The BFI London Films Festival (BFI LFF) returns for its 61st edition and set to screen a selection totalling 242 feature films and 128 shorts, made by both established and emerging directorial talent from across the globe. Over twelve days from 4-15 October, London will host a celebration of cinematic output that illustrates the richness of international filmmaking and bringing together a stellar line up of cast and crew.
As the UK’s leading film festival, the BFI LFF offers the UK public and film industry professionals the chance to be the first to view new films sourced from over 55 countries, alongside a wide events programme where audiences can engage with the world’s most inspiring creative-cinematic talent. This year, the festival will host 28 World Premieres, 9 International Premieres and 34 European Premieres.
As with each year, the online and printed programme classifies films by strands under which they can be found. These important strands are: Galas, Official Competition, Experimenta, Create, Thrill, Dare, Laugh, Debate, Cult, Love, Journey, Treasures and Family. It is under these strands you have to locate any film of interest and the only way of booking your ticket.
Programmed by MENA-region advisors Elhum Shakerifar and Ali Jaafar, this year’s festival includes at least ten features that are connected to the following countries: Palestine, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Lebanon, Algeria and Tunisia, UAE (production) and Qatar (production).
Relating to these films, Shakerifar said to Nahla Ink: “The selection process lasts over months, as we try to bring a dynamic mix of the region’s most exciting new titles to a London audience. This year at LFF, there is definitely something for everyone and the MENA region is represented by a broad array of talent as diverse as the region itself. It is a selection strong in emotions: from the sly humour and absurd realities of ‘Lebanon Factory’ and the charming father and son road trip of discovery of ‘Wajib’ (Annemarie Jacir), to the interwoven stories of a conflicted modern day Casablanca in ‘Razzia’ (Nabil Ayouch) and the taut social drama of ‘The Journey’ (Mohamed Al Daradji). For the dreamers and the cerebral, ‘Le Fort des Fous’ (Narimane Mari) will give a lot to think about, for those wanting to see systemic change, ‘Beauty and The Dogs’ (Kaouther Ben Hania) packs a punch.”
WAJIB
Production: Palestine
Director : Annemarie Jacir
Genre: Official Competition Strand
Showing: Monday 9 October 2017, 6pm Embankment Garden Cinema
Showing; Wednesday 11 October 2017, 2.15pm Embankment Garden Cinema
Link: https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::lo…
RAZZIA
Production: France
Director: Nabil Ayouch
Genre: Debate Strand
Showing: Thursday 5 October 2017, 8.45pm Cine Lumiere
Showing: Friday 06 October 2017, 6.10pm BFI Southbank NFT2
Link: https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loa…
LOOKING FOR OUM KULTHUM
Production: Germany-Austria-Italy-Lebanon-Qatar
Director: Shirin Neshat
Genre: Special Presentations Strand
Showing: Saturday 7 October 2017, 6.20pm BFI Southbank NFT1
Showing: Sunday 8 October 2017, 3.30pm Rich Mix Cinema
Link: https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loa…
LEBANON FACTORY
Production: Lebanon-France
Directors: Ahmad Ghossein, Lucie La Chimia, Shirin AbuShaqra, Manuel Maria Perrone, Una Gunjak, Rami Kodeih, Mounia Akl, Neto Villalobos
Genre: Journey Strand
Showing: Saturday 7 October 2017, 3.15pm ICA Cinema Screen 1
Showing: Sunday 08 October 2017, 1pm at Cine Lumiere
Link: https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loa…
LE FORT DES FOUS
Production: France-Greece-Germany-Qatar
Director: Narimane Mari
Genre: Experimenta Strand
Showing: Sunday 08 October 2017, 5.45pm BFI Southbank NFT3
Showing: Wednesday 11 October 2017, 6.10pm BFI Southbank, Studio
Link : https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loa…
THE NILE HILTON INCIDENT
Production: Sweden-Denmark-Germany
Director: Tarik Saleh
Genre: Thrill Strand
Showing; Wednesday 11 October 2017, 6:30pm Vue Leicester Sq, Screen 5
Showing: Thursday 12 October 2017, 6:10pm Cine Lumiere
Link: https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loa…
THE JOURNEY
Production: UK-Iraq-France-Qatar-Netherlands
Director: Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji
Genre: Journey Strand
Showing: Wednesday 11 October 2017, 8:45pm Curzon Soho Cinema
Showing: Thursday 12 October 2017, 6.30pm Rich Mix Cinema
Link: https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loa…
OUROBOROS
Production: France-Palestine-Belgium-Qatar
Director: Basma Alsharif
Genre: Experimenta Strand
Showing: Friday 13 October 2017, 6:30pm BFI Southbank, NFT3
Link: https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loa…
SHEIKH JACKSON
Production: Egypt
Director: Amr Salama
Genre: Journey Strand
Showing: Thursday 05 October 2017, 9pm Curzon Soho Cinema
Showing: Saturday 07 October 2017, 12.15pm Curzon Mayfair Cinema
Showing: Thursday 12 October 2017, 3:15pm Vue Leicester Square
Link: https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loa…
BEAUTY AND THE DOGS
Production: Tunisia-France-Norway-Lebanon-Qatar-Sweden-Switzerland
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Genre: Debate Strand
Showing: Wednesday 04 October 2017, 8:45pm ICA Cinema
Showing: Thursday 05 October 2017, 2:45pm Vue Leicester Square
Showing: Friday 06 October 2017, 1pm BFI Southbank, NFT2
Link: https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loa…
Note: This article was first published circa October 2017
