The 2021 BFI London Film Festival — set to run Oct. 6-17 — has unveiled its full program, with a sizeable haul of major titles joining the lineup.
Alongside already announced opener, The Harder They Fall, gala screening The Power of the Dog, closing night film The Tragedy of Macbeth and the official competition titles, other films added to the mix now include Kenneth Branagh’s Telluride-bowing Belfast, Wes Anderson’s all-star feature The French Dispatch, Pablo Larrain’s Kristen Stewart-starring Princess Diana fable Spencer (which recently premiered in Venice), and Last Night in Soho, Edgar Wright’s homage to central London starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie (also a Venice title). Alongside the return of LFF Expanded, a program of immersive art and extended reality works, in the festival’s first full LFF Series, for TV and episodic work, the hotly-anticipated third season of Succession will be getting a special presentation.
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The full program includes 159 feature films — including 21 world premieres — screenings to audiences in theatres across London and the U.K. through partner cinemas and virtual premieres on the BFI Player platform. Flexing some impressive diversity stats, 39 percent of the program comes from female and non-binary directors/creators co-directors/creators, with 40 percent from ethnically diverse directors/creators.
“In early 2020, we set out how we would build on the vibrant established film programme at LFF to expand the festival: with programming to include Series and XR, new free and UK-wide screenings and events, and by developing the industry programme to showcase new British talent to international industry guests. While we had to adapt those ambitions for the pandemic, we are back in full force this year and you’ll really see that vision played out in the model for the festival this year,” said festival director Tricia Tuttle.
“After this last 18 months so many of us are eager for opportunities to connect around shared cultural events, and we’re looking forward to bringing people together over the 12 days of the LFF to view this truly exceptional programme of film, series and immersive art we’re announcing today. These are works which have moved us, provoked us, made us think and feel, and made us look at the world a little differently this year. There is absolutely something for everyone here and we can’t wait for people to join us for BFI London Film Festival – whether in London, around the UK or at home.”
The full list of LFF headline galas, to screen at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, is as follows:
The Power Of The Dog, Jane Campion
Belfast, Kenneth Branagh
The French Dispatch, Wes Anderson
Benedetta, Paul Verhoeven
King Richard, Reinaldo Marcus Green
Last Night In Soho, Edgar Wright
Mothering Sunday, Eva Husson
The Lost Daughter, Maggie Gyllenhaal
The Souvenir: Part II, Joanna Hogg
Spencer, Pablo Larraín
Ron’s Gone Wrong, Sarah Smith, Jean Philippe-Vine
Also screening at the Royal Festival Hall, this year’s Special Presentations include:
Ali & Ava, Clio Barnard
Drive My Car, Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Benediction, Terence Davies
Great Freedom, Sebastian Meise
The Phantom Of The Open, Craig Roberts
Memoria, Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Titane, Julia Ducournau
Paris, 13th District, Jacques Audiard
The Velvet Underground, Todd Haynes
Flee, Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Neptune Frost, Saul Williams, Anisia Uzeyman
Succession, Jesse Armstrong (creator-showrunner)
As previously announced, LFF’s official competition titles include Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God, Justin Kurzel’s Nitram, Harry Wootliff’s True Things, Belle from Mamoru Hosoda, Michelangelo Frammartino’s Il Buco, Panah Panahi’s Hit the Road, Michel Franco’s Sundown and Lingui, The Sacred Bonds from Mahamat-Saleh Haroun.
In the first feature category, The Alleys (Bassel Grandeur), Azor (Andreas Fontana), Costa Brava Lebanon (Mounia Akl), Prayers for the Stolen (Tatiana Huezo), The Feast (Lee Haven Jones), Small Body (Laura Samani), Playground (Laura Wandel), and White Building (Kavich Neang) will compete for the Sutherland Award.
Titles competing from the Grierson Award in the documentary competition include All About My Sisters (Wang Qiong), Babi Yar. Context (Sergei Loznitsa), Becoming Cousteau (Liz Garbus), The Dance (Pat Collins), A Cop Movie (Alonso Ruizpalacios), Faya Dayi (Jessica Beshir), Cow (Andrea Arnold), Nascondino (Hide And Seek) (Victoria Fiore).
