London festival at 70 lines up 250 films, from Elsinore to animation premieres
More than 250 films will screen at the 70th BFI London Film Festival, which opens on Oct. 7 with Elsinore, starring Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman.
The festival runs from Wednesday 7 October to Sunday 18 October, according to the BFI. It closes on Oct. 18 with The Debut from director Jesse Eisenberg, which will have its UK premiere in London.
Kristy Matheson, artistic director, BFI Festivals, assembled this year's lineup as her fourth London festival. She discussed the selection, its stars and possible surprises in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, published on Oct. 5. Politics sits underneath the surface this year. Many films carry political messages without shouting them.
Animation gets a strong push. Brad Bird's Ray Gunn will have its world premiere at the festival, as will Travis Knight's Wildwood, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Two high-profile animation launches in one edition is rare for London. For families and animation fans, this means two first looks before anywhere else.
The wider programme mixes familiar names and new voices. It includes Paweł Pawlikowski's Fatherland, Andrew Haigh's drama A Long Winter, Siân Heder's Being Heumann, starring Ruth Madeley as disability rights activist Judith Heumann, and Susanna White's screen version of Prima Facie, starring Cynthia Erivo.
The competitive section holds 10 titles. Across the full lineup, 109 works are made by female filmmakers, making up 43 percent of the programme. The 70th edition also lists 16 international premieres, comprising nine features and seven shorts.
What makes this stand out is the balance. A 70th birthday could look backward. This lineup leans forward, with premieres, first features and work still being finished.
That unfinished work gets its own slot. The Works-in-Progress Showcase will present eight new feature films, giving buyers and festival programmers an early view. Special events run from 7 to 18 October, and the BFI offers £6 tickets for 16 to 25 year olds, with extra tickets released on Oct. 1 at 10am.
