The BFI announces the full programme for this year's London Film Festival


Released on: September 09, 2013, 2:36 pm
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Industry: Travel

The 57th BFI London Film Festival opens and closes with films starring Tom Hanks, reports LondonTown.com

-- /EPR NETWORK/ -- The BFI London Film Festival returns for its 57th year this October and will once again attract an array of Hollywood players and Indie film-makers with its generous programme of premieres, gala films and star-studded ceremonies. Taking place at the BFI Southbank and a handful of cinemas across London, the twelve-day festival, which runs from 9th to 20th October, also provides a spotlight for small independent films, foreign language cinema, documentary work, animationand BFI National Archive classics. While informal post-screening Q&As, guest appearances, workshops and masterclasses further enhance the programme. Guests travelling from outside of London need not miss out with a great selection of cheap London hotels available to book through LondonTown.com.

In its 57th year the festival opens and closes with two European premieres, both of which star Tom Hanks. Directed by Paul Greengrass, maritime drama Captain Phillips opens the festival. The high-stakes thriller is based on the true story of the 2009 hijacking of the US container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates. In contrast, Saving Mr Banks, a film about the making of Mary Poppins, brings it to a close and sees Hanks play Walt Disney and Oscar-winning Emma Thompson as author PL Travers.

With Clare Stewart, the BFI's Head of Cinemas and Festivals, returning for a second year, the programme between these bookends is equally as inviting. Some of the gems to be screened across London include a gala screening of Stephen Frears' Philomena, starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan, who co-wrote and produced the production; the European premiere of Steve MCQueen's 12 Years a Slave with Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch and Brad Pitt; and AbdellatifKechiche's critically acclaimed lesbian drama Blue Is the Warmest Colour.

The festival will also welcome a host of British and international film stars to London including the likes of Sandra Bullock, Carey Mulligan, Emma Thompson, Judi Dench, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and, of course, Tom Hanks.

Find out about all the best London events this autumn with the help of LondonTown.com, where all the top openings and happenings are listed.

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