lff 2020 lineup

Source: (Clockwise from top left): Searchlight Pictures / Disney / BBC Films / BBC Films

(Clockwise from top left): ‘Nomadland’, ‘Soul’, ‘Mogul Mowgli’, ‘Supernova’

The BFI London Film Festival has unveiled the full programme for its 2020 physical-virtual hybrid edition, with 58 features playing to audiences across the UK from October 7-18.

Pixar’s Soul and Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland starring Frances McDormand join Steve McQueen’s festival opener Mangrove and Francis Lee’s closer Ammonite as the four cinema-only titles, playing at select venues across the country.

Scroll down for the full lineup of features

A further 10 titles will play both in cinemas and via the festival’s online platform. These include Phyllida Lloyd’s Sundance 2020 premiere Herself, about a young mother who fights back against a broken housing system; Thomas Vinterberg’s Cannes 2020 selection Another Round; and Bassam Tariq’s Berlin 2020 feature Mogul Mowgli starring Riz Ahmed.

Harry Macqueen’s Supernova starring Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci will also play in cinemas and online; as will Aleem Khan’s BBC Films and BFI-backed title After Love, and Christian Petzold’s Berlin 2020 Competition title Undine.

The remaining 44 features will play as virtual premieres, each with an introduction and/or Q&A from filmmakers and festival programmers.

The format for the virtual premieres was established in July this year, with each premiere playing at a set time.

The festival is maintaining the thematic strands it has used in previous editions, with the 10 for this year being: Love, Debate, Laugh, Dare, Cult, Journey, Create, Experimenta, Family, and Treasures.

“We’ve been so encouraged by the adventurousness of filmmakers and rights holders, the unwavering support of our collaborators and the spirit of unity and experimentation,” said Tricia Tuttle, BFI London Film Festival director. “We have accelerated so many of our longer term plans in just a few months – especially our desire to offer audiences across the UK greater access to the LFF.

“We all want to be back in cinemas, seeing films on the big screen, together, immersed. But we also want to keep seeing new cinematic storytelling from all parts of the world, hearing different voices and perspectives; this version of LFF delivers on both of those aims.”

“Although it’s been born out of crisis, this year’s edition of the LFF will be our most accessible yet,” added Ben Roberts, BFI CEO. “Thanks to the many talented and dedicated teams across the BFI, and the encouragement of our partners and industry colleagues - we have shaped a festival that suggests a future for bringing filmmakers and film lovers together.”

Last week the festival unveiled LFF Expanded, its new virtual reality strand, which will screen 22 VR works via a dedicated virtual exhibition space called The Expanse.

36 short films will also play as part of the programme, across six genre categories.

The LFF industry programme will be announced later this month; it will again include the two-day Production Finance Market, as a fully online offering from October 12-13.

Full list of LFF 2020 features

V = virtual

C = cinema 

180° Rule (Iran) dir. Farnoosh Samadi – Debate, V

200 Meters (Pal) dir. Ameen Nayfeh – Debate, V

A Common Crime (Arg-Braz-Switz) dir. Francisco Márquez – Dare, V

A Day-Off Of Kasumi Arimura (Jap) dir. D. Hirokazu Kore-Eda - Journey (Series), V

African Apocalypse (UK) dir Rob Lemkin – Debate, V

After Love (UK) dir. Aleem Khan – Love, V + C

Ammonite (UK) dir. Francis Lee - Closing Film, C

Another Round (Den) dir. Thomas Vinterberg – Journey, V + C

Bad Tales (It) dir. Fabio D’innocenzo, Damiano D’innocenzo – Dare, V

Bloody Nose, Empty Pocket (US) dir. Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross – Journey, V

The Cheaters (Aus) dir. Paulette Mcdonagh - Treasures, V

The Chess Game Of The Wind (Iran) dir. Mohammad Reza Aslani - Treasures, V

Cicada (US) dir. Matt Fifer, Kieran Mulcare - Love, V

Days (Tai) dir. Tsai Ming-Liang - Love | V

David Byrne’s American Utopia (US) dir. Spike Lee - Create, V + C

Delia Derbyshire: The Myths And Legendary Tapes (UK) dir. Caroline Catz - Create, V

The Disciple (Ind) dir. Chaitanya Tamhane - Create, V

Farewell Amor (US) dir. Ekwa Msangi - Love, V

Friendship’s Death (UK) dir. Peter Wollen - Treasures, V

Genus Pan (Phi) dir. Lav Diaz - Journey, V

Gold For Dogs (Fr) dir. Anna Cazenave Cambet - Journey, V

Herself (UK) dir. Phyllida Lloyd - Love, V + C

Honeymood (Isr) dir. Talya Lavie - Laugh, V

I Am Samuel (Ken) dir. Pete Murimi - Journey, V

Identifying Features (Mex-Spa) dir. Fernanda Valadez - Journey, V

If It Were Love (Fr) dir. Patric Chiha - Love, V

Industry (UK) dir. Lena Dunham, Tinge Krishnan, Ed Lilly - Journey (Series), V

The Intruder (Arg-Mex) dir. Natalia Meta - Dare, V

Kajillionaire (US) dir. Miranda July - Laugh, V

Limbo (UK) dir. Ben Sharrock - Journey, V

Mangrove (UK) dir. Steve Mcqueen - Opening Film, C

Mogul Mowgli (UK) dir. Bassam Tariq - Dare, V + C

Never Gonna Snow Again (Pol-Ger) dir. Małgorzata Szumowska, Michał Englert - Laugh, V

New Order (Mex) dir. Michel Franco - Dare, V

Nomadland (US) dir. Chloé Zhao - Journey, C

Notturno (It-Ger-Fr) dir. Gianfranco Rosi - Journey, V

One Man And His Shoes (UK) dir. Yemi Bamiro - Debate, V

The Painter And The Thief (Nor) dir. Benjamin Ree - Create, V

Possessor (Can-UK) dir. Brandon Cronenberg - Cult, V

The Reason I Jump (UK) dir. Jerry Rothwell - V

Relic (Aus-US) dir. Natalie Erika James - Cult, V

Rose (UK) dir. Jennifer Sheridan - Cult, V

The Salt In Our Waters (Bang-Fr) dir. Rezwan Shahriar Sumit - Journey, V

Shadow Country (Cze) dir. Bohdan Sláma - Debate, V

Shirley (US) dir. Josephine Decker - Dare, V + C

Siberia (It-Ger-Mex) dir. Abel Ferrara - Dare, V

Soul (US) dir. Pete Docter, Kemp Powers - Family, C

Sound For The Future (UK-China) dir. Matt Hulse - Experimenta, V

Stray (US) dir. Elizabeth Lo - Journey, V

Striding Into The Wind (China) dir. Wei Shujun - Create, V

Supernova (UK) dir. Harry Macqueen - Love, V + C

This Is My Desire (Eyimofe) (Nigeria) dir. Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri - V

Time (US) dir. Garrett Bradley - Debate, V + C

Ultraviolence (UK) dir. Ken Fero - Debate, V

Undine (Ger) dir. Christian Petzold - V + C

Wildfire (UK-Ire) dir. Cathy Brady - Dare, V

Wolfwalkers (Ire-Lux-Fr) dir. Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart - Family, V

Zanka Contact (Fr-Mor-Bel) dir. Ismaël El Iraki - Create, V

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