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2024 BFI London Film Festival

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
68th BFI London Film Festival
Opening filmBlitz
Closing filmPiece by Piece
LocationLondon, United Kingdom
Founded1957
Festival date9–20 October 2024
Websitewhatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp
BFI London Film Festival
2025

The 68th BFI London Film Festival will take place from 9–20 October 2024. The competition films were announced on 29 August 2024 while the films for the galas and the strands were revealed on 4 September 2024.[1][2]

Steve McQueen's historical drama Blitz will open the festival on 9 October 2024, being the third film by McQueen to do so after Widows in 2018 and Mangrove in 2020.[3] Morgan Neville's animated documentary film Piece by Piece will close the festival on 20 October 2024.[4]

Venues

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The partner venues for the festival included:[5][6]

London cinemas

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Expanded venues

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UK-wide cinemas

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Official Selection

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Galas

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The following films were selected for the Galas section, which screens world, European, and British premieres:[7]

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Opening Night Gala
Blitz Steve McQueen United Kingdom, United States
Closing Night Gala
Piece by Piece Morgan Neville United States
American Express Gala
Elton John: Never Too Late R.J. Cutler, David Furnish United States
Mayor of London's Gala
We Live in Time John Crowley United Kingdom, France
Cunard Gala
Joy Ben Taylor United Kingdom
BFI Patron's Gala
Hard Truths Mike Leigh United Kingdom, Spain
Family Gala
That Christmas Simon Otto United Kingdom
Headline Gala
Anora Sean Baker United States
The Apprentice Ali Abbasi Canada, Denmark, Ireland
Bird Andrea Arnold United Kingdom, France, Germany, United States
Conclave Edward Berger United Kingdom, United States
Emilia Pérez Jacques Audiard France
Maria Pablo Larraín Italy, Germany, United States
Nightbitch Marielle Heller United States
The Room Next Door La habitación de al lado Pedro Almodóvar Spain

Special Presentations

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The following films were selected for the Special Presentations section:

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
All We Imagine As Light Payal Kapadia France, India, Netherlands, Luxembourg
The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich United States
Dahomey Mati Diop France, Senegal, Benin
Endurance Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Natalie Hewit United Kingdom, United States
Harvest Athina Rachel Tsangari United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, France, United States
I’m Still Here Ainda Estou Aqui Walter Salles Brazil, France
A Nice Indian Boy (BFI Flare Special Presentation) Roshan Sethi United States, Canada
Nickel Boys RaMell Ross United States
The Piano Lesson Malcolm Washington
Queer Luca Guadagnino Italy, United States
A Real Pain Jesse Eisenberg United States, Poland
The Seed of the Sacred Fig دانه‌ی انجیر معابد Mohammad Rasoulof Iran, Germany, France
Silent Sherlock (1921–1923) Maurice Elvey, George Ridgwell United Kingdom
The Summer Book Charlie McDowell Finland, United Kingdom
The Wild Robot Chris Sanders United States

In Competition

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There were five competition sections, each with a different selection of films and different juries.

Official Competition

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The following films competed for the Best Film Award:

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
April Dea Kulumbegashvili France, Italy, Georgia
Bring Them Down Christopher Andrews Ireland, Unied Kingdom, Belgium
The Extraordinary Miss Flower Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard United Kingdom
Four Mothers Colin Thornton, Darren Thornton Ireland, United Kingdom
Living in Two Worlds ぼくが生きてる、ふたつの世界 Mipo O Japan
Memoir of a Snail Adam Elliot Australia
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Rungano Nyoni Zambia, United Kingdom, Ireland
Thank You for Banking With Us Laila Abbas Palestine, Germany
Under the Volcano Pod wulkanem Damian Kocur Poland
Vermiglio Maura Delpero Italy, France, Belgium
The Wolves Always Come at Night Чоно үүр шөнөөр ирдэг Gabrielle Brady Australia, Mongolia, Germany

First Feature Competition

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The following films competed for the Sutherland Award, which is awarded to a directorial debut:

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Crocodile Tears Tumpal Tampubolon Indonesia, France, Singapore, Germany
Hanami Denise Fernandes Switzerland, Portugal, Cape Verde
Happyend Neo Sora Japan, United States
Last Swim Sasha Nathwani United Kingdom
My Eternal Summer Min evige sommer Sylvia Le Fanu Denmark
Olivia & the Clouds Olivia & Las Nubes Tomás Pichardo Espaillat Dominican Republic
On Falling Laura Carreira United Kingdom, Portugal
Santosh Sandhya Suri United Kingdom, France, Germany
September Says Ariane Labed Ireland, United Kingdom, Germany
To a Land Unknown Mahdi Fleifel United Kingdom, Palestine, France, Greece, Netherlands, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
Who Do I Belong To ماء العين Meryam Joobeur Tunisia, France, Canada, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia

Documentary Competition

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The following films competed for the Grierson Award, which is awarded to a feature-length documentary.

