Written by Kianna Best on Aug 31, 2023. Posted in Awards and Festivals

BFI London Film Festival 2023 announces lineup

BFI’s London Film Festival 2023 launched the official lineup, including titles such as thé much anticipated Bradley Cooper directorial The Maestro and festival closer The Kitchen from Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya. With over 12 screening locations across London, the festival will be held from 4-15 October, offering the return of the BFI Expanded project as well as offering access to those tuning in from across the world. 

This morning, press and festival featured filmmakers gathered at the BFI Southbank for the launch of the 2023 London Film Festival. Walking into her inaugural year as festival director, Kristy Matheson took to the stage to list off the lineup, featuring projects from 92 countries. Of the entire programme, 39% are creations of female and non-binary filmmakers. Of the 252 films on offer to view, 47 features will be making their debut welcoming a new generation of filmmakers to the festival. Of the total lineup, 29 will be world premieres, 17 international premieres and 30 European premieres. Amongst these include Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget from award-winning stop motion creators Aardman Studios, Theresa Ikoko’s Grime Kids and Jeymes Samuel’s The Book of Clarence. 

Image courtesy of Legendary Entertainment

Kristy Matheson, BFI London Film Festival director, said: "In preparing this 2023 festival, my colleagues and I have been endlessly buoyed by the artistry, ideas and talented individuals and communities that have come into our orbit. It’s now time to share all this wonder and we can’t wait for audiences to experience it all this October here in London and across the UK with LFF on Tour and online at BFI Player.”

In competition are some of the most innovative and creatively boundary pushing projects from a global roster of filmmakers. 11 will be competing  in the official competition whilst another 11 will be in the first feature competition. Another 8 will be screening in the documentary competition and 10 competitive for the short film award. The competing projects include Fingernails from US director and screenwriter Christos Nikou, Earth Mama by director and screenwriter Savannah Leaf, Bye Bye Tiberias, a France-Palestine-Belgium-Qatar documentary collaboration from director and screenwriter Lina Soualem,  and short film competition entry The Archive: Queer Nigerians from UK director  Simisolaoluwa Akande.

Cinema has reclaimed its status as a cultural force, an art-form that can spark a conversation around the world, and which will resound loudly through the wide-ranging line-up of essential cinema that our 67th edition of the BFI London Film Festival will offer,” commented BFI CEO Ben Roberts.  “I am particularly excited that the Festival will be sharing the exhilarating experience of new work from global filmmakers alongside so many debut features from the UK this year. I congratulate Kristy on her first LFF programme and the talented team who continue to find creative ways to reach new audiences, including through our free programme.  We couldn’t do it without our loyal supporters, including our principal partner of 14 years American Express, so huge thanks to them and our many other sponsors, funders, partners, including the UK Government and the UK’s National Lottery players who do so much to enable both the Festival and our work throughout the year.”

The full BFI London Film Festival 2023 lineup can be be viewed here.