BFI London Film Festival 2018
As we head towards year’s end into the meatier season for film releases, and the frenzy of awards season which follows, October as always signalled the return of the world’s most accessible major film festival (and one of the year’s final global film events), as filmmakers and media from across the globe gathered in the ‘Big Smoke’ and joined the great British public for 12 days of film promotion and appreciation at the 62nd London Film Festival (LFF), brought to us by the British Film Institute (BFI). Once again over 200 films from all corners of the globe were on show, and of course there were prizes awarded for the films in competition this year.
With the good and the great of global cinema gracing the glitzy red carpets of London’s Leicester Square, and the British public once again treated to the glory of international cinema, often months before general releases, we break down the big happenings at the BFI LFF this year. You can also see the full schedule of this year’s LFF and much more on the official BFI site at http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff, and all of our LFF reviews so far here . . . but stay tuned for many more to come.
Galas & Screenings
Week 1
Wednesday the 10th
Widows
Image Source: Getty Images
After being awarded a BFI Fellowship at the end of 2016’s festival, director Steve McQueen returned to the LFF this year with female empowerment in mind, opening the festival proceedings with his contemporary adaptation of 80s British TV series ‘Widows’. His tale, co-written with ‘Gone Girl’ author Gillian Flynn, is centred on a group of disparate Chicago wives who form a criminal crew, taking matters into their own hands to protect their families after their husbands pay the ultimate price for a life of crime . . leaving them with debts to dangerous people.
McQueen was in attendance with his producer Iain Canning and composer Hans Zimmer, plus the films stars Michelle Rodriguez, Viola Davis and Daniel Kaluuya, ‘Widows’ is out on the 6th of November in UK cinemas, and on the 16th of November in the US, you can see our LFF review here.
Widows Opening Night Gala at the LFF 2018 (courtesy of BFI)
Thunder Road
Image Source: The 10 East
As in previous years at the LFF, the out-of-competition and non-gala screenings were divided into themed strands, and the ‘Dare’ strand saw its first participant on opening day with a screening of Jim Cummings‘ quirky but poignant American dramedy ‘Thunder Road’; the tale of an emotionally unstable small town cop and single father, whose life begins to unravel when her fails to deal with his mother’s death, unleashing a stream of grief and confronting honesty out into the world. ‘Thunder Road’ is out now in the US with no UK date yet.
Thunder Road trailer (courtesy of Jim Cummings)
Asako I & II (Netemo Sametemo)
Image Source: Bitters End
The first ‘Love’ strand entry this year came in the form of Japanese representation, as writer/director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi brought screening of unconventional romantic drama ‘Asako I & II’—the story of a young woman whose impulsive, free-spirited lover inexplicably disappears, only for her to fall for a very different man who is his perfect doppelgänger two years later. ‘Asako I & II’ is out on the 1st of September in Japan, with no other release dates yet.
Asako I & II clip (courtesy of BFI)
Thursday the 11th
Colette
Image Source: Getty Images
A busy day two at the LFF this year was rounded off with a dose of female empowerment, as writer/director Wash Westmoreland gathered his stars Keira Knightley and Dominic West for a BFI Patrons’ Gala screening of historical yet timely biographical drama ‘Colette’.
The story of a naive country girl—controlled by an older husband who takes credit for her writing when her novels become the talk of the town in turn-of-the century Paris—who comes into her own as she pushes the boundaries of the society around her to become a groundbreaking literary figure. ‘Colette’ is out now in selected US cinemas, and on the 25th of January 2019 in the UK.
Colette at the LFF (courtesy of HeyUGuys)
Border (Gräns)
Image Source: Getty Images
The second gala screening on Thursday represented the ‘Dare’ strand and is a surefire contender for this year’s most unique and idiosyncratic film at the LFF—no small feat indeed—as writer/director Ali Abbasi graced the LFF red carpet for a screening of his bizarre contemporary romantic Swedish fairy tale ‘Border’. It tells the tale of an outsider border guard with an abnormal physical appearance and extra sensory abilities, whose life is transformed by an enigmatic traveller who shares her traits, but confronts her with truths which challenge her very identity. ‘Border’ is out on the 26th of October in the US, and on the 15th of February 2019 in the UK, you can check out our review here.
Border trailer (courtesy of Neon)
Happy New Year, Colin Burstead.
