahr returns to the Festival with THE PETTIFOGGER and other featured filmmakers include Phil Solomon, Chick Strand, Gabriel Abrantes, Robert Fenz and Nathaniel Dorsky. Altered States is a selection of shorts from filmmakers including Ben Russell, Neil Beloufa, Mary Helena Clark and Deborah Stratman.
TREASURES FROM THE ARCHIVE:
Highlighting invaluable restoration work, these cinematic treasures will entertain and capture the imagination in equal measure. Titles include a digital restoration of George Sidneys exuberant, good-natured satire on rocknroll BYE BYE BIRDIE with Janet Leigh; Humphrey Bogart stars in Edward Dmytriks epic THE CAINE MUTINY; Elia Kazans Oscar-winning AMERICA, AMERICA and Marcel Carnés timeless masterpiece, LES ENFANTS DU PARADIS. The latest restoration by Martin Scorseses World Cinema Foundation, LAW OF THE BORDER will also feature alongside the little seen Roberto Rossellini film, THE MACHINE THAT KILLS BAD PEOPLE. One of two colour features from the prolific Japanese master Kenji Mizoguchi, SHIN-HEIKE MONOGATARI, will play in the section along with WE CANT GO HOME AGAIN by Nicholas Ray, a film which anticipated experiments by Jean Luc Godard, Mike Figgis et al. And from close to home comes WONDERFUL LONDON programme, restored by the BFI National Archive, in which directors Harry B. Parkinson and Frank Miller capture some of the most evocative images of the capital in the mid-1920s.
SHORT CUTS AND ANIMATION:
A strong line-up of short films and animation that will captivate audiences young and old make up this years programme. Animation from around the globe is covered including a dedicated collection aimed at the younger audience, Animated Shorts for Younger Audiences, which include FUNNY ALPHABET and PICKELS IN A PICKLE. Exciting new filmmakers from the capital are showcased in London Calling, experiences of modern urban living are the focus of The Suburbs, and LONG DISTANCE INFORMATION and HOLD ON ME feature in The School of Life, a series dealing with issues such as family duty and conscience. Talent spotters will be able to see established names including Nicholas Hoult, Michael Fassbender and Luke Treadaway, along with new shorts from director Terry Gilliam and comedian Matthew Holness.
EVENTS:
To accompany the screenings, the festival will present an extensive programme of public events featuring panel discussions, on-stage interviews and masterclasses. There will also be a number of free events. This years Screen Talks, presented in partnership with American Express, feature directors Michael Winterbottom and Alexander Payne. The Masterclasses, presented in partnership with Swarovski, feature celebrated writer Abi Morgan, writer-director Miranda July, award-winning composer Alexandre Desplat and cinematographer Barry Ackroyd. Other highlights include an in-depth look at the making of WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN with key members of the cast and crew, one of three free to access events presented in collaboration with Time Out.
AWARDS:
The BFI London Film Festival Awards recognise creative excellence from both new and established filmmaking talent. Taking place on 26 October at LSO St Lukes, awards presented include: Best Film, The Grierson Award for Best Documentary, The Sutherland Award for most imaginative and original first feature in the festival, Best British Newcomer Award and the BFI Fellowship. This years jurors and full awards shortlists will be announced on 4 Oct full details will be available at bfi.org.uk/lff.
FILM GUESTS:
In addition to many of the names already highlighted, we expect to welcome guests including Alexander Payne, Andrea Arnold, Azazel Jacobs, Ben Rivers, Braden King, Bruno Dumont, Carol Morley, David Cronenberg, Dexter Fletcher, Elisabeth Olsen, Fernando Meirelles, Freida Pinto, George Clooney, Hans Weingartner, Harry Belafonte, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Joe Swanberg, Jonas Mekas, Jonathan Demme, Lynne Ramsay, Marina Goldovskaya, Michael Fassbender, Michael Shannon, Michael Winterbottom, Miranda July, Nanni Moretti, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Phil Solomon, Ralph Fiennes, Roland Emmerich, Sean Durkin, Shailene Woodley, Terence Davies and Yorgos Lanthimos.