The 68th BFI London Film Festival (LFF) has announced the 11 films selected for its official competition, vying for the best film award at this year’s event. The diverse lineup represents 13 countries and showcases a range of international filmmaking talent.
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The selected films include:
“Memoir of a Snail” (Australia) dir. Adam Elliot: A stop-motion animated tale of separated twins in 1970s Australia, blending humor and emotion. Featuring the voices of Sarah Snook, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Eric Bana, it won best film at Annecy earlier this year.
“Bring Them Down” (Ireland-U.K.-Belgium) dir. Christopher Andrews: A portrait of two feuding farming families in rural Ireland, starring Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott. The film travels from Toronto where it is a special presentation.
“On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” (Zambia-U.K.-Ireland) dir. Rungano Nyoni: A story of tradition, abuse and strength within a Zambian family. The film debuted at Cannes’ Un Certain regard strand, where Nyoni won best director.
“April” (France-Georgia-Italy) dir. Dea Kulumbegashvili: An exploration of rural life in Georgia centered on a doctor facing blame after a newborn dies during a difficult birth. Produced by Luca Guadagnino, the film comes from Venice where it is in contention for the Golden Lion.
“The Extraordinary Miss Flower” (U.K.) dir. Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard: A biographical film about Geraldine Flower, whose secret cache of love letters hints at a possible life of espionage. The film features music by Iceland’s Emilíana Torrini.
“Four Mothers” (Ireland-U.K.) dir. Darren Thornton: A tale of a queer, up-and-coming novelist caring for his ageing mother and three other elderly women during Pride. The film is an adaptation of Gianni Di Gregorio’s beloved 2008 LFF winner “Mid-August Lunch.”
“Living in Two Worlds” (Japan) dir. Mipo O: Follows the complex inner journey of Dai, a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), as he navigates worlds of sound and silence. The film was previously at Shanghai where it was a Golden Goblet nominee.
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“Thank You for Banking With Us” (Palestine-Germany) dir. Laila Abbas: A tale of two sisters racing against time to secure their inheritance in the face of unfair patriarchal systems.
“The Wolves Always Come at Night” (Australia-Mongolia-Germany) dir. Gabrielle Brady: A hybrid documentary portrait of life for one family in rural Mongolia facing climate change. The film comes from Toronto where it is in the Platform section.
“Under the Volcano” (Poland) dir. Damian Kocur: Explores a Ukrainian family’s sunny beach holiday disrupted by the outbreak of war, instantly making them refugees. The film arrives at LFF after premiering at Toronto and opening Gdynia.
“Vermiglio” (Italy-France-Belgium) dir. Maura Delpero: A period tale set in a remote Italian mountain village, where a deserting soldier disrupts a tranquil community. The film comes from Venice where it is in contention for the Golden Lion.
The winner will be revealed on Oct. 20. Recent winners include Hamaguchi Ryusuke’s “Evil Does Not Exist” in 2023 and Marie Kreutzer’s “Corsage” in 2022. The festival will also feature competitions for best documentary, first feature and short, with nominees to be announced on Sept. 4. Audience awards for best feature and documentary will return this year as well.
Kristy Matheson, LFF director, said: “We have a stellar line up for audiences and our jury’s consideration. We’re immensely proud to have many U.K. and Irish filmmakers represented alongside films from across the globe. Boasting an enormous breadth in terms of cinematic styles, there’s a world of cinema to be enjoyed in our 2024 official competition.”
The festival runs Oct. 9-20.
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