Eric Bana, Sarah Snook, Barry Keoghan Featured in 2024 BFI London Film Fest

The 68th BFI London Film Festival (LFF) has unveiled the 11 films competing for its prestigious best film award this year. Representing an impressive array of international filmmaking talent, these films hail from 13 different countries.

The selected films include:

“Memoir of a Snail” (Australia) directed by Adam Elliot: This stop-motion animated film depicts the tale of separated twins in 1970s Australia, combining humor and emotion. Featuring Sarah Snook, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Eric Bana, it previously won the best film at Annecy this year.

“Bring Them Down” (Ireland-U.K.-Belgium) directed by Christopher Andrews: This film presents a portrait of two feuding farming families in rural Ireland, starring Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott. It follows its special presentation at the Toronto Film Festival.

“On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” (Zambia-U.K.-Ireland) directed by Rungano Nyoni: This film delves into tradition, abuse, and resilience within a Zambian family. It premiered at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section, where Nyoni won the best director award.

“April” (France-Georgia-Italy) directed by Dea Kulumbegashvili: An exploration of rural Georgian life, this film centers around a doctor held responsible after a newborn dies during childbirth. Produced by Luca Guadagnino, it was in contention for the Golden Lion at Venice.

“The Extraordinary Miss Flower” (U.K.) directed by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard: This biographical film delves into the life of Geraldine Flower, whose secret love letters suggest a possible life of espionage. The film features music by Iceland’s Emilíana Torrini.

“Four Mothers” (Ireland-U.K.) directed by Darren Thornton: This adaptation of Gianni Di Gregorio’s 2008 LFF winner “Mid-August Lunch” tells the tale of a queer novelist caring for his aging mother and three other elderly women during Pride.

“Living in Two Worlds” (Japan) directed by Mipo O: This film follows Dai, a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), as he navigates between the worlds of sound and silence. It was previously a Golden Goblet nominee at the Shanghai Film Festival.

“Thank You for Banking With Us” (Palestine-Germany) directed by Laila Abbas: A story of two sisters racing against time to secure their inheritance amid patriarchal systems.

“The Wolves Always Come at Night” (Australia-Mongolia-Germany) directed by Gabrielle Brady: This hybrid documentary portrays a Mongolian family facing climate change. It premiered in Toronto in the Platform section.

“Under the Volcano” (Poland) directed by Damian Kocur: The film illustrates a sunny beach holiday for a Ukrainian family, disrupted by the outbreak of war, turning them into refugees. It debuted in Toronto and opened at Gdynia.

“Vermiglio” (Italy-France-Belgium) directed by Maura Delpero: Set in a remote Italian mountain village, this period piece explores the impact of a deserting soldier on a tranquil community. It was in contention for the Golden Lion at Venice.

The winner of the best film award will be revealed on October 20. Past winners include Hamaguchi Ryusuke’s “Evil Does Not Exist” from 2023 and Marie Kreutzer’s “Corsage” from 2022.

This year’s festival will also feature competitions for best documentary, first feature, and short film, with nominees to be announced on September 4. Additionally, audience awards for best feature and documentary will make a return.

Kristy Matheson, the director of LFF, shared her excitement: “We have a stellar line-up for audiences and our jury’s consideration. We’re immensely proud to have many U.K. filmmakers represented alongside films from across the globe. Boasting an enormous breadth in terms of cinematic styles, there’s a world of cinema to be enjoyed in our 2024 official competition.”

The festival runs from October 9 to 20.

Source: Particle News