LFF 2018: Fourteen Of The Best Films We Caught At The 2018 BFI London Film Festival

Words: Lauren Johnson-Ginn & Saam Das

The 62nd BFI London Film Festival came to a close last month, concluding with well-received Laurel & Hardy biopic 'Stan & Ollie', starring Steve Coogan and John C Reilly. The 2018 LFF was similarly well received, with record audience numbers, including almost 150,000 attendees for its London screenings and over 30,000 more at satellite screenings across the UK. We've rounded up a selection of our top films from the 200+ features on offer at this year's LFF below.

Review: Be Dazzled By The Bedazzling Chilly Gonzales In 'Shut Up And Play The Piano' (2018)

Words: Saam Das

First-time feature director Philipp Jedicke ambitiously showcases Canadian musician Jason Beck (more popularly known as the enigmatic Chilly Gonzales) in this playful music documentary. Charting the genre-defying history of Gonzales from his childhood in Canada to his more recent Grammy Award-winning work with Daft Punk and his appearances with world famous concert orchestras, by way of an underground rap career in Berlin. An unusual career path to say the least, aptly covered in 'Shut Up And Play The Piano'.

LFF 2018: Why Nicolas Cage's 'Mandy' Reminds Us How Much We'll Miss Composer Johann Johannsson

Words: Saam Das

We caught the Nicolas Cage-led psychedelic horror 'Mandy' (don't fret, no spoilers in this piece) at the 2018 BFI London Film Festival, and we're still reeling from the viewing. Totally bonkers, and already well on its way to being a modern cult classic. Thanks in part to Johann Johannsson's incredible, larger-than-life score, one of his final offerings following his untimely passing in February this year.

LFF 2018: Lose Yourself In The Southend Battle-Rap Scene With 'Vs.' [Review]

'Vs.' (UK Release: 19 October 2018) // Words: Saam Das

It's sixteen years since '8 Mile' brought battle-rap to the big screen in a big way, garnering an Oscar for Best Original Song for its star Eminem and his smash 'Lose Yourself'. British writer-director Ed Lilly's debut directorial feature 'Vs.' brings battle-rap back to the mainstream, albeit via sunny Southend rather than bleak Detroit, with a striking central performance from newcomer Conor Swindells.

Preview: Celebrate Black History Month With These Films At The 2018 BFI London Film Festival

BFI London Film Festival 2018 (10-21 October 2018) // Words: Lauren Johnson-Ginn & Saam Das

The 62nd BFI London Film Festival kicks off today, with 'Widows' as its Opening Night Gala. As mentioned in our recent music-focussed preview of the LFF 2018, Steve McQueen's new effort is a tantalizing prospect, and an appropriate Opening Night Gala as the Oscar winner hails from London. As one of the industry's (sadly rare) successful black directors, it is also appropriate considering October is Black History Month in the UK. We've put together a list of some other appropriate films to help celebrate BHM at this year's LFF.

Preview: A Music Fan's Guide To The 2018 BFI London Film Festival

BFI London Film Festival (10-21 October 2018) // Words: Saam Das

The BFI London Film Festival 2018 is upon us for yet another year - an impressive 62nd edition. We're on hand to guide you through as many of the music-related films at the 2018 LFF as we possibly can. Many of these films sadly won't make an appearance otherwise in UK cinemas, and for those that do, you'll miss out on the oft-interesting introductions and Q&As that characterise these films' appearances at a film festival.

Festival Review: Twelve Of The Best Films We Caught At The 2017 BFI London Film Festival

BFI London Film Festival 2017 (4-15 Oct '17) // Words: Lauren Johnson-Ginn & Saam Das

The 61st BFI London Film Festival was yet another success, with over 180,000 attendees flocking to London cinemas and almost 30,000 more attending satellite screenings across the UK. The 2017 London Film Festival opened with Andy Serkis's directorial debut 'Breathe' before closing, some 240+ feature films later, with Martin McDonagh's Oscar-threatening 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'. We've collected some of our favourite films from the LFF 2017 below in alphabetical order:

Preview: A Look At Some Of The Best Films For Music Fans At The 2017 BFI London Film Festival

2017 BFI London Film Festival (4-15 October 2017) // Words: Saam Das

It was sad to open this year's programme for the BFI London Film Festival and not find a dedicated sonic strand as has been the case in recent years. There are still plenty of music-related films available for consumption however, including this evening's Opening Night Gala 'Breathe', directed by Andy Serkis and scored by Nitin Sawhney.

Preview: Ten Of Our Top Picks At The BFI London Film Festival 2017

Words: Lauren Johnson-Ginn // BFI London Film Festival (4-15 Oct '17)

Public booking for the 2017 BFI London Film Festival opens this morning at 10am, with the festival itself kicking off on October 4th with Andy Serkis' directorial debut 'Breathe, starring Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy, and scored by Nitin Sawhney. From the established to the more obscure, we've plucked ten of our most anticipated movies from the LFF's catalogue below.

Review: Thirteen Of The Best Films We Caught At The 2016 BFI London Film Festival

Words: Saam Das

The BFI London Film Festival had its typically excellent smattering of arthouse efforts and more mainstream-leaning offerings, and we've highlighted some of our favourites below. Kelly Reichardt's 'Certain Women' came away with the Official Competition prize, and is currently scheduled for a March 2017 release in UK cinemas, and at least one of the other prize-winning films features in our round-up:

BFI London Film Festival 2016: Ten Of The Best Music-Related Films To See [Preview]

2016 BFI London Film Festival (various venues, 5-16th Oct '16) // Words: Saam Das

The 60th BFI London Film Festival kicks off on Wednesday October 5th, with the topically titled 'A United Kingdom'. We'll be along for the ride, and will be catching as many films as physically possible. Ahead of our spreadsheet-based wanderings from screen to screen, we thought we should highlight some of the most interesting music-based films to watch at the festival, which you can find alphabetically-listed below.

Review: Eleven Of The Best Films We Caught At The 2015 BFI London Film Festival

BFI London Film Festival (7-18 Oct '15) // Words: Lauren Johnson-Ginn & Saam Das

The 59th BFI London Film Festival drew to a close last month, opened by Sarah Gavron's feminist drama 'Suffragette' and closed by Danny Boyle's 'Steve Jobs'. Lauren Johnson-Ginn and Saam Das were on the ground to catch as many films as we could - keep on reading for eleven of our favourite films (in alphabetical order) from the 2015 BFI London Film festival.

London Film Festival 2015 Review: Black Mass (2015)

'Black Mass' (UK Release: 27 Nov '15) // Words: Lauren Johnson-Ginn

Taking a deep dive into Boston’s murky 1980s underworld, 'Black Mass' charts the rise of one of America’s most infamous career criminals - Jimmy ‘Whitey’ Bulger (Johnny Depp). With excellent left-field casting, gripping pace and a clever script, director Scott Cooper has made a film that’s far more engaging than your typical mobster movie.

London Film Festival 2015 Mini-Reviews: 21 Nights With Pattie + Arianna

Words: Lauren Johnson-Ginn

'21 Nights With Pattie' (2015)