The 2013 Loco London film festival is to host a variety of previews and premieres from directors like Dan Wazer and will also feature a focus on women in comedy.


The programme will open on Jan 24 at the BFI Southbank with a special preview of Bill Jones, Ben Timlett and Jeff Simpson’s A Liar’s Autobiography, a 3D animated biography of Monty Python star Graham Chapman. It will be followed by a discussion of Monty Python’s influence on comedy filmmakers.

Dan Wazer’s I Give It A Year, a romantic comedy starring Rose Byrne, Rafe Spall and Anna Faris, will have its world premiere on Jan 26.

The Closing Night Party on Jan 27 will include the UK premiere of Movie 43, a sketch comedy “epic” with Halle Berry, Richard Gere, Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts, Emma Stone, Hugh Jackman and other A-list actors.

The Creative Skillset Film Skills Fund and Underwire have also planned a Working Women day for Jan 26 to celebrate female comedy characters, as well a tribute to Nora Ephron at The Lexi Cinema. The “Ephrathon” will include screenings of Heartburn, Sleepless in Seattle and Julie and Julia.

Hackney Picturehouse will see a programme of Far Eastern-themed films such as writer-director Xiaolu Guo’s UFO In Her Eyes.

One British comedy feature film without distribution will be awarded the Loco Discovery Award.

LOCO director Denise Hicks commented, “This year’s LOCO LONDON programme shows just how varied, ambitious and original comedy filmmaking can be.”