Steve McQueen, Denis Villeneuve, Sean Baker & Lupita Nyong’o Join Screen Talks

The BFI’s London Film Festival has announced an impressive star-studded lineup for this year’s screen talk Q&A sessions. Attendees will include Academy Award winners Steve McQueen, Denis Villeneuve, Lupita Nyong’o, and recent Palme d’Or winner Sean Baker.

This year’s London Film Festival is scheduled to run from 9 October to 20 October. Kicking off the festival is Steve McQueen’s latest feature, Blitz. This film offers an exploration of London during World War II and will premiere on the festival’s opening night.

Directed, produced, and written by McQueen, the film follows the journey of George, a nine-year-old boy in World War II London. After his mother Rita, played by Saoirse Ronan, sends him to safety in the English countryside, George defies the odds to return home to Rita and his grandfather Gerald, played by Paul Weller, in East London. George’s adventure takes a perilous turn, while a distraught Rita searches desperately for her missing son.

This film marks McQueen’s first solo feature screenwriting credit. During his screen talk session, McQueen will discuss Blitz alongside his other significant works, from Hunger and 12 Years a Slave to Widows, Small Axe, and Occupied City.

The film festival also features 11 films in competition this year. Highlights include Georgian filmmaker Dea Kulumbegashvili’s latest project, April, and Bring Them Down, starring Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott.

Screen Talks:

Andrea Arnold – Saturday, 19th October, 12:30 – BFI Southbank NFT1

Sean Baker – Saturday, 12th October, 13:30 – Curzon Soho Screen 1

Daniel Kaluuya – Wednesday, 9th October, 11:30 – Picturehouse Central

Mike Leigh – Sunday, 20th October, 15:15 – BFI Southbank NFT1

Steve McQueen – Wednesday, 9th October, 14:00 – BFI Southbank NFT1

Lupita Nyong’o – Monday, 14th October, 12:30 – BFI Southbank NFT1

Zoe Saldaña – Saturday, 12th October, 15:00 – BFI Southbank NFT1

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin – Sunday, 13th October, 15:00 – BFI Southbank NFT3

Denis Villeneuve – Saturday, 12th October, 11:30 – Southbank Centre

This fantastic lineup ensures that attendees at the London Film Festival will have the opportunity to gain insights from some of the most talented and influential figures in the world of cinema. With such a diverse range of speakers and films, this year’s event promises to be an unforgettable celebration of film and storytelling.

Source: Particle News