The 68th BFI London Film Festival has revealed its star-studded 2024 line-up, featuring Angelina Jolie, Elton John, Daniel Craig, Florence Pugh, Andrew Garfield, Saoirse Ronan and more in a programme featuring 39 world premieres and 12 international premieres from 253 feature films, shorts, series and immersive works.
The festival's main screenings will include a number of notable films. The festival will open with the premiere of Steve McQueen's “Blitz” starring Ronan, while Morgan Neville's “Piece by Piece” will close.
Other festive screenings include Elton John: It's Never Too Late directed by RJ Cutler and David Furnish, Anora directed by Sean Baker, The Apprentice directed by Ali Abbasi starring Sebastian Stan, Bird directed by Andrea Arnold, Conclave directed by Edward Berger starring Ralph Fiennes, Emilia Perez directed by Jacques Audiard, Harsh Truths directed by Mike Leigh, Joy directed by Ben Taylor, Maria directed by Pablo Larraín starring Angelina Jolie, Nightpitch directed by Marielle Heller starring Amy Adams, The Room Next Door directed by Pedro Almodóvar starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, The Christmas directed by Simon Otto, and We Live in Time directed by John Crowley starring Pugh and Garfield.
World premieres also include the Irish comedy Four Mothers directed by Darren Thornton, the documentary Endurance directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, the Bulgarian drama Way directed by Milko Lazarov, Thank You for Banking with Us directed by Leila Abbas, the documentary Shadow Scientists directed by Eloise King, The Way We Talk directed by Adam Wong Sau Ping, Walking on Water directed by Geno Evans, and the restoration of Watership Down directed by Martin Rosen.
International premieres include “Nice Indian Boy” directed by Roshan Sethi with Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff, the documentary “Twiggy” directed by Sadie Frost, “I Am Your Venus” directed by Kimberly Reid, and “Pauline Black: A Bi-Color Story” directed by Jane Mingay.
Festival specials include “All That We Imagine as Light” by Payal Kapadia, “The Poem of Suzanne César” by Madeleine Hunt Ehrlich, “Dahomey” by Mati Diop, “Harvest” by Athena Rachel Tsangari, “I’m Still Here” by Walter Sallis, “The Nickel Boys” by Ramelle Ross, “Queer” by Luca Guadagnino with Craig, “Real Pain” by Jesse Eisenberg, and “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” by Mohammad Rasoulof.
The festival’s first feature film competition includes films by new directors, including “Crocodile Tears” by Tombal Tambopolon, “Hanami” by Denise Fernandez, “Happy End” by Neo Sora, “The Last Swim” by Sacha Nathwani, “My Eternal Summer” by Silvia Le Fanu, “Olivia and the Clouds” by Tomas Pichardo Espaillat, “The Fall” by Laura Carrera, “Santhosh” by Sandhya Suri, “September Says” by Ariane Lapid, “To an Unknown Land” by Mehdi Fleifel, and “Who Do I Belong To?” by Myriam Joobeur.
The festival will also feature Screen Talks, in-depth interviews with leaders in contemporary cinema including Andrea Arnold, Steve McQueen, Mike Leigh, Denis Villeneuve, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Lupita Nyong'o, Zoe Saldana and Daniel Kaluuya.
The festival’s feature film programme is organised around specific themes to encourage discovery and open the festival to new audiences. These themes include love, debate, laughter, challenge, excitement, worship, journey, creativity, experience, family and treasures.
LFF Expanded, the festival’s immersive art and extended reality programme, returns with installations at the Bargehouse at Oxo Tower Wharf, BFI Southbank, BFI IMAX and Outernet London. This year’s programme features works by leading UK and international artists, including Liam Young, Adrien M & Claire B, Anagram, Darkfield, Memo Akten & Katie Peyton Hofstadter. For the first time, LFF Expanded will also showcase video games in an interactive gaming lounge.
The festival, which runs from October 9 to 20, showcases works from 79 countries in 63 languages, with 44% of the programme made by female and non-binary directors.
“Cinematic ideas come in many forms, and this year, artists have taken us to new heights of joy and touched our most delicate depths,” said Kristy Mathieson, Director of the BFI London Film Festival. “Troubled stories lie on the surface alongside optimistic futures, all explored in unique and creative ways.”
“The real joy of the London Film Festival for me is seeing the hard work of so many talented filmmakers come to life and giving them the fame and buzz they deserve,” added Ben Roberts, chief executive of the British Film Institute.
