LFF line-up announced

An impressive array of films will play at the Times BFI 50th London Film Festival.

Sep 14 2006

The line-up for the Times BFI London Film Festival was announced this morning, and as it's the 50th anniversary of the fest, artistic director Sandra Hebron has assembled an impressive selection of films from across the globe to celebrate the event.

As previously reported, Kevin Macdonald's 'The Last King of Scotland' will open proceedings on October 18, a fictional account of the burgeoning friendship between a Scottish doctor and Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

Closing the festival on November 2 will be 'Babel', Alejandro González Iñárritu's third feature following 'Amores Perros' and '21 Grams'. Starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Gael Garcia Bernal, the film has been picking up plaudits at festivals across the globe this year, and will doubtless do the same in London.

In between, no less than 180 feature films and 130 shorts will screen, featuring four world premieres, 32 European and 123 UK premieres.

The ever popular gala screenings are as diverse and intriguing as previous years. They include Roger Michell's 'Venus', Anthony Minghella's 'Breaking and Entering', Richard Linklater's 'Fast Food Nation' and Marc Forster's 'Stranger than Fiction'.

And while we're on the subject of galas, our very own Time Out Critic's Choice Gala screening of 'Climates', Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s fantastic follow-up to 'Uzak', will take place on Monday, 23 October at the Odeon West End.

The 'Film on the Square' line-up looks fantastic too, with the likes of 'Candy', 'Shortbus', 'Falling', 'Romanzo Criminale', 'Ten Canoes' and Paul Verhoeven's eagerly anticipated 'Black Book' all screening.

Oscar-winner Andrea Arnold's 'Red Road' should also cause a stir in this section, although expect most column inches to be filled by news of 'Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan', Sacha Baron Cohen's outrageous new film.

The 'New British Cinema' section includes Penny Woolcock's 'Mischief Night', Nick Broomfield's 'Ghosts', Yousaf Ali Khan's 'Almost Adult' and Stephen Kijak's documentary 'Scott Walker: 30 Century Man', while further films will screen in the French Revolutions, Cinema Europa, World Cinema and Experimenta sections.

Add to that the Treasures from the Archives (including screenings of Lean's 'Oliver Twist' and Wyler's 'The Big Country') and the Short Cuts and Animation sections, and there really should be something for everyone this year.

But that's not all folks! Dustin Hoffman, Tim Burton, Paul Verhoeven, John Cameron Mitchell and Richard Linklater will all be on hand to take part in Screen Talks and Masterclasses, while the Time Out Platform Events will return, providing a forum for provocative debate between film professionals and audience members.

There will also be a series of special industry and educational events too numerous to list here, and two special engagements (one in Trafalgar Square and one that will take place simultaneously in 50 cinemas across town) designed to celebrate the LFF's golden jubilee year.

For more information, head to The Times BFI 50th London Film Festival website, and rest assured Time Out will be on hand to cover the event from start to finish.

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