BFI London Film Festival 2016
Week 2
Monday the 10th
Arrival
Image Source: Getty Images
The first day of the second week at this year’s London Film Festival culminated in a big gala for one of the most anticipated films at this year’s event, Denis Villeneuve’s emotional “feeling-man’s” Sci-fi ‘Arrival’; starring Amy Adams stars as a linguist recruited by US authorities to communicate with and determine the intentions of extra terrestrials, after mysterious spacecraft begin to land all over the planet.
Stars Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner walked the Leicester Square red carpet, for a film out in UK cinemas on the 10th of November and on the 11th of November in the US, you can see our LFF spoiler-free review here.
Arrival full press conference (courtesy of HeyUGuys)
Paterson
Image Source: Amazon Studios
Monday also treated London audiences to a screening of Jim Jarmusch’s latest film ‘Paterson’, a reflective comedy/drama about a poetic New Jersey bus driver, ‘Paterson’ is out in UK cinemas on the 25th of November and on the 28th of December in the US.
Personal Shopper
Image Source: Sirena Film
After its debut at May’s Cannes Film Festival, the Olivier Assayas drama/thriller ‘Personal Shopper’ screened at the LFF on Monday; starring Kristen Stewart as a young American working in the Parisian fashion underworld, who seeks to connect with her dead twin brother from the beyond,‘Personal Shopper’ is out in on the 3rd of March 2017 in the UK and on the 10th of March 2017 in the US.
Tuesday the 11th
The Birth of a Nation
Image Source: Getty Images
Tuesday at the LFF brought a screening for Nate Parker’s controversial and much anticipated slavery biopic ‘The Birth of a Nation’; a biographical 19th century drama based on the true story of slave-turned-preacher Nat Turner, who led a violent slave rebellion in Virginia and in the process became an American symbol of resistance for generations to come.
Director and star Nate Parker was on the red carpet along with co-stars Armie Hammer, Gabrielle Union and Chike Okonkwo , ‘The Birth of a Nation’ is out in UK cinemas on the 20th of January 2017 and is out now in the US, you can see our LFF review here.
Layla M.
Image Source: Getty Images
Boldly tackling the subjects of home-grown terrorism and the marginalisation of Muslims in Europe, writer/director Mijke de Jong brought her Dutch drama ‘Layla M.’ to the LFF on Tuesday; the story of a spirited but angry and resentful Dutch born Muslim teenager, whose devotion to Islam puts her on a path to radicalisation, only for her ideals to be shaken by a harsh reality. De Jong was in attendance along with stars Nora El Koussour and Ilias Addab, ‘Layla M.’ is out on the 17th of November in the Netherlands with no current UK date.
Goldstone
Image Source: Getty Images
Tuesday also threw up the Aussie entry to the LFF in the form of director Ivan Sen’s outback crime/drama ‘Goldstone’; a story of corruption and exploitation set in the Australian desert, where a visiting aboriginal detective on a missing persons case uncovers a web of crime involving the local gold mine. Sen was present and flying solo on the red carpet, ‘Goldstone’ is out now in Australia with no current UK date yet.
Wednesday the 12th
Lion
Image Source: Getty Images
The stars converged on Wednesday for the big gala screening of poignant and deeply moving drama ‘Lion’, based on the true story of Saroo Brierley; a poor 5-year-old Indian boy who was separated from his family and became one of India’s many street children far from home, only to then be adopted and raised by a loving family in Australia, but who embarks on an odyssey to track down his lost family over 25 years later.
Stars Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman and Divian Ladwa were on hand in Leicester Square, ‘Lion’ is out on the 25th of November in the US, with no UK release date yet, you can see our LFF review here.
Lion red carpet interviews (courtesy of BFI)
The Wailing (Goksung)
Image Source: 20th Century Fox
South Korea made its presence felt on Wednesday in the form of Hong-jin Na’s supernatural horror ‘The Wailing‘; the story of a mysterious sickness and related murders which spread through a village, and the cop trying to investigate it in order to save his daughter who has insidiously become involved. ‘The Wailing’ is out now in South Korea and on the 11th of November in the UK.
Planetarium
Image Source: Les Films Velvet
Audiences at the LFF also got a look at writer/director Rebecca Zlotowski’s French period drama ‘Planetarium’; the story of two sisters and supposed supernatural mediums who meet an influential Parisian film producer and get involved in the early days of the film industry, starring Natalie Portman, Lily-Rose Depp and Emmanuel Salinger. ‘Planetarium’ is out in France on the 16th of November, with no UK date.
Thursday the 13th
Their Finest
Image Source: Getty Images
Danish director Lone Scherfig returned to her spiritual cinematic home on Thursday for the Mayor’s Gala screening of her British World War II dramedy ‘Their Finest’; the story of a young Welsh woman whose life is transformed when she’s hired by the UK government and the British film industry to help write a morale-boosting propaganda film, at the height of the London Blitz in 1940.
Sherfig was joined on the LFF red carpet by her stars Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, Rachael Stirling and Bill Nighy, ‘Their Finest’ has no current release dates, you can check out our LFF review here.
Their Finest red carpet interviews (courtesy of BFI)
Brimstone
Image Source: N279 Entertainment
Thursday also brought one of the darkest films in recent LFF history, in the form of Martin Koolhoven’s mystery Western with a Dutch twist ‘Brimstone’, starring Dakota Fanning and Guy Pearce; the 19th century American frontier tale of a young mute mother, whose life is thrown into turmoil by a sinister reverend, whose appearance in thier small town forces her back into a tragic past she hoped to have escaped. ‘Brimstone’ has no current release dates.
