It’s almost time for the UK’s largest and most prestigious film event, the BFI London Film Festival. Celebrating it’s 55th year, the event will showcase 300 short and feature-length films across a variety of London screens. As always, there are films from all across the globe and a hugely diverse selection of filmmakers. For us cine-folk, it’s two weeks of utter bliss: films, films, and a few more films thrown in for good measure.
The 55th BFI London Film Festival (in partnership with American Express) runs from 12th-27th October, and all film listing and booking details can be found here.
Ahead of the festivities, the BFI has announced its shortlists and juries for the event’s awards, which, as always, is a matter of great interest for film fans. This year, the BFI will bestow its highest honour, the BFI Fellowship, on director David Cronenberg and actor-director Ralph Fiennes.
Cronenberg is best remembered for his subversive and groundbreaking work in horror, most notably with SHIVERS, VIDEODROME, and THE FLY. However, in recent years he has turned his eye towards heavyweight thrillers such as A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE and EASTERN PROMISES, both of which further established the Canadian director as a diverse and adaptable cinematic figure. His latest film, A DANGEROUS METHOD, will premiere at this year’s festival.
‘This is a monumental,’ Cronenberg said on receiving the award, ‘in fact overwhelming, honour, and my being the first Canadian to receive it makes it all the sweeter. British cinema has been a potent inspiration for me, and to be associated with this particular group of filmmakers is tremendously exhilarating.’
Ralph Fiennes remains one of Britain’s premier and most celebrated actors. Over the years he has featured in a succession of highly-acclaimed films, from independent productions to bonafide blockbusters. His acting credits include THE ENGLISH PATIENT, SPIDER, THE READER, IN BRUGES, THE CONSTANT GARDENER, and of course the HARRY POTTER series. Fiennes reveals his directorial debut at the London Film Festival, CORIOLANUS, a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s political play.
In addition to these two honourary awards, the BFI will host a further four categories, as follows:
The Best Film Award, in partnership with American Express, will be judged by the Oscar-nominated director John Madden, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Gillian Anderson, the BAFTA-winning writer and director Asif Kapadia, Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning producer Tracey Seaward, writer Andrew O’Hagan and the Turner Prize-nominated YBA and film director Sam Taylor Wood OBE. The shortlist, drawn up by the BFI’s Artistic Director Sandra Hebro, is as follows:
360, Fernando Meirelles, UK/Austria/France/Brazil
THE ARTIST, Michel Hazanavicius, France
THE DEEP BLUE SEA, Terence Davies, UK
THE DESCENDANTS, Alexander Payne, USA
FAUST, Aleksandr Sukurov, Russia
THE KID WITH A BIKE, Luc & Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Belgium/France/Italy
SHAME, Steve McQueen, UK
TRISHNA, Michael Winterbottom, UK
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, Lynne Ramsay, UK/USA
The Best British Newcomer Award, in association with Swaroski, will be judged by BAFTA-nominated actress Anne-Marie Duff, actor Tom Hollander, producer and director of the National Film and Television School Nik Powell, Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning producer Andy Harries, Radio 1 and Channel 4’s Vue Film Show presenter Edith Bowman and Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning producer Stephen Woolley. The shortlist is:
Nick Murphy, Director, THE AWAKENING
Tinge Krishnan, Director, JUNKHEARTS
Candese Reid, Actress, JUNKHEARTS
Nirpal Bhogal, Writer/director, SKET
Aimee Kelly, Actress, SKET
Tom Cullen, Actor, WEEKEND
Chris New, Actor, WEEKEND
D.R. Hood, Writer/Director, WRECKERS
The jury for the Sutherland Award, presented to the director of the most original and imaginative feature debut in the festival, includes Turner Prize nominee Phil Collins, producer Andrew Eaton, director Joanna Hogg, BAFTA-winning director Peter Kosminsky, actress Saskia Reeves, Hugo Grumbar, managing director (International) Icon UK Group, and film journalist Tim Robey. The shortlist is as follows:
CORPO CELESTE, Alice Rohrwacher, Italy/Switzerland/France
ETERNITY, Sivaroj Kongsakul, Thailand
HERE, Braden King, USA
THE HOUSE, Zuzana Liová, Czech Republic
LAS ACACIAS, Pablo Giorgelli, Argentina/Spain
LAST WINTER, John Shank, Belgium/France
MICHAEL, Markus Schleinzer, Austria
MOURNING, Morteza Farshbaf, Iran
SHE MONKEYS, Lisa Aschan, Sweden
SNOWTOWN, Justin Kurzel, Australia
THE SUN-BEATEN PATH, Sonthar Gyal, China
WITHOUT, Mark Jackson, USA
And finally, The Grierson Award for Best Documentary, a partnership between the Grierson Trust and the Festival, recognises outstanding feature-length documentaries of integrity, originality, technical excellence or cultural significance. The Award is presented in commemoration of John Grierson. Two-time BAFTA winner Adam Curtis will chair the jury, which also includes documentary filmmaker Kim Longinotto, Mandy Chang of the Grierson Trust, and Charlotte Moore, Head of Documentary Commissioning at the BBC. The shortlist is:
BERNADETTE: NOTES ON A POLITICAL JOURNEY, Lelia Doolan, Ireland
BETTER THIS WORLD, Katie Galloway, Kelly Duane de la Vega, USA
THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE 1967-1975, Goran Hugo Olsson, Sweden/USA
DRAGONSLAYER, Tristan Patterson
DREAMS OF A LIFE, Carol Moley, UK/Ireland
INTO THE ABYSS: A TALE OF DEATH, A TALE OF LIFE, Werner Herzog
LAST DAYS HERE, Don Argott & Demian Fenton, USA
WHORES’ GLORY, Michael Glawogger, Austria/Germany
The 55th BFI London Film Festival (in partnership with American Express) runs from 12th-27th October.
