The BFI London Film Festival 2024 is set to be a spectacular celebration of cinema, bringing together the best in new and innovative filmmaking from around the world. This 68th edition of the festival promises to be a cinephile’s dream, offering a diverse and exciting program of over 160 feature films, 60 shorts, and several upcoming serial drama episodes.
As the UK’s largest and most prestigious film festival, the BFI London Film Festival continues to be a beacon for both established and emerging talent. This year’s lineup showcases an impressive array of world premieres, international debuts, and critically acclaimed works from renowned directors and promising newcomers alike.
What is the BFI London Film Festival?
The BFI London Film Festival is the UK’s largest and most prestigious film festival, celebrating its 68th edition in 2024. It showcases the world’s best new films, series, and immersive storytelling experiences. The festival offers a diverse program of over 160 feature films, 60 shorts, and several upcoming serial drama episodes, as well as 14 Expanded projects featuring virtual reality installations.
When is the BFI London Film Festival 2024?
The 68th BFI London Film Festival will take place from October 9 to October 20, 2024. The festival will kick off on Wednesday, October 9, with Steve McQueen’s World War II drama “Blitz” at the Royal Festival Hall.
Where is the BFI London Film Festival held?
The festival is primarily centred around London’s Southbank, with key venues including:
- Royal Festival Hall
- BFI IMAX
- BFI Southbank
- Bargehouse (for the LFF Expanded XR strand)
Additionally, screenings will take place at five London partner cinemas:
- Curzon Mayfair
- Curzon Soho
- ICA
- Prince Charles Cinema
- West End View
The festival has expanded its reach beyond London, with screenings in multiple cities across the UK, including:
- Nottingham (Broadway Cinema)
- Cardiff (Chapter Arts Centre)
- Glasgow (Glasgow Film Theatre)
- Birmingham (MAC)
- Belfast (Queen’s Film Theatre)
- Sheffield (Showroom Cinema)
- Newcastle (Tyneside Cinema)
- Bristol (Watershed)
What to see at the BFI London Film Festival 2024?
The 2024 BFI London Film Festival offers a rich and diverse program of films and events. The festival will feature new films from acclaimed directors such as Mike Leigh, Pedro Almodóvar, Andrea Arnold, Sean Baker, Marielle Heller, and Jia Zhangke. The festival will also host screen talks and special events featuring celebrities such as Zoe Saldana, Steve McQueen, Alfonso Cuaron, Lupita Nyong’o, Daniel Kaluuya, Andrea Arnold, Sam Mendes, Mike Leigh, and Denis Villeneuve.
The programme looks a bit like this:
- Opening and Closing Films:
- Opening: “Blitz” by Steve McQueen, starring Saoirse Ronan
- Closing: “Piece By Piece,” a documentary by Pharrell Williams
- Highlights from Various Strands:
- “The Extraordinary Miss Flower” by the directors of “20,000 Days on Earth”
- “Bring Them Down” by Christopher Andrews, starring Christopher Abbott and Barry Keoghan
- “Memoir of a Snail,” a stop-motion animation by Adam Elliot”Vermiglio” by Maura Delpero, set in World War II Italy
- Curzon Distributed Films:
- “Layla” by Amrou Al-Kadhi
- “Julie Keeps Quiet” by Leonardo Van Dijl
- “Flow” by Gints Zilbalodis
- Other Notable Titles:
- “Grand Tour” by Miguel Gomes
- “Black Box Diaries” by Shiori Itō
- “Triumph” featuring Maria Bakalova
- “The Surfer” starring Nicholas Cage
- “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”
- Restored Classics:
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- “Watership Down” (1978)
- “Manji” (1964) by Yasuzô Masumura
- “The Talk of the Town” (1942)
- “The Sealed Soil” (1977) by Marva Nabili
What are some must-see films at the BFI London Film Festival 2024?
- “The Extraordinary Miss Flower” by the directors of “20,000 Days on Earth”
- “Bring Them Down” by Christopher Andrews, starring Christopher Abbott and Barry Keoghan
- “Memoir of a Snail,” a stop-motion animation by Adam Elliot
- “Vermiglio” by Maura Delpero, set in World War II Italy
- “Anora” by Sean Baker, winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes
- “The Apprentice,” a controversial Donald Trump drama
- “Bird” by Andrea Arnold
- “Maria” by Pablo Larraín, starring Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas
- “Queer” starring Daniel Craig, based on William Burroughs’ novel
- “Nightbitch” starring Amy Adams, a comedy-horror about a stay-at-home mother
- “Hard Truths” by Mike Leigh, reuniting with Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Michele Austin
- “We Live in Time” starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield
- “All We Imagine As Light” by Indian director Payal Kapadia
- “The Room Next Door” by Pedro Almodóvar, starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton
- “Elton John: Never Too Late,” documenting the singer’s final US tour
