02/09/2022 - The primo UK film gathering has unveiled a starry array of gala screenings, with its full programme comprising 164 features and 23 world premieres

The BFI London Film Festival (LFF) has lifted the lid on its customary line-up of awards-season hopefuls and domestic premieres of festival favourites for its annual gathering, set to take place from 5-16 October, an earlier time in the month than usual. Celebrating its 66th edition this year, it will host 164 features across its line-up, with 23 of them being world premieres. At the official launch earlier this week, the festival was also proud to announce that 41% of the programme will be composed of female and non-binary directors, with 34% made by ethnically diverse directors and creators. Over 60 countries are represented in the line-up.

The festival’s big, star-studded gala screenings include Sam Mendes’ 1980s-set drama Empire of Light [+see also:
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making of
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Female solidarity and the fight for justice are also key issues that the festival seeks to highlight, as seen in their gala selections of the Weinstein exposé drama She Said by Maria Schrader, Women Talking by Sarah Polley and Chinonye Chukwu’s Till.

BFI CEO Ben Roberts stated that he was “immensely proud of the BFI London Film Festival and the talented team who take it from strength to strength every year”. Furthermore, he said, “They continue to find creative ways of reaching new audiences across the UK, including through our free programme and a wider range of work, such as our series, VR and immersive works. The LFF provides a vital platform for global filmmakers, and I’m excited to see such a bold and expansive range of films, more world premieres than ever and an incredible range of debuts from UK directors.”

Tricia Tuttle, the festival’s director, also said, “If there is something that unites these brilliant but disparate works, it’s the boldness and ambition of their filmmakers and creators. As we emerge from an unprecedented period of disruption and change – a global health crisis, instability, climate change – artists are our North Star, helping guide us and shape our understanding in a complex and often confusing world.”

The line-ups for the festival’s competitive sections are as follows:

Official Competition

Argentina, 1985 - Santiago Mitre (Argentina/USA)
Brother - Clement Virgo (Canada)
Corsage [+see also:
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interview: Marie Kreutzer
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The Damned Don’t Cry [+see also:
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film profile] - Fyzal Boulifa (France/Belgium/Morocco)
Enys Men [+see also:
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interview: Mark Jenkin
film profile] - Mark Jenkin (UK)
Godland [+see also:
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interview: Elliott Crosset Hove
interview: Hlynur Pálmason
film profile] - Hlynur Pálmason (Denmark/Iceland/France/Sweden)
Nezouh [+see also:
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film profile] - Saudade Kaadan (UK/Syria/France)
Saint Omer [+see also:
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interview: Alice Diop
interview: Kayije Kagame
film profile] - Alice Diop (France)

First Feature Competition

1976 - Manuela Martelli (Chile/Argentina/Qatar)
Blue Jean [+see also:
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interview: Georgia Oakley
film profile] - Georgia Oakley (UK)
Jeong-sun - Jeong Ji-hye (South Korea)
Joyland - Saim Sadiq (Pakistan)
Medusa Deluxe [+see also:
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Our Lady of the Chinese Shop - Ery Claver (Angola)
Robe of Gems - Natalia López Gallardo (Argentina/Mexico)
Rodeo [+see also:
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interview: Lola Quivoron and Julie Ledru
film profile] - Lola Quivoron (France)

Documentary Competition

All That Breathes [+see also:
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interview: Shaunak Sen
film profile] - Shaunak Sen (India/UK/USA)
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed - Laura Poitras (USA)
Casa Susanna [+see also:
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interview: Sébastien Lifshitz
film profile] - Sébastien Lifshitz (France/USA)
The Future Tense - Christine Molloy/Joe Lawlor (Ireland/UK)
Kanaval: A People’s History of Haiti in Six Chapters - Leah Gordon/Eddie Hutton Mills (Haiti/UK)
Lynch/Oz - Alexandre O. Philippe (USA)
Name Me Lawand [+see also:
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film profile] - Edward Lovelace (UK)
What About China? - Trinh Minh-ha (USA/China/Singapore)