Category BFI London Film Festival

Raw, emotional and utterly heart-breaking, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA is a devastating exploration of grief and redemption

Kenneth Lonergan’s highly-anticipated third film MANCHESTER BY THE SEA chronicles the effects of loss and grief in this devastating drama about one man’s painful return to his hometown.

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA follows the story of Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck), an anti-social outcast who works as a janitor in Boston...

Damien Chazelle breathes new life into the Hollywood musical with the bright and playful LA LA LAND

At the tender age of 31, Damien Chazelle has already established himself as a visionary. After wowing audiences with the sensational WHIPLASH back in 2014, the young director continues to innovate and push the boundaries of music and storytelling with his latest film LA LA LAND.

Based on the classic Hollywood musicals of the 1940s and 50s, LA LA LAND tells the story of struggling jazz pianist ...

Raw, edgy but ultimately forgetful, AMERICAN HONEY is a coming-of-age film about the highs and low of youth and freedom

British director Andrea Arnold takes a glimpse into the spontaneity and rawness of life with her new coming-of-age film AMERICAN HONEY.

AMERICAN HONEY tells the story of troubled teenager Star (Sasha Lane) who runs away from a broken home to joins a traveling magazine sales crew...

Inspirational, touching and beautifully shot, A UNITED KINGDOM is a tale of love, honour and determination

Following the success of the 2013 British period drama BELLE, director Amma Asante makes a welcome returns to the genre of historical romance with her third feature A UNITED KINGDOM.

Based on a true story, A UNITED KINGDOM tells the tale of Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo), the Prince of Bechuanaland who causes an international stir when he marries Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike), a British whi...

Venue changes from HOME to AMC Manchester due to pre-sale ticket demand

The Manchester Film Festival has been forced to change venues for its red carpet opening gala night due to pre-sale ticket demand.

The opening night gala was scheduled to take place at the new HOME venue on Thursday 3 March but demand for tickets has forced organisers to switch venues to the larger AMC Manchester at Great Northern.

“The response to pre ticket sales for Dennis Viollet – A United Man and also the presentati...

Intimate, romantic and visually stunning, BROOKLYN is a sure-fire contender for this year’s Academy Awards

John Crowley’s superb adaptation of Colm Tóibín’s novel BROOKLYN certainly caused a stir at the BFI London Film Festival when it made its gala premiere on 12 October and rightly so.

BROOKLYN tells the story of Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan), a young girl who departs from her home in Ireland for the shores of New York City...

Since his death in 2011, Steve Jobs has been the focus of a biopic starring Ashton Kutcher, a documentary directed by Alex Gibney and two prominent biographies. The first of these biographies, written by Walter Isaacson and authorised by Jobs himself, is the inspiration for the film for Danny Boyle’s new film STEVE JOBS.

Directed by Boyle and adapted for screen by Aaron Sorkin, STEVE JOBS takes a look at the trials and triumphs of a modern day genius, the late co-founder and CEO of Apple, Ste...

One film causing a stir at the 59th BFI London Film Festival is BLACK MASS, an American crime drama directed by Scott Cooper.

Based on the best-selling 2001 book by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill, BLACK MASS tells the true story of James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp), the brother of a state senator Billy Bulger (Benedict Cumberbatch) and the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant for childhood friend John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) in order to tak...

Director Jay Roach steps out of his comfort zone with TRUMBO, a biographical drama film starring Bryan Cranston and Helen Mirren

Three years after THE CAMPAIGN, Director Jay Roach returns to the big screen with TRUMBO, an American biographical drama film starring Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Elle Fanning, John Goodman and Helen Mirren.

Based on the biography by Bruce Alexander Cook, TRUMBO tells the incredible true story of Dalton Trumbo, a successful Hollywood screenwriter who is blacklisted in...

John Hodge attends the ‘The Program’ screening, during the BFI London Film Festival, at Leicester Square on October 10, 2015. Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images for BFI.

Frankly My Dear talks to Writer John Hodge about THE PROGRAM

One film causing quite a stir at the 59th BFI London Film Festival is THE PROGRAM, a biographical drama about infamous pro cyclist Lance Armstrong who came back from testicular cancer to win the Tour de France seven times before finally confessing to using performance...