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2015 London Film Festival line-up announced

Dave Calhoun
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Dave Calhoun
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You know summer is officially on the way out when the films are revealed for the BFI London Film Festival (October 7-18), and that's what happened this morning when the great and good of the British film industry (okay, a bunch of shaggy film journalists) came together at the Odeon Leicester Square for the big reveal.

We already knew that the festival will open with the Carey Mulligan-starring historical drama 'Suffragette' on Wednesday October 7 and close with Danny Boyle's 'Steve Jobs' (with Michael Fassbender as the Apple founder) on Sunday October 18. We also knew that Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara and director Todd Haynes' will turn up on Wednesday October 14 for the British premiere of the 1950s lesbian romance 'Carol'.

We knew too – but you didn't – that the Time Out gala screening at this year's LFF will be the wonderfully weird satire 'The Lobster' from 'Dogtooth' director Yorgos Lanthimos. It stars Rachel Weisz, Colin Farrell, Ben Whishaw and others as a bunch of captured single humans who will be turned into animals within weeks if they don't find a partner. Perhaps not a date movie – it's fresh, strange and challenging. We're proud of our long line-up of Time Out galas at the festival, including last year's 'Mr Turner' and, in previous years, 'We Need to Talk About Kevin', 'Amour', 'Hunger' and 'The White Ribbon'. You can judge for yourself whether 'The Lobster' belongs in their illustrious company or not.

Elsewhere, we're especially excited by the British films that will be receiving their homecoming bow at this year's LFF. 

Director Nicholas Hytner and writer Alan Bennett have reunited for 'The Lady in the Van' – the film version of Bennett's recollection of how an elderly woman (played by Maggie Smith) came to live in his Camden Town driveway for 15 years.

'Sightseers' and 'Kill List' director Ben Wheatley brings the long-awaited JG Ballard adaptation 'High-Rise' to London – starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons and Sienna Miller. This should be a truly decadent, biting experience.

And 'The Queen' and 'Philomena' director Stephen Frears works with 'Trainspotting' writer John Hodge to bring us the story of the rise and fall of Lance Armstrong in 'The Program'. We know how it ends – Frears and co sketch in the rest, with Chris O'Dowd playing the Irish journalist who was determined to bring Armstrong down.

For the rest of the programme as announced this morning, you should check out our pick of the 30 films you need to see at the 2015 London Film Festival.

You can also find handy details of how to get London Film Festival tickets here and visit our 2015 London Film Festival guide for all the news and information as we have it.

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