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Collective Monologue Monólogo colectivo Jessica Sarah Rinland Argentina, United Kingdom
Holloway Sophie Compton, Daisy-May Hudson United Kingdom
Kamay Ilyas Yourish, Shahrokh Bikaran Afghanistan, Belgium, France, Germany
Mother Vera Cécile Embleton, Alys Tomlinson United Kingom
Rising Up at Night Tongo Saa Nelson Makengo Democratic Republic of Congo, Belgium, Germany, Burkina Faso, Qatar
Seeking Mavis Beacon Jazmin Renée Jones United States
The Shadow Scholars Eloise King United Kingdom
Witches Elizabeth Sankey

Short Film Competition

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The following films competed for the Short Film Award.

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Adura Baba Mi Juliana Kasumu United Kingdom
Cold Snap Ellen Evans
Dragfox Lisa Ott
I Don't Want to Be Just a Memory Sarnt Utamachote Germany
Magic Candies Amedama Nishio Daisuke Japan
Mother's Day Emily Burnett United Kingdom
See It, Say It Nez Khammal
Stomach Bug Matty Crawford
Two Refusals (Would We Recognize Ourselves Unbroken?) Suneil Sanzgiri United States
Vibrations from Gaza Rehab Nazzal Palestine, Canada

Strands

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Most of the out-of-competition films have been organised into strands, each based on a different mood or emotion.

Love

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
All of You William Bridges United Kingdom
All Shall Be Well 從今以後 Ray Yeung Hong Kong
At Averroès & Rosa Parks Averroès & Rosa Parks Nicolas Philibert France
Grand Tour Miguel Gomes Portugal, Italy, France
I'm Your Venus Kimberly Reed United States
Motherboard Victoria Mapplebeck United Kingdom
Patrice: The Movie Ted Passon United States
Pavements Alex Ross Perry
Queens of Drama Les Reines du drame Alexis Langlois France, Belgium
Sex Dag Johan Haugerud Norway
Tarika Stadoto Milko Lazarov Bulgaria, Germany, Luxembourg
Weightless Sulla terra leggeri Sara Fgaier Italy
When Fall Is Coming Quand vient l'automne François Ozon France
When the Light Breaks Ljósbrot Rúnar Rúnarsson Iceland, Netherlands, Croatia, France

Debate

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
2073 Asif Kapadia United Kingdom
Black Box Diaries Shiori Itō Japan, United States, United Kingdom
The Cats of Gokogu Shrine Gokōgu no Neko Kazuhiro Soda Japan, United States
Families like Ours Familier som vores Thomas Vinterberg Denmark, France, Sweden, Czechia, Belgium, Norway, Germany
I'm Nevenka Soy Nevenka Icíar Bollaín Spain
The Invasion Sergei Loznitsa Netherlands, France, United States
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989 Göran Hugo Olsson Sweden, Finland, Denmark
Julie Keeps Quiet Julie zwijgt Leonardo Van Dijl Belgium, Sweden
The Listeners Jordan Tannahill United Kingdom
Three Kilometres to the End of the World Trei kilometri până la capătul lumii Emanuel Pârvu Romania
Youth (Homecoming) 青春 Wang Bing France, Luxembourg, Netherlands

Laugh

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Audrey Natalie Bailey Australia
The Gutter Yassir Lester, Isaiah Lester United States
The Other Way Around Volveréis Jonás Trueba Spain, France
Rumours Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson Germany, Canada
Sofa, So Good Kyle Thiele, Eli Thiele, Cole Thiele United States
A Traveler's Needs 여행자의 필요 Hong Sang-soo South Korea
Triumph Триумф Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov Bulgaria, Greece
Universal Language Une langue universelle / آواز بوقلمون Matthew Rankin Canada

