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Our Top Ten Must Sees At This Year’s BFI London Film Festival!

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Tickets officially went on sale today for the BFI London Film Festival. I’m so excited to be returning to the capital to personally attend this year’s fest, which officially kicks off on October 7th. Here, we take a look at the top ten films to see.

While we couldn’t include all of the films that we would have liked to, these are the definite must-sees this year – so grab your tickets while you can

10. The Lobster, dir: Yorgos Lanthimos

Yorgos Lanthimos brings his comedy drama The Lobster to this year’s festival. The film stars Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz and is set in the near future where folks are obliged to find a romantic partner in forty-five days, or are transformed into beasts and sent off into The Woods. Out there, right? The buzz was good from Cannes earlier this year, and we’re looking forward to catching it when it plays as this year’s Dare Gala on Tuesday 13th October.

9. Suffragette, dir. Sarah Gavron

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Suffragette officially opens this year’s BFI London Film festival on the 7th October, and festival goers will have no less than three opportunities to see the film before it officially bows in cinemas nationwide on the 12th October. The film features an all-star cast, including Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Ben Whishaw and of course, Meryl Streep. The story, scripted by Abi Morgan, revolves around a group of British woman who fought for women’s right to vote, and in doing so, changed the course of history.

8. High Rise, dir. Ben Wheatley

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Ben Wheatley continues on his quest to bring refreshing, gritty, and indeed far-out stories to the screen, this time opting for an adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s High Rise. Tom Hiddleston stars in the film, which revolves around the lives of the inhabitants of a high-rise, which start to run out of control. Amy Jump scripts, and Jeremy Irons, Luke Evans, Sienna Miller and James Purefoy co-star. See this at the Festival Gala on Friday the 9th, or on Sunday 11th at the Odeon Leicester Square.

7. The Lady In The Van, dir. Nicholas Hytner

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The clips that were shown from this adaptation of Alan Bennett‘s play, brought the house down at the festival launch a couple of weeks ago. The Lady In The Van stars Maggie Smith as an owner of a beat-up van who parks the thing in the Camden driveway of Bennett… for 15 years. Smith has performed in the original play of Bennett’s story, and on a 2009 radio version. The film is getting some pretty big buzz for awards season, and is an absolute must at this year’s LFF. The Lady In The Van screens on Tuesday 13th, and Wednesday 14th October.

6. Black Mass, dir. Scott Cooper

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We have a feeling that Scott Cooper‘s Black Mass could be bothering voters come awards season, most probably for the performance of an almost unrecognisable Johnny Depp as Whitey Bulger. The film is a biopic based on the life of the notorious Boston gangster, who was to become an informant for the FBI. Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Jesse Plemons make up an all-star cast. See this as part of the Virgin Atlantic Gala on Sunday 11th October.

5.Carol, dir. Todd Haynes

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If Johnny Depp is the front-runner for a Best Actor nod come next year’s awards season, then Cate Blanchett could lead the Best Actress nominees in this drama from director Todd Haynes. The film is set in 1950s New York, where a department-store clerk (Rooney Mara) who dreams of a better life falls for an older, married woman (Blanchett). Carol is set to be one of the rue highlights of the festival. The film serves as this year’s American Express Gala, and will debut on October 14th.

4. My Scientology Movie, dir. John Dower

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John Dower directs Louis Theroux in this documentary which sees the celebrated journalist travel to the United States to explore the Church Of Scientology. Things take a twist during his journey when Theroux discovers that the church is simultaneously making a movie about him. We saw a hilarious clip where Theroux refuses to stop filming at the side of a road in the middle of the desert, and this film which screens as part of the Debate series of films (Wednesday 14th, Saturday 17th October), is definitely going to be an intriguing, and quite fun watch.

3. Victoria, dir. Sebastian Schipper

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Victoria borrows the intriguing device from Birdman, in that it plays out as one [seemingly] long, one-take shot. The story revolves around two lovers who are kidnapped and forced to take part in a bank robbery. Victoria will screen as part of the Thrill series (naturally), and will play on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th October.

2. Elstree 1976, dir. Jon Spira

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I’m taking a shot in the dark with this one, but Elstree 1976 could be one of the gems of the festival. Screening as part of the Cult series, the film focusses on ten individuals who appeared in a little-known film that shot in North London in the mid-1970s. That film turned out to be called Star Wars, and this is their story. Elstree, 1976 screens on Friday 9th, and Sunday 11th October.

1. Steve Jobs, dir. Danny Boyle

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Steve Jobs, the biopic scripted by Aaron Sorkin, directed by Danny Boyle, and starring Michael Fassbender, has been getting some huge acclaim on the festival circuit in the last month. The film, about the legendary Apple co-founder, will officially close this year’s BFI London Film Festival on Sunday 18th October, and without doubt, HAS to be included on our list of the top films to see. Seth Rogan, Jeff Daniels and Kate Winslet also star.

Tickets for this yea’s BFI London Film Festival are on sale from today, Thursday 17th September, 2015.

Keep it THN over the coming weeks for reviews, news and interviews from LFF, 2015.

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