Highlights from the BFI London Film Festival 2024

Take a look back at the remarkable and diverse films at this year's BFI London Film Festival.

"There's a bravery that comes with British film"

Andrea Arnold’s Bird capped off an amazing two weeks for UK film at the BFI London Film Festival!

Serving as Arnold’s first narrative feature since 2016’s American Honey, Bird is a coming-of-age drama set in northern Kent. It follows the life of Bailey, played by Nykiya Adams in her debut to great acclaim, who lives in a squat with her brother Hunter and father Bug (played by Barry Keoghan). Despite featuring a cast of mainly first-time actors, Arnold hones their talents to craft characters and story in a way that feels natural yet complex, with the results in Bird being described by critics as “entrancing” and “powerful”.

Christmas films in October may be sacrilege for some, but it didn’t stop That Christmas from thrilling audiences on the final weekend of the BFI London Film Festival!

Directed by Simon Otto and co-written by Richard Curtis based on his own series of children’s books, That Christmas (in typical Curtis fashion) is an animated collection of intertwined stories on love, loneliness, family, friends and Santa.

Another classic year at the BFI London Film Festival concluded with a trio of heavyweight premieres, as Pablo Larraín’s Maria kicked off the closing weekend!!

Maria is the final film in Larraín’s trilogy of 20th century “iconic women”, following the acclaimed duo of Jackie and Spencer. British talent played a big role in bringing the film to life, with Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, Spencer) serving as writer, along with production design from Academy Award nominee Guy Hendrix Dyas (Spencer, Inception).

We Live in Time edges us ever closer to the end of what has been another amazing year at the BFI London Film Festival!

Academy Award nominees Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield star in this moving, decade-spanning romance as Almut and Tobias. When a chance encounter brings them together, what sparks is a love story to rival any of the classics, with Pugh and Garfield’s performances providing a hard-to-match level of charm and sentimentality, garnering them acclaim and mentions as two of the festival’s standout performances.

Bad hairdo’s, seedy tycoons and full vulgarity – The Apprentice keeps us rolling through week 2 of the BFI London Film Festival.

Depicting the rise of a young Donald Trump in the 70s & 80s as he builds his real-estate empire, with a lot of help from infamous lawyer Roy Cohn, who teaches his acolyte just how to lie, cheat and scam your way to the top.

Carrying us through the second week of the BFI London Film Festival is another heartfelt, yet Joy-ous film!

Joy depicts the true story of three British pioneers; a nurse, a scientist and a surgeon, and their work to create the world’s first ever ‘test tube’ baby, Louise Joy Brown. Led by a trio of Thomasin McKenzie, James Norton and the legendary Bill Nighy, the story promises to elicit all of the emotions from its audience.

Welcome back to ScreenUK at the BFI London Film Festival, as Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths draws us into the second week!

His first feature since 2018’s Peterloo, Hard Truths marks a return for the legendary filmmaker to the contemporary, realist style that made him such an adored name. Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who reunites with Leigh for the first time since 1996’s classic Secrets and Lies, is Pansy, a woman with a constant anger towards the world and the people around her, with the film depicting the impact this has on her, her immediate family, and particularly her relationship with her sister Chantelle.

Elton John: Never Too Late had its European premiere, with the star himself attendance. The film, directed by David Furnish and R. J. Cutler, is an intimate look at both the past and the present of Elton John’s 50+ year career, with archive footage and never-before-seen materials presenting a highly personal deep dive into a career spanning generations.

Day 2 of the BFI London Film Festival saw two huge galas, with the stars out in abundance!

Conclave had been much anticipated and its UK premiere did not disappoint. Starring legendary actors Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini and more, the thriller explores the story of Cardinal Lawrence, who when tasked with selecting a new Pope, finds himself at the centre of a conspiracy that could change the foundation of the Catholic Church, forever.

It’s finally that time of year again, as we gear up to welcome back the BFI London Film Festival 2024!

Kicking us off for this year’s edition is Steve McQueen’s latest epic Blitz, starring modern heavyweight Saoirse Ronan and exciting newcomer Elliott Heffernan. The film follows the story of George, a boy sent from London to the countryside by his mother in the midst of World War II, and the perilous journey he undergoes to return home.

Discover the world’s best new films, series and immersive storytelling with the 68th BFI London Film Festival and ScreenUK.

As the 2024 BFI London Film Festival gets underway, we get in the mood by taking a look back at the glitz and glamour from the red carpet at last year's festival.