Dare

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Bionico's Bachata La bachata de Bionico Yoel Morales Dominican Republic
Caught by the Tides 风流一代 Jia Zhangke China
Cidade; Campo Juliana Rojas Brazil, Germany, France
Diciannove Giovanni Tortorici Italy, United Kingdom
Don’t Cry, Butterfly Mu’a trên cánh bU’ó’m Dương Diệu Linh Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia
Eight Postcards from Utopia Opt ilustrate din lumea ideală Radu Jude, Christian Ferencz-Flatz Romania
Familiar Touch Sarah Friedland United States
Fire of Wind Fogo do Vento Marta Mateus Portugal, Switzerland, France
My Stolen Planet Sayyareye dozdide shodeye man Farahnaz Sharifi Germany, Iran
The Nights Still Smell of Gunpowder As Noites Ainda Cheiram a Pólvora Inadelso Cossa Mozambique, France, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, Norway
Pepe Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias Dominican Republic, Namibia, Germany, France
Formosa Beach Praia Formosa Julia de Simone Portugal, Brazil
Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass Brothers Quay United Kingdom, Poland, Germany
Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat Johan Grimonprez Belgium, France, Netherlands
Sugar Island Johanné Gómez Terrero Dominican Republic, Spain
Việt and Nam Trong lòng đất Minh Quý Trương Vietnam, Philippines, France, Singapore, Netherlands, Italy, Germany

Thrill

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Aïcha Mehdi M. Barsaoui Tunisia, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar
Architecton Viktor Kossakovsky Germany, France
La cocina Alonso Ruizpalacios Mexico, United States
Eat the Night Caroline Poggi, Jonathan Vinel France
Ghost Trail Les Fantômes Jonathan Millet France, Germany, Belgium
Maldoror Fabrice Du Welz Belgium, France
Marco, the Invented Truth Marco, la verdad inventada Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño Spain
Misericordia Miséricorde Alain Guiraudie France, Spain, Portugal
Skincare Austin Peters United States
Stranger Eyes 默視錄 Yeo Siew Hua Singapore, Taiwan, France, United States
A Thousand Blows Steven Knight United Kingdom

Cult

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
The Balconettes Les Femmes au balcon Noémie Merlant France
Bury Your Dead Enterre Seus Mortos Marco Dutra Brazil
Chain Reactions Alexandre O. Philippe United States
Fréwaka Aislinn Clarke Ireland
Sister Midnight Karan Kandhari United Kingdom
The Surfer Lorcan Finnegan Australia, Ireland
The Wailing El llanto Pedro Martín-Calero Spain, Argentina, France
The Weekend Daniel Oriahi Nigeria

Journey

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
After the Long Rains Baada Ya Masika Damien Hauser Kenya, Switzerland
The Assessment Fleur Fortuné United Kingdom, Germany, United States
Baby Marcelo Caetano Brazil
Eephus Carson Lund France, United States
Ellis Park Justin Kurzel Australia
The End Joshua Oppenheimer Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, United Kingdom, Sweden
Flow Gints Zilbalodis Latvia, Belgium, France
Good One India Donaldson United States
Layla Amrou Al-Kadhi United Kingdom
Look into My Eyes Lana Wilson United States
My Everything Mon inséparable Anne-Sophie Bailly France
Sebastian Mikko Mäkelä United Kingdom, Belgium, Finland
Shambhala Min Bahadur Bham Nepal, France, Norway, Turkey, Hong Kong, Taiwan, United States, Qatar
Sujo Astrid Rondero, Fernanda Valadez Mexico, United States, France
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui United Kingdom, United States
Treading Water Gino Evans United Kingdom
The Village Next to Paradise Mo Harawe Austria, France, Somalia

Create

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Abiding Nowhere Tsai Ming-liang Taiwan, United States
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found Raoul Peck United States, France
Grand Theft Hamlet Sam Crane, Pinny Grylls United Kingdom
It's Not Me C'est pas moi Leos Carax France
One to One: John & Yoko Kevin Macdonald United Kingdom
Pauline Black: A 2-Tone Story Jane Mingay
The Stimming Pool The Neurocultures Collective (Sam Chown Ahern, Georgia Bradburn, Benjamin Brown, Robin Elliott-Knowles, Lucy Walker, Steven Eastwood)
Superboys of Malegaon Reema Kagti India
Twiggy Sadie Frost United Kingdom
Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other Jacob Perlmutter, Manon Ouimet United Kingdom, Denmark, United States
The Way We Talk Adam Wong Sau-Ping Hong Kong

Experimenta

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
The Treasury of Human Inheritance Alexis Kyle Mitchell Canada, United Kingdom
Notes: Remembered and Found Maria Anastassiou United Kingdom, Cyprus
Direct Action Guillaume Cailleau, Ben Russell Germany, France
A Fidai Film Kamal Aljafari Palestine
A Night We Held Between Noor Abed
+ No Exorcism Film Komtouch Napattaloong Thailand
Small Hours of the Night Daniel Hui Singapore

Family

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Blink Edmund Stenson, Daniel Roher United States
The Colors Within きみの色 Naoko Yamada Japan
Savages Sauvages Claude Barras Switzerland, France, Belgium
Watership Down Martin Rosen United Kingdom

Treasures

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Manthan (1976) Shyam Benegal India
Manji (1964) Yasuzō Masumura Japan
María Candelaria (1943) Emilio Fernández Mexico
The Sealed Soil (1977) Khake sar beh mohr Marva Nabili Iran
The Talk of the Town (1942) George Stevens United States

Shorts

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The short film programme was divided into the following nine sections.