Image Source: Getty Images
The first Thursday also saw the first official competition entry at the LFF this year, as BFI favourite Ben Wheatley changed gears to character drama and brought us his latest feature ‘Happy New Year, Colin Burstead.’; a perceptive British tale of family dysfunction set at a family new year celebration in a rented country estate, where a man’s position in the family is challenged by the arrival of his estranged brother, who changes the group dynamic with unsettling consequences.
The writer/director was joined on the Leicester Square red carpet by a large portion of his cast including Richard Glover, Alexandra Maria Lara, Sinead Matthews, Mark Monero, Sura Dohnke, Ben Wheatley, Peter Ferdinando, Sarah Baxendale, Andrew Starke, Sam Riley and Vincent Ebrahim, ‘Happy New Year, Colin Burstead.’ has no confirmed release dates yet.
Ben Wheatley on Happy New Year, Colin Burstead at the LFF (courtesy of HeyUGuys)
Arctic
Image Source: Pegasus Pictures
Thursday also saw audiences take a trip with the first ‘Journey’ strand screening of this year’s festival, in the form of Brazilian YouTube star and director Joe Penna’s debut feature ‘Arctic’—a tense survival tale following the fate of a polar cargo pilot who struggles to stay alive in the barren and unforgiving Arctic plains after crashing, relying on his resourcefulness and sheer will to survive . . . and become a rescuer of a rescuer. ‘Arctic’ is out in French cinemas on the 5th of December, with no confirmed UK date.
Arctic Cannes clip (courtesy of TheUpcoming)
Lizzie
Image Source: Destro Films
The first Thursday at the LFF this year also threw up a second biographical female emancipation feature for the #MeToo era, but an alltogether darker affair than the day’s big gala screening, as Craig William Macneill applies his morbid cinematic sensibilities to a notorious American crime story, bringing it to UK audiencies for the first time. Set in Massachusetts at the turn of the century, ‘Lizzie’ tells the revisionist story of a young woman tormented by a domineering father, who finds solace in a burgeoning relationship with the household maid and seeks a grisly solution to her problems. ‘Lizzie’ is out now in the US, and on the 14th of December in UK cinemas.
Lizzie trailer (courtesy of RoadsideFlix)
Sorry to Bother You
Image Source: Getty Images
Charged with lightening the mood as part of the ‘Laugh’ strand, American writer/director Boots Riley made his first LFF visit on Thursday with a screening of his social satire, greed parable and feature debut ‘Sorry to Bother You’; the story of a young black Californian telemarketer who figures out the key to success, perfecting his ‘white voice’, raising his station in life but uncovering a sinister corporate conspiracy and presenting him with new existential problems which challenge his sense of self. ‘Sorry to Bother You’ is out now in the US, and on the 7th of December in the UK, you can see our LFF review here.
Sorry to Bother You trailer (courtesy of Annapurna Pictures)
The Breaker Upperers
Image Source: Piki Films
Not to be outdone on the comedy stakes, the Kiwis were also in full force on Thursday as writer/directors and Taika Waititi alumni Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami brought their quirky deadpan feature ‘The Breaker Upperers’ to the LFF. It tells the story of two cynical, commitment-averse free spirits who run a professional agency geared towards breaking up couples, but whose own unique friendship is put on the line when unexpected relationships put their life decisions under the spotlight. ‘The Breaker Upperers’ is out now in New Zealand, with no UK dates yet.
The Breaker Upperers trailer (courtesy of Switch)
Friday the 12th
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Image Source: Getty Images
The first Friday at the LFF this year brought some major Netflix presence and a third visit to the festival from master filmmakers Joel & Ethan Coen, as they brought along stars Bill Heck, Harry Melling, Zoe Kazan, Tim Blake Nelson and Jonjo O’Neil for a headline gala screening of their Western anthology ‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs’; a compendium of six stories set in the 19th century American frontier, chronicling the old American West in trademark idiosyncratic style, beginning with the all-singing gun-slinging titular character. ‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs’ is out on the 16th of November on Netflix, you can check out our LFF review here.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs at the LFF (courtesy of BFI)
The Old Man & the Gun
Image Source: Getty Images
The beginning of the first weekend at the LFF this year also saw writer/director David Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, A Ghost Story) flying solo on the LFF red carpet for an official competition screening of his reflective true story drama ‘The Old Man & the Gun’. It tells the tale of geriatric jailbird Forrest Tucker, possibly the most charming bank robber in history, who pulled off heists without forgetting his manners while enchanting the woman who loves him despite himself, and charming the authorities who chased him . . . doing it all his way till the end. ‘The Old Man & the Gun’ is out now in selected US cinemas, and on the 7th of December in the UK.
