Earlier this month the BFI launched the programme for this year’s London Film Festival, and although many assumed, like with most events this year, that it will be cancelled or postponed in some way – but by some miracle I am so happy to announce that the festival is not only ON, but is accessible to more people across the UK than ever before, due to the virtual nature.
This festival always has such a diverse array of films that there is guaranteed to be a few films to spark your interest.
All films in the programme will be available to be streamed live, online within the UK from the comfort of your home or work. So no need to travel into London, although those who love true “cinema vibes” when viewing a new film, can book tickets to attend the films being shown in Central London at the BFI Southbank or the many partner cinemas including The Barbican Centre and the Prince Charles Cinema as well as a few venues outside of London.
The festival is made up of
- 58 Films from around the world – accessible digitally across the UK
- A selection of previews being screened at selected cinemas across the UK
- Selected Features, all Talks. Short Films and XR/Immersive experiences are all FREE!
- 21 XR/ Immersive works, including a commission of a brand new 360-degree version of Darren Emerson’s acclaimed COMMON GROUND
Take a look at the trailer for this year’s exciting festival…
The opening feature film is Mangrove starring the amazingly talented Letitia Wright who also starred in the blockbuster Black Panther & the brilliant Urban Hymn which I reviewed back in 2016 and immediately became a huge fan.
FULL PROGRAMME AVAILABLE AT https://www.bfi.org.uk/explore-our-festivals/bfi-london-film-festival
Each screening will be presented with an intro or Q&A from filmmakers and programmers.
The Festival also includes many ways audiences can engage with the Festival for free: LFF Opening screenings of Mangrove in cinemas across the UK; selected feature films on BFI Player; an international programme of short films featuring established and breakthrough film talents; Screen Talks with major filmmakers and actors, as well as all online salons and Q&As across the Festival which will give audiences an opportunity to delve more deeply into themes and talking points emerging from the programme.
The recently announced LFF Expanded strand of XR and Immersive Art will also be free to access both virtually and at BFI Southbank for the duration of the Festival.
As usual films at the festival fall into a themed strand, I find this makes navigation of film types easier and quicker.
The strands this year are :
Love, Debate, Laugh, Dare, Cult, Journey, Create, Experimenta, Family and Treasures.
LOVE
Sweet, passionate, tough, complex β the films here chart the highs and lows of many kinds of love from around the globe.
DEBATE
Representing films that amplify, scrutinize and surprise, this year’s debate programme also features many powerful cinematic calls for social and racial justice
LAUGH
From laugh-out-loud comedy to dry and understated, Laugh (proudly supported by American Express) celebrates humour in many forms.
DARE
In-your-face, up-front and arresting films in Dare take you out of your comfort zone. The strand is proudly supported by The May Fair Hotel.
CULT
From the mind-altering and unclassifiable to fantasy, sci-fi and horror, our 2020 Cult strand features strong stories centred on and directed by women.
JOURNEY
Whether it’s the journey or the destination, these films will transport you and shift your perspective. The strand is proudly supported by American Airlines.
CREATE
The Create strand (proudly supported by The Mayor of London through Film London) channels the electricity of the creative process, celebrating artistic expression in all its forms.
FAMILY
Showcasing films for the young, as well as the young at heart.
TREASURES
This year’s Treasures strand brings recently restored cinematic classics and discoveries from archives around the world to audiences across the UK.
EXPERIMENTA
Experimenta features films and videos by artists that revolutionise and reshape our vision of cinema.
Trailers for 35 films featuring in the festival can be viewed here…
Make sure you download the BFI LFF Programme & Purchase tickets from here
Isn’t it great to finally have something to look forward to, that we can safely do at home?
Enjoy the festival & Thanks for reading!
Chanel x
Chanel Williams