There’s going to be plenty of incredible things to see and do at the BFI London Film Festival when the festival starts in October.
So far we haven’t got a full list of films that will be around at the festival. However, of the ones whose details are public, there’s plenty to fill you with excitement!
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Some exciting premieres
Shiraz, 1928 – World premiere of new digitalised restoration
Shiraz tells the story of the 17th Century princess who inspired the building of the Taj Mahal. The film’s new digitization will have its premiere on October 14th, right at the end of the festival.
One interesting quirk is that Shiraz will have a brand new, live score by the Indian composer and sitar player, Anoushka Shankar. After its premiere at the festival, the film will play in India, symbolising the unity between Britain and India.
Breathe, 2017 – World premiere
Andy Serkis is one of the most respected actors of our age. Major franchises such as Planet Of The Apes, Lord Of The Rings, Star Wars and even the Marvel Cinematic Universe feature Serkis in a leading role.
However, Breathe represents a directorial debut for Serkis.
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By GlobalDataThe film will have its premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on Wednesday 4th October.
Breathe stars Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy as Robin and Diana Cavendish. Here’s the official synopsis from the BFI:
Adventurous and charismatic, Robin Cavendish has his whole life ahead of him when he is paralysed by polio while in Africa and given just months to live. Against all advice, Robin’s wife Diana brings him home from hospital where her devotion and witty determination inspire him to lead a long and fulfilled life. Together they refuse to be limited by expectations, dazzling others with their humour, courage and lust for life.
Battle Of The Sexes, 2017 – European premiere
Fresh from her Oscar-winning performance in La La Land, the world was Emma Stone’s oyster. It seems the actor decided to turn on a dime to focus on a totally different role this time around.
Battle Of The Sexes sees Stone starring alongside Steve Carrell as Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs respectively.
The two were world-famous tennis players in their respective times.
As a ‘tennis hustler’, Riggs said he could defeat the best women’s player of the time, King, at age 55. Their match, known as ‘The Battle Of The Sexes’ was one of the most-watched tennis events of all time.
This film dramatises that match.
In the wake of the sexual revolution and the rise of the women’s movement, the 1973 tennis match between women’s world champion Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and ex-men’s-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) was billed as the Battle of the Sexes and became one of the most watched televised sports events of all time, reaching 90 million viewers around the world. As the rivalry between King and Riggs kicked into high gear, off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles. The fiercely private King was not only championing for equality but also struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality, as her friendship with Marilyn Barnett (Andrea Riseborough) developed. And Riggs, one of the first self-made media-age celebrities, wrestled with his gambling demons, at the expense of his family and wife Priscilla (Elisabeth Shue). Together, Billie and Bobby served up a cultural spectacle that resonated far beyond the tennis court, sparking discussions in bedrooms and boardrooms that continue to reverberate today.
The film will have its European premiere at the festival on Tuesday, 10 October.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, 2017 – UK premiere
After appearing at the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri will have its UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival. The premiere will take place right at the end of the festival on Sunday 15th October.
Something of a wildcard, this darkly comic drama from Martin McDonagh sounds pretty interesting from the synopsis:
After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter’s murder case, Mildred Hayes (Academy Award winner Frances McDormand) makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby (Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson), the town’s revered chief of police. When his second-in-command Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell), an immature mother’s boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing’s law enforcement is only exacerbated.
Loving Vincent, 2017 – nationwide UK premiere
If you’re a wannabe art critic this definitely sounds like one you’ll want to keep an eye on.
Loving Vincent brings Van Gogh’s paintings to life via animation. It will actually go down in history as the first fully-animated biographical feature.
Every single frame of the film is actually an oil painting on canvas in the style of Van Gogh.
Loving Vincent explores the life and controversial death of Vincent van Gogh, told by his paintings and by the characters that inhabit them. The intrigue unfolds through interviews with the characters closest to Vincent and through dramatic reconstructions of the events leading up to his death.
The film will receive a nationwide premiere around the UK, at the BFI London Film Festival. On Monday 9th October cinemas around the country will receive a broadcast of the film from the National Gallery.
For more details on the festival click here for our run-down.
Safe to say, the line-up is looking pretty amazing right now and it’s only going to get more exciting!