The Old Man & the Gun trailer (courtesy of FoxSearchlight)
The Guilty (Den Skyldige)
Image Source: Nordisk Film
Scandinavian and Nordic film continued to make its presence felt at this year’s festival on Friday, as the ‘Thrill’ strand got a taste of Danish cinematic delight when Gustav Möller director brought a screening of his taught minimalist chamber piece ‘The Guilty’—an ultra-tense crime thriller taking place in one room and through telephone conversations, following a troubled cop recently demoted to dispatch duty, who is pulled into a sinister domestic dispute when he receives a call from a potential kidnap victim. ‘The Guilty’ is out in Denmark now, and on the 26th of October in UK cinemas.
The Guilty trailer (courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)
Manto
Image Source: Viacom18 Motion Pictures
Indian cinema also made its first LFF foray of this year on Friday, when a ‘Create’ strand screen brought Bollywood star-turned-writer/director Nandita Das’ biographical period drama and personal portrait of Indian partition ‘Manto’ to the festival—set during the 1940s and focused on one of the most revered and controversial writers of the time Saadat Hasan Manto, as he left his native Bombay for the new Muslim nation of Pakistan, facing deep personal struggles while being caught between two raging worlds. ‘Manto’ is out now in India, with no UK date yet.
Manto trailer (courtesy of Viacom18 Motion Pictures)
Ash is Purest White (Jiang Hu Er Nv)
Image Source: Arte France Cinéma
The ‘Journey’ strand screening on Friday brought one of many Chinese participants to this year’s festival, when writer/director Jia Zhangke’s decade-spanning crime romance ‘Ash is Purest White’ screened at the LFF; a tale of love and loyalty in the midst of violence, following a woman who tracks down her mobster lover after spending hard time in prison for protecting him during a gang war. ‘Ash Is Purest White’ is out now in China, with no UK date yet.
Ash is Purest White trailer (courtesy of CPH PIX)
Utøya – July 22 (Utøya 22. Juli)
Image Source: Getty Images
As is sometimes the case with films covering the same specific topic, October this year will see two dramas centred around the terrorist atrocities of 2011 in Norway, and while Netflix brought us the Paul Greengrass English language take, LFF audiences were treated to a preview of Erik Poppe’s Norwegian version ‘Utøya – July 22’ before its 26th of October release in the UK. It follows the fate of a teenage girl who is plunged into a struggle to survive and track down her little sister, after a lone-wolf terrorist perpetrates a massacre at a children’s political summer camp on the Norwegian island of Utøya.
Utøya – July 22 trailer (courtesy of Cine maldito)
Saturday the 13th
Beautiful Boy
Image Source: Getty Images
The headline gala on the first Saturday at the LFF brought addiction and its devastating effects on family to the LFF spotlight, as Belgian writer/director Felix Van Groeningen brought his heartbreaking American tale—adapted from the memoirs of real life subjects David & Nic Sheff who were also present—to the Leicester Square red carpet, accompanied by co-writer Luke Davies, Plan-B star producers Jeremy Kleiner and Dede Gardner, plus the film’s two stars Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet.
‘Beautiful Boy’ tells the tale of Nic Sheff, a sensitive and artistic but morose young San Franciscan, whose existence is hijacked by the monster of addiction and substance abuse which fills a hole in his young soul, undoing the close and loving relationship with his father David, himself struggling with what his son has become but never giving up on him—finding the strength to accept how he can help his boy . . . and when he can’t. ‘Beautiful Boy’ is out now in the US, and on the 18th of January 2019 in the UK, you can see our review here.
Beautiful Boy at the LFF (courtesy of BFI)
Roma
Image Source: Getty Images
Saturday also brought more memorable Netflix participation to the LFF, and a potential first Oscar contender for the streaming giants, as masterful Mexican auteur Alfonso Cuarón screened the return to his roots, an unforgettable female-led meditation on family, class and the idea of home named ‘Roma’. A black & white Spanish language character piece set in the social and political bustle of Mexico in the early 70s, following the tribulations of an upper middle-class family and their domestic servants, who prove the stoic beating heart of the group. ‘Roma’ is available on the 14th of December on Netflix, you can see our LFF review here.
