THE TIMES BFI 51st LONDON FILM FESTIVALThursday 13 September: The Times BFI 51st London Film Festival's full programme, announced today by Artistic Director Sandra Hebron, includes 184 features and 133 shorts as well as a host of screen talks, masterclasses and live events. THE FULL PROGRAMME IS NOW RUNNING LIVE AT WWW.LFF.ORG.UK
Opening the Festival on Thursday 17 October is the UK premiere of David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES with Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassel, whilst Wes Anderson closes the Festival on November 1 with the UK premiere of THE DARJEELING LIMITED, starring Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson and Adrien Brody.
The LFF will be hosting 7 world premieres this year! More than ever before! Including LIONS FOR LAMB � for which Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep and Robert Redford are all coming in!
We will also be expecting to see Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James), Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale and Heath Ledger for I'm Not There, Golden Lion winner at this years Venice Film Festival Ang Lee with this film Lust, Caution, Actor turned Director Sean Penn with Into The Wild, Sicko Director Michael Moore and Silver Lion winner Director Brian De Palma with Redacted don the red carpet at this 51st festival.
Hosting another 29 European and 128 UK premieres, the Festival also welcomes both familiar faces and newcomers, showcasing established and emerging talent throughout the 16 day cinematic celebration. The programme will also include Alexander Sokurov (ALEXANDRA), Abdellatif Kechiche (THE SECRET OF THE GRAIN), Fran�ois Ozon (ANGEL), Michael Haneke (FUNNY GAMES), Takeshi Kitano (GLORY TO THE FILMMAKER!), and Todd Haynes (I'M NOT THERE).
British filmmaking talent is strongly represented by Penny Woolcock (EXODUS), Nick Broomfield (BATTLE FOR HADITHA), Asif Kapadia (FAR NORTH), Richard Attenborough (CLOSING THE RING) as well as by newcomers Simon Welsford (JETSAM) and Joanna Hogg (UNRELATED), and a selection of documentaries and shorts.
Cinema-goers will also be transported around the globe with films from 43 countries including Israel, Lebanon, China and Korea, and with a special event ROMANIAN CINEMA: THE NEXT NEW WAVE?, exemplified by Cristian Mungiu's Palme d'Or winner 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS and Cristian Nemescu's CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' (ENDLESS). Spain's Iciar Bollain directs MATAHARIS while Hungary's ISKA'S JOURNEY is directed by Csaba Boll�k and Austrian IMPORT EXPORT comes from Ulrich Seidl. Argentinian double-bill: COPACABANA by Mart�n Rejtman with STARS by directing duo Federico Le�n & Marcos Mart�nez, sits alongside a strong Japanese presence including Masayuki Suo's I JUST DIDN'T DO IT and Cannes Grand Prix winner THE MOURNING FOREST by Naomi Kawase while Jia Zhangke's WU YONG (USELESS) hails from China.
The French Revolutions strand offers 14 of the country's latest exports including Samuel Benchetrit's I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A GANGSTER and CAPTAIN AHAB from Philippe Ramos, and French co-productions with Israel and Lebanon respectively bring Eran Kolirin's THE BAND'S VISIT and Nadine Labaki's CARAMEL. A brilliantly eclectic slate from the US includes Terry George's RESERVATION ROAD, Kevin Lima's ENCHANTED, SHOTGUN STORIES from Jeff Nichols and Kasi Lemmons' TALK TO ME.
Documentary fans have a wealth of choice including Kim Longinotto's HOLD ME TIGHT LET ME GO, Nicolas Philibert's BACK TO NORMANDY, Helena Trestikova's MARCELA from the Czech Republic, ZOO by Robinson Devor, WE WANT ROSES TOO by Alina Marazzi and Israeli Nadav Schirman's THE CHAMPAGNE SPY. Marc Evans directs IN PRISON MY WHOLE LIFE and DOES YOUR SOUL HAVE A COLD? comes from Mike Mills.
Celebrating restorations from archives around the world, Treasures from the Archives showcases features and shorts including: the magnificent ENAMORADA, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and extraordinary, neglected classic KILLER OF SHEEP. The big screen will also come to Trafalgar Square for two nights, ablaze with archive films that celebrate London as one of the world's great cinematic cities, including Alfred Hitchcock's BLACKMAIL.
Taking to the stage to discuss their careers and work will be Wes Anderson, Laura Linney, Steve Buscemi, Robert Rodriguez and Paul Greengrass, while David Lynch and Donovan will be 'Catching the Big Fish' together. Other expected guests include David Cronenberg, Naomi Watts, Sienna Miller, Andrew Dominik, Tang Wei, Ang Lee, Jason Schwartzman, Tom Cruise, Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Jan Svĕr�k, Michael Moore, Asif Kapadia, Halle Berry, Susanne Bier, Sean Penn, Michael Pitt, Todd Haynes and Casey Affleck.