Family Ties

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Trouble Sarah Blok United Kingdom
Pigs Julia Jackman
Us Four Alex Peake
Space(s) Luke "Frsh" Fannin
Two Minutes Jamie Benyon

Honouring Traditions

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Midnight Rising Aileen Ye United Kingdom, Netherlands
Iranian Yellow Pages Anna Snowball United Kingdom
Irpinia Jameisha Prescod
Travelling Home Juliet Klottrup
Roots that Reach Toward the Sky Jess X. Snow United States, Canada
Red Soil Joshua Ighodaro United Kingdom
Salone Love Tajana Tokyo

I Don't Wanna Force a Smile

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Not Surgery Hours Tia Salisbury United Kingdom
The Nobody Razan Madhoon
Happy Meat Matt Green
Gender Reveal Mo Matton Canada
Bob's Funeral Jack Dunphy United States
The Real Thing Charlie Fink United Kingdom

Sleepless Nights

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Sylvia Tárá Ayeni United Kingdom
Mosquito Lady Kristine Gerolaga United States
The Awakening Al Campbell United Kingdom
Outside Noise Ethan Evans
Dream Creep Carlos A. F. López United States

Trials and Tribulations

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Hermit Daniel Raggett United Kingdom
Karavidhe Eoin Doran
Rhoda Alex Lawther
Fierce-ish Grace Amaya Owen Rowlands
In Heat Rory Fleck Byrne

Wondering, Wandering

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
And Granny Would Dance Maryam Mohajer United Kingdom
A Short Film About Kids Ibrahim Handal Palestine
Dawn Every Day Amir Youssef Egypt
Liminal Roots Aliyah Harfoot United Kingdom
What’s the Film About? Poorva Bhat

Animated Shorts for Younger Audiences

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Coo-rage Alina Milkina Netherlands
Love at First Waf Louise Le Toullec, Helene Gouil France
Who’s Wrong? Vems Fel? Stina Wirsén, Linda Hambäck Sweden
The Brave Locomotive Andrew Chesworth United States
The Odd Carrot Inese Pavēne United Kingdom
Freelance Luciano A. Muñoz Sessarego, Magnus I. Møller, Peter Smith Denmark
Yuck! Loïc Espuche France
The Child of the Waves L'Enfant des vagues Valentine Hilarin, Gaelle Bejjani, Yuhan Wang, Martin Gross, Noam Szwarc, Sofian Pourquery-de-Boisserin
Hello Summer Ahoj leto Martin Smatana, Veronika Zacharová Slovakia, Czechia, France

A Stream of Echoes

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
File No. 2304 A.S.M. Kobayashi Canada, United States
At the Verge of Wordlessness Alaa Abu Asad Netherlands
Avant Seriana Before Seriana Samy Benammar Canada, Algeria
Crocodile Nest Nido de Cocodrilo Jazmin Rojas Forero Colombia, Germany

Right in the Substance of Them a Trace of What Happened

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English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Non/Living Müge Yildiz Turkey, Finland
Two Stones Rua Kōhatu Noel Meek New Zealand
Hexham Heads Chloë Delanghe, Mattijs Driesen Belgium
The Flesh of Language Amanda Rice Ireland
Hemel Danielle Dean United Kingdom
Our Lady Who Burns Nossa Senhora Que Queima Alice dos Reis Portugal

References

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  1. ^ Ntim, Zac (29 August 2024). "London Film Festival: Dea Kulumbegashvili's 'April' And Barry Keoghan Pic 'Bring Them Down' To Play In Competition". Deadline. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Full programme announced for 68th BFI London Film Festival". BFI. 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  3. ^ Ntim, Zac (July 1, 2024). "Steve McQueen's 'Blitz' To Open London Film Festival As World Premiere". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  4. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (2024-09-04). "Angelina Jolie, Daniel Craig, Elton John, Andrew Garfield, Saoirse Ronan Titles Among BFI London Film Festival Full Lineup". Variety. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  5. ^ "LFF on tour". British Film Institute. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Venues". British Film Institute. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  7. ^ Ntim, Zac (2024-09-04). "BFI London Film Festival Lineup: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin To Debut 'Endurance', Baker, Heller, Berger & Abbasi's Trump Movie Among Headline Galas — Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-09-04.