The official programme for the 56th BFI London Film Festival was announced earlier today by Festival Director Clare Stewart.
Featuring a massive two hundred and twenty five features, including fourteen World Premieres, fifteen International Premieres and thirty four European Premieres, this year’s instalment will open with the previously confirmed Frankenweenie and close with Great Expectations.
Other noteworthy films included in the Official Competition include: Seven Psychopaths, starring Colin Farrell, Abbie Cornish and Woody Harrelson; Rust & Bone, starring Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts; End Of Watch, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña; and No, starring Gael García Bernal and Alfredo Castro.
In addition to the Official Competition lineup, there will also be several titles competing for the First Feature Competition, which recognises original and imaginative directorial debuts. Competing amongst others are: The Samurai That Night; Shell; Beasts Of The Southern Wild; The Comedian; and My Brother The Devil.
Adopting a noticeably more structured approach, the remainder of this year’s lineup will be split into nine focused strands: Love, Dare, Laugh, Debate, Thrill, Journey, Family, Cult and Sonic. The films screening in these strands include Sightseers, The Hunt, Amour (Love), Lawrence Anyways, Antiviral, Beyond The Hills, and many, many more.
While many – myself included – will be unhappy with certain omissions (Thanks For Sharing and The Master, included), there’s no doubt that this year’s festival features an exciting and diverse crop of films, with a new Festival Director that’s making every attempt not only to bring some more structure to proceedings, but also to open the festival up to cinephiles around the UK.
The 56th BFI London Film Festival will run from October 10 – 21, 2012. For the full lineup and details on how to book tickets, visit the official website.
Empty Screens 