Commenting on the Festival line-up, Sandra Hebron said: "In a very strong year for world cinema, we are delighted to be able to present such a wide ranging and high quality programme of films and special events, in which work by internationally renowned directors sits comfortably alongside that from many exciting new talents. We look forward to welcoming filmmakers, audiences and press and industry delegates alike to our two week celebration of the best, most creative and original films of the year."
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Robert Thomson, Editor, The Times, added: "The list of works gathered for The Times BFI London Film Festival is a tribute to the organisers and an indication that the country's lovers of film will be very busy in late October and early November. There will be the famous and the infamous, the stars and the hangers-on, but there will also be many a film whose intrinsic worth will broaden the mind and bring a smile to the face."
THE DARJEELING LIMITED ROLLS IN TO CLOSE THE TIMES BFI 51ST LONDON FILM FESTIVAL
THE DARJEELING LIMITED ROLLS IN TO CLOSE THE TIMES BFI 51ST LONDON FILM FESTIVAL
THE DARJEELING LIMITED ROLLS IN TO CLOSE THE TIMES BFI 51ST LONDON FILM FESTIVAL
THE DARJEELING LIMITED ROLLS IN TO CLOSE THE TIMES BFI 51ST LONDON FILM FESTIVAL
The Times BFI 51st London Film Festival is delighted to announce that Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited will be this year's Closing Gala on Thursday 1st November.
In The Darjeeling Limited, three American brothers who have not spoken to each other in a year set off on a train voyage across India with a plan to find themselves and bond with each other - to become brothers again like they used to be. Their "spiritual quest", however, veers rapidly off-course (due to events involving over-the-counter pain killers, Indian cough syrup, and pepper spray), and they eventually find themselves stranded alone in the middle of the desert with eleven suitcases, a printer, and a laminating machine. At this moment, a new, unplanned journey suddenly begins. Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman star in this film about their adventure and their friendship.
In addition to bringing the Festival's 16 day celebration of cinema to a close, Wes Anderson will give a career interview as part of its TCM Screen Talks series.
Festival Artistic Director Sandra Hebron comments: "Wes Anderson and his knockout cast are at their sparkling best in The Darjeeling Limited, and we're very excited to be closing our Festival with this original and hugely enjoyable film from one of our favourite auteurs."
EASTERN PROMISES TO OPEN THE TIMES BFI 51ST LONDON FILM FESTIVAL
The Times BFI 51st London Film Festival is delighted to announce that this year's Festival will open on Wednesday 17th October with David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises.
The London set thriller, written by Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things), reunites multi-award winning director David Cronenberg with his History of Violence leading man, Viggo Mortensen, and also stars Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel and Armin Mueller-Stahl.
The plot centres on the mysterious and ruthless Nikolai (Mortensen), who is tied to one of London's most notorious organised Russian crime families. A harrowing chain of murder, deceit and retribution is put in motion when he crosses paths with Anna (Watts), an innocent midwife, trying to right a wrong she accidentally uncovers�
Sandra Hebron, the Festival's Artistic Director comments: "It's hugely exciting that a director who has consistently thrilled and challenged us throughout his career has made a film in our city. This gripping, powerfully directed and acted story of lives colliding in contemporary London is the perfect opener for our Festival."
David Cronenberg adds: "I'm thrilled to be returning to the scene of the crime. Eastern Promises is the first film I've ever shot entirely away from my home in Canada, and it makes perfect sense that it is set in London, home of so many of my most potent film influences. I can't wait to be there!".
Tuesday 30th January 2007 - Festival Artistic Director Sandra Hebron announced today that The Times BFI 51st London Film Festival will take place from Wednesday 17 October through Thursday 1 November 2007.
The Times BFI London Film Festival is the most highly regarded and anticipated film event in the UK's cultural calendar, attracting leading international filmmakers, industry professionals and the media together with large public audiences to London for a two week showcase of the best cinema from around the world. The Times BFI London Film Festival is one of Europe's largest non-competitive festivals. The 2006 edition welcomed 1,649 visiting international filmmakers and industry professionals as well as 900 press delegates from 51 countries.
Alongside a public screening programme which presented 183 feature films and 131 short films in 2006, the Festival hosts panel discussions, live events, screen talks, and Q&As as well as a comprehensive education programme and a slate of industry events and screenings.
Already scouting for films for this year's programme, Sandra Hebron said,
"We are very much looking forward to presenting the 51st edition of the Festival, bringing to London some of the finest international cinema that will appeal to a broad spectrum of audiences. Whilst the Festival will present quality films which otherwise would not be seen in the UK, our autumn dates make us ideally positioned to premiere high profile quality titles due for winter and spring release, as well as to showcase some of the most hotly anticipated awards contenders. After the success of the 50th anniversary and the confidence shown in the Festival, we are looking forward to the next half century and in the coming weeks we will be announcing more specific plans, including our enhanced industry programme."
The full Times BFI London Film Festival programme for 2007 will be announced in mid September.