Without Name
Image Source: Lovely Productions
Ireland made its presence felt at the LFF with a screening of Lorcan Finnegan’s small-budget psychological indie drama ‘Without Name’; following an environmental surveyor on a job measuring a mysterious isolated forest for corporate exploitation, who starts to lose his grip on reality when the foreboding woods begin to have an effect in this atmospheric drama with existential and environmental undertones. ‘Without Name’ has no current release dates.
Friday the 14th
Nocturnal Animals
Image Source: Getty Images
Friday’s proceedings culminated with the headline gala for dark drama and fashion supremo Tom Ford’s 2nd directorial feature ‘Nocturnal Animals’; an ensemble dramatic thriller adapted from Austin Wright’s novel “Tony & Susan”, about a wealthy art dealer and divorcee whose life is thrown into turmoil when she’s pulled in by her ex-husband’s symbolic novel of violent revenge.
Ford was present and suited & booted in Leicester Square, joined by his stars Amy Adams, Armie Hammer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ellie Bamber, ‘Nocturnal Animals’ is out on the 4th of November in the UK and the 9th of December in the US, you can see our spoiler-free LFF review here.
Nocturnal Animals red carpet interviews (courtesy of BFI)
Neruda
Image Source: AZ Films
Chile also made its presence felt on the final Friday at this year’s LFF, with the biographical drama ‘Neruda’, starring Gael García Bernal and Luis Gnecco; director Pablo Larraín’s unique detective-thriller treatment of the story of Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet and communist party politician Pablo Neruda, who was persecuted by the government when a right-leaning administration took power in the late 1940s. ‘Neruda’ is out on the 16th of December in the US with no current UK release date.
Trespass Against Us
Image Source: Getty Images
Michael Fassbender made a weekend stop at the LFF on Friday for a screening of Adam Smith’s feature directorial debut ‘Trespass Against Us’; a British crime drama about a traveller trying to break away from his family’s domineering patriarch and a life of crime, for the sake of his young son. Director Smith and star Fassbender were joined on the red carpet by co-stars Alastair Siddons, Lyndsey Marshal and Georgie Smith, ‘Trespass Against Us’ is out on the 24th of November in the US and the 3rd of March 2017 in the UK.
Trespass Against Us red carpet interviews (courtesy of HeyUGuys)
Saturday the 15th
Snowden
Image Source: Getty Images
Oliver Stone rolled into town for the big gala screening of ‘Snowden’ on Saturday night; an eye-opening part rallying cry for holding governments to account and part Edward Snowden biopic, surrounding the events in the life of a complicated and hugely controversial character, and his decision to release thousands of classified documents which exposed the alarming extent to which the US conducts surveillance globally and on its own citizens.
Stone brought along his actors Rhys Ifans and Joely Richardson to Leicester Square, but star Joseph Gordon-Levitt was conspicuous in his absence, ‘Snowden’ is out now in the US with no current UK release date, you can see our LFF spoiler-free review here.
Snowden red carpet interviews (courtesy of BFI)
Before the Flood
Image Source: AP
Saturday also brought some major star power to the LFF red carpet when superstar and “UN Messenger of Peace” Leonardo DiCaprio rocked up at Leicester Square along with director Fisher Stevens, for a screening of their environmental documentary ‘Before the Flood’; an alarming look at the current extent of man-made climate change in the world and its imminent catastrophic effects, a frightening and depressing but hopeful and galvanising piece of work, featuring some of the globe’s great minds and influential figures. ‘Before the Flood’ is out on the 21st of October in the US with no UK release date yet.
Before the Flood red carpet interviews (courtesy of BFI)
Chi-Raq
Image Source: Amazon Studios
Despite being released at the end of last year in the US, Saturday also meant a screening of Spike Lee’s latest feature ‘Chi-Raq’; a contemporary musical drama based in the black communities of violence-riddled Chicago, where women decide to force their men to stop fighting by threatening strict abstinence in this modern adaptation of Aristophanes’ ancient Greek comedy “Lysistrata”. ”Chi-Raq’ is out on the 2nd of December in the UK.
Dog Eat Dog
Image Source: Arclight Films
Saturday also saw a screening for legendary writer-turned-director Paul Schrader’s (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull) outrageously nihilistic and darkly comedic ‘Dog Eat Dog’; the story of three troubled ex-cons whose friendship is tested when a tricky score goes wrong in this over-the-top ultra-violent crime drama starring Nicolas Cage and Willem Dafoe. ‘Dog Eat Dog’ is out on the 4th of November in the US and the 11th of November in the UK.
Sunday the 16th
Free Fire
Image Source: Getty Images
This year’s LFF screenings closed on Sunday by featuring a nod to 1970s American exploitation films with writer/director Ben Wheatley’s ‘Free Fire’; a riotous mix of comedy and violence featuring and ensemble cast, set in a Boston warehouse in the late 70s where an arms deal gone wrong turns into a shootout free-for-all.
Wheatley was in attendance along with stars Sam Riley, Babou Ceesay, Enzo Cilenti, Jack Reynor, Michael Smiley, Mark Monero, Sharlto Copley, Cillian Murphy, Armie Hammer and Tom Davis, ‘Free Fire’ is out in UK cinemas on the 31st of March 2017.
Free Fire Red carpet interviews (courtesy of BFI)
Awards at the 2016 London Film Festival—>
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