Film
This year’s London Film Festival line-up has just been unveiled
Mark your diary for new movies from Mike Leigh, Pedro Almodóvar and Andrea Arnold
This year’s BFI London Film Festival will kick off on Wednesday, October 9 with Steve McQueen’s World War II drama Blitz at the Royal Festival Hall and cinemas across the UK.
From there, the UK’s biggest film festival will be pressing play on 11 days and nights of movies, big and small, at cinemas and venues across London and cities across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Very much not a festival that’s just for the critics, snobs and VIPs, the LFF remains the most accessible of the world’s big film festivals. Which means you’ve got every chance of scoring seats to its packed line-up of new movies when tickets go on sale on September 17 (September 10 for BFI members and September 13 for Amex card members).
Now in its 68th year, the London Film Festival is the UKs biggest film fest – an annual showcase for the best in premieres, new movies, restored works from the BFI archives, short films, virtual reality XR experiences, talks, panels and parties.
This year’s LFF runs from Wednesday, October 9 to Sunday, October 20.
As in recent years, the London Film Festival reaches far beyond the capital. London’s Southbank – the Royal Festival Hall, BFI IMAX, BFI Southbank, and Bargehouse for the LFF Expanded XR strand – represents its main home, with screenings also taking place at five London partner cinemas: Curzon Mayfair, Curzon Soho, ICA, Prince Charles Cinema and Vue West End.
There are multiple LFF venues outside London, too, including Nottingham’s Broadway Cinema, Cardiff’s Chapter Arts Centre, Glasgow Film Theatre, MAC in Birmingham, Belfast’s Queen’s Film Theatre, Showroom Cinema in Sheffield, Newcastle’s Tyneside Cinema and Watershed in Bristol.
Steve McQueen’s Blitz starring Saoirse Ronan is opening the frstival on October 9, with Pharrell Williams’ doc, Piece By Piece, bringing the curtain down on October 20. The full programme has now been announced and features exciting new films from Mike Leigh, Pedro Almodóvar, Andrea Arnold, Sean Baker, Marielle Heller and Jia Zhangke.
Tickets go onsale to the general public on September 12. Head to the official festival site for all pricing info.
Mark your diary for new movies from Mike Leigh, Pedro Almodóvar and Andrea Arnold
Steve McQueen’s wartime drama ‘Blitz’ is getting its world premiere at the LFF
The rap superstar will be in London to bring down the LFF curtain with ‘Piece by Piece’
Rock royalty will be lighting up this year’s BFI London Film Festival
Barry Keoghan’s new thriller will be slugging it out for Best Film
Things to do at the LFF that won’t cost you a penny
Talks, DJ nights, podcasts, MCU screenings and robot building
From ‘Poor Things’ to ‘The Kitchen’, the Big Smoke is starring on the big screen
This year’s LFF tickets have gone onsale – and you don’t want to miss these
Catch Jonathan Glazer, Sofia Coppola and Martin Scorsese’s latest in October
Emerald Fennell’s sexy, sunkissed thriller ‘Saltburn’ gets the fest underway
Mark your diary for Jessie Buckley and Riz Ahmed in ‘Fingernails’
Hit a VR dance floor, catch a movie star in conversation or get cosmic with some immersive art
Miss Trunchbull is putting London’s moviegoers into detention
Daniel Craig and Janelle Monáe are coming to town for a whodunnit
The James Bond director is back with a seaside ‘Cinema Paradiso’
The best of the fest – and still up for grabs
From ‘Spencer’ to ‘Titane’: a dozen killer cuts at October’s UK-wide fest
Palme d’Or winner ‘Titane’ is Time Out’s gala on October 9
Joel Coen’s tragedy stars Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand
It’s goodbye Odeon Leicester Square, hello Southbank
It’s a western starring Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors and Regina King
Meet the cool AF filmmaker blasting back with the jaw-dropping Titane
Discover Time Out original video