Alfonso Cuarón on Roma at the LFF(courtesy of BFI)
Wildlife
Image Source: Getty Images
The first feature competition also saw some action on Saturday, as accomplished young actor-turned-director Paul Dano was joined by his partner and co-screenwriter Zoe Kazan for a UK premiere of their nuanced American family drama ‘Wildlife’; an adaptation of the Richard Ford novel set in Montana in the early 60s, as a dignified teenager begins to suffer in silence as he watches his family fall apart when his dad becomes absent and his mom holds down the fort, while seeking solace in the arms of another man. ‘Wildlife’ is now in selected US theatres, and on the 9th of November in the UK, you can see our LFF review here.
Wildlife trailer (courtesy of BFI)
Too Late to Die Young (Tarde Para Morir Joven)
Image Source: Getty Images
The official competition also got some play on Saturday in Chilean period style when writer/director Dominga Sotomayor brought her semi-autobiographical coming-of-age tale ‘Too Late to Die Young’ to the LFF—part road movie part personal journey drama, set in 1990 after the fall of Pinochet and the rebirth of Chilean democracy, when a group of youngsters travel to a remote forest commune to see out the summer, and face the accompanying emotional and physical challenges. ‘Too Late to Die Young’ has no confirmed release dates yet.
Too Late to Die Young trailer (courtesy of Film Society of Lincoln Center)
The Hummingbird Project
Image Source: Getty Images
Canadian cinema also showed its face at the LFF on the first Saturday, as French-Canadian director Kim Nguyen brought along his producer Pierre Even and two of the film’s stars Alexander Skarsgard and Anna Maguire for a ‘Thrill’ strand screening of ‘The Hummingbird Project’—a crime and corruption thriller of the digital age, centered around a couple of high-frequency trading hustler cousins with ambitions to own the game by low-jacking the infrastructure, placing them in the crosshairs of their rampaging former boss.‘The Hummingbird Project’ has no confirmed UK or US dates yet.
Sunday the 14th
The Front Runner
Image Source: Getty Images
Writer/director Jason Reitman stepped into the LFF on the first Sunday with the state of modern politics and the media on his mind, treading the headline gala red carpet with a political drama ripped from the late 80s headlines, featuring a notorious political scandal which ended a career . . . yet would struggle to hit the front pages in today’s ludicrous news cycle.
‘The Front Runner’ tells the true story of former political high-flyer senator Gary Hart, the front-runner for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination, and favourite to try and wrestle the White House from the grip of the Reaganite republicans, whose political career is derailed by tabloid scandal and accusations of affairs. ‘The Front Runner’ is out in US cinemas on the 21st of November, and on the 25th of January 2019 in the UK.
The Front Runner at the LFF (courtesy of BFI)
Destroyer
Image Source: Getty Images
The official competition proceedings on the first Sunday brought American director Karyn Kusama to the LFF with her superstar lead and festival regular Nicole Kidman and producers Phil Hay and Fred Berger in tow, for a screening their brooding detective crime drama ‘Destroyer’; the story of a jaded LAPD detective who’s forced to confront the trauma of a previous gang case when the prime suspect re-emerges, plunging her back into the world of shifty characters as she tries to track down her man and finally close the case. ‘Destroyer’ is out Christmas day in the US, and on the 25th of January 2019 in the UK.
Destroyer at the LFF (courtesy of BFI)
Dogman
Image Source: Getty Images
After the success of his latest at May’s Cannes Film Festival, director Matteo Garrone (Gomorrah, Tale of Tales) and his star Marcello Fonte lit up the ‘Dare’ gala proceedings on Sunday with his latest gritty Italian drama ‘Dogman’—a modern tale of revenge with classic western undertones, about a diminutive and unassuming dog groomer who seeks to righteous vengeance against the local hard-man, who habitually humiliates him and terrorises the neighbourhood. ‘Dogman’ is out now in UK cinemas, with no US date yet.
Dogman LFF Q&A (courtesy of BFI)
Fahrenheit 11/9
Image Source: Getty Images
Ahead of its UK release on the following Friday, Sunday also saw a special presentation screening for Oscar-winning documentarian Michael Moore’s latest national warning trumpet and American rallying cry ‘Fahrenheit 11/9’. Here the skilled polemicist takes aim at another event which changed American politics and its society—the election of Donald Trump—as he shines a light on the populous and the current state of the nation to determine how it got to this point, while attempting to plot a course for the future in the lead-up to the mid-term elections . . . and deliver a warning of things to come.
Fahrenheit 11/9 at the LFF (courtesy of BFI)
Week 2 at the 2018 London Film Festival—>
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