BFI London Film Festival 2017
The 61st BFI London Film Festival has announced its full line-up for the 2017 festival.
This year's Headline Galas include Breathe, the directorial debut of Andy Serkis, which is this year's Opening Night Gala. The biographical drama stars Tom Hollander, Camilla Rutherford and Penny Downie and was edited by Masahiro Hirakubo, with make-up, hair and prosthetics design by Jan Sewell and costume design by Charlotte Walter. Journey’s End, for which Laurie Rose was Director of Photography and Tania Reddin Editor, is also a Headline Gala.
Part of the First Feature Competition is Beast. Starring Jessie Buckley, Johnny Flynn, Claire Rafferty and Shannon Tarbet, edited by Maya Maffioli, and with hair and make-up design by Nadia Stacey and costume design by Jo Thompson, the film is a psycho-sexual thriller which follows the hunt for a serial killer.
Dark River, featuring production design by Helen Scott, costume design by Matthew Price and additional photography by Simon Tindall, will be screened as a Special Presentation Gala.
In addition, each of the festival’s themed strands will have its own gala:
On Chesil Beach, starring Samuel West and with production design by Suzie Davies, will open the Love strand. The feature debut from director Dominic Cooke, an adaptation of the Ian McEwan novella, follows a young couple on their honeymoon in the 1960s as they struggle to physically connect. How To Talk To Girls At Parties, which stars Nicole Kidman - for whom Sandra Frieze acted as Dialogue Coach - and on which Helen Scott was Production Designer, also features in the Love strand, as does Journeyman, lit by Laurie Rose and with production design by Simon Rogers, costume design by Suzanne Cave and hair and make-up design by Nadia Stacey.
The Rider, with cinematography by Joshua James Richards, and The Drummer & The Keeper, starring Dermot Murphy, Charlie Kelly and Olwen Fouere, both screen in the Journey strand.
Adrian Shergold directs Funny Cow, which has been selected in the Laugh strand. Following a woman’s rise above abusive relationships and crass sexist audiences to become a female stand-up comedian, the feature was edited by Tania Reddin.
As part of the Cult strand, Ellen Page stars in one of the most original and innovative zombie films of recent years in The Cured, written and directed by David Freyne. The team behind the hit London stage play Ghost Stories, bring their creation to the big screen, with production design by Grant Montgomery and costume design by Matthew Price.
Toa Fraser’s 6 Days opens in the Thrill Strand. Set in April 1980, when six gunmen took control of the Iranian Embassy in London, the thriller stars Emun Elliott and Ben Turner.
Marston & the Wonder Women is part of the Create Gala, with Luke Evans as Dr William Moulton Marston.
Screening as part of the Dare strand is Sicilian Ghost Story, a gripping real-life story of a Mafia kidnapping in Italyenthrallingly re-imagined as supernatural fantasy by the writers and directors of the acclaimed Salvo, Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza.
The Cate Blanchett-starring Manifesto, on which Veronica McAleer was personal Hair and Make-Up Artist to Paul Bettany, will head up the LFF Connects program.
As part of the Short Film Competition, To Wendy Who Kicked Me When I Said I Love You screens, starring Montserrat Lombard.
Running 4th-16th October, the festival will have 29 world premieres, 8 international premieres and 34 European premieres, and we are thrilled that the work of so many of our clients here at UA will be featured. To see the full line-up please click here.