2023 BFI London Film Festival
2023 film festival
The 67th BFI London Film Festival was a film festival that took place from 4–15 October 2023.[ 2] [ 3] [ 4] [ 5]
The festival opened with Saltburn Emerald Fennell ,[ 6] The Kitchen Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya .[ 7]
Juries
Main Competition
Documentary Competition
Rubika Shah, British writer and director
Jeanie Finlay , British documentary filmmakerPaul Tonta, general manager theatrical acquisitions and film festivals at Madman Entertainment
Short Film Competition
Charlotte Regan , British writer and directorFrancesca Tomlinson, BFI Film Academy Young Programmer
Rina Yang, cinematographer
Venues
The partner venues for the festival included:[ 8]
London cinemas
Expanded venues
UK-wide cinemas
Official Selection
Galas
The following films were selected for the Galas section, which screens world, European, and British premieres of the most anticipated films.
Special Presentations
The following films were selected for the Special Presentations section.
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
The Boy and the Heron 君たちはどう生きるか
Hayao Miyazaki Japan
Cobweb 거미집
Kim Jee-woon South Korea
The End We Start From Mahalia Belo United Kingdom
Fallen Leaves Kuolleet lehdet Aki Kaurismäki Finland
Foe Garth Davis Australia, United States
Grime Kids Abdou Cisse
United Kingdom
Hit Man Richard Linklater United States
Housekeeping for Beginners Goran Stolevski North Macedonia, Poland, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, Australia, United States
Les Indésirables Bâtiment 5 Ladj Ly France, Belgium
Memory Michel Franco Mexico, United States, Chile
Occupied City Steve McQueen United Kingdom, Netherlands
Priscilla Sofia Coppola United States, Italy
The Zone of Interest Jonathan Glazer United Kingdom, United States, Poland
In Competition
There were five competition sections, each with a different selection of films and different juries.
Official Competition
The following films competed for the Best Film Award.[ 9]
Highlighted title indicates section winner.
First Feature Competition
The following films competed for the Sutherland Award , which is awarded to a directorial debut.[ 10]
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
Black Dog George Jaques
United Kingdom
Earth Mama Savanah Leaf United States, United Kingdom
Hoard Luna Carmoon United Kingdom
In Camera Naqqash Khalid
United Kingdom
Mambar Pierrette Rosine Mbakam
Belgium, Cameroon
Paradise Is Burning Mika Gustafson
Sweden, Italy, Denmark, Finland
Penal Cordillera Felipe Carmona
Chile, Brazil
The Queen of My Dreams Fawzia Mirza Canada
Sky Peals Moin Hussain
United Kingdom
Tiger Stripes Amanda Nell Eu
Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, France, Germany, Netherlands, Indonesia, Qatar
Tuesday Daina O. Pusić
United Kingdom, United States
Highlighted title indicates section winner.
Documentary Competition
The following films competed for the Grierson Award, which is awarded to a feature-length documentary.[ 11]
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
Bye Bye Tiberias Lina Soualem
France, Palestine, Belgium, Qatar
Celluloid Underground Ehsan Khoshbakht
United Kingdom, Iran
Chasing Chasing Amy Sav Rodgers
United States
A Common Sequence Mary Helena Clark, Mike Gibisser
United States, Mexico
Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano على حافة البركان
Cyril Aris
Germany, Lebanon
The Klezmer Project Adentro mía estoy bailando Leandro Koch, Paloma Schahmann
Austria, Argentina
Queendom Agniia Galdanova
France, United States
The Taste of Mango Chloe Abrahams
United Kingdom, United States
Highlighted title indicates section winner.
Short Film Competition
The following films competed for the Short Film Award.[ 12]
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
The Archive: Queer Nigerians Simisolaoluwa Akande
United Kingdom
Area Boy Iggy London
United Kingdom
Boat People Thao Lam , Kjell Boersma Canada
Essex Girls Yero Timi-Biu
United Kingdom
The Goose's Excuse Mahdy Abo Bahat, Abdo Zin Eldin
Egypt, United Kingdom
Khabur Nafis Fathollahzadeh
Germany, Iran
Onset Anna Engelhardt, Mark Cinkevich
United Kingdom, Poland
The Singer Cora Bissett
United Kingdom
The Walk Michael Jobling
Wells of Despair Sata Taas
Netherlands
Highlighted title indicates section winner.
Strands
Most of the out-of-competition films have been organised into strands, each based on a different mood or emotion.
Love
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
20,000 Species of Bees 20.000 especies de abejas Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren Spain
Àma Gloria Marie Amachoukeli France
Banel & Adama Banel et Adama Ramata-Toulaye Sy France, Senegal, Mali
Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry Elene Naveriani
Switzerland, Germany, Georgia
The Eternal Memory La memoria infinita Maite Alberdi Chile
Fancy Dance Erica Tremblay United States
Girl Adura Onashile United Kingdom
Goodbye Julia وداعا جوليا
Mohamed Kordofani Sudan, Egypt, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, Sweden
Monster 怪物
Hirokazu Kore-eda Japan
Our Body Notre Corps Claire Simon France
Perfect Days Wim Wenders Japan
Robot Dreams Pablo Berger Spain, France
Silver Haze Sacha Polak Netherlands, United Kingdom
Slow Marija Kavtaradze
Lithuania, Spain, Sweden
Tótem Lila Avilés Mexico, Denmark, France
Unicorns Sally El Hosaini , James Krishna Floyd United Kingdom
Debate
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
Allensworth James Benning United Kingdom
Fire Through Dry Grass Alexis Neophytides, Andres "Jay" Molina
United States
Four Daughters بنات ألفة
Kaouther Ben Hania France, Tunisia, Germany, Saudi Arabia
The Goldman Case Le Procès Goldman Cédric Kahn France
High & Low — John Galliano Kevin Macdonald France, United States, United Kingdom
Kidnapped Rapito Marco Bellocchio Italy, France, Germany
The Mission Jesse Moss , Amanda McBaine United States
On the Adamant Sur l'Adamant Nicolas Philibert France, Japan
The Pigeon Tunnel Errol Morris United Kingdom
The Rye Horn O corno Jaione Camborda Spain, Portugal, Belgium
Shoshana Michael Winterbottom United Kingdom, Italy
Wilding David Allen
United Kingdom
Youth (Spring) 青春
Wang Bing China, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands
Laugh
Dare
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
Animalia Parmi nous Sofia Alaoui France, Morocco, Qatar
Behind the Mountains Oura el Jbel Mohamed Ben Attia Tunisia, France, Belgium, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar
Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World Nu astepta prea mult de la sfârsitul lumii Radu Jude Romania, Luxembourg, France, Croatia
Eileen William Oldroyd
United States
Foremost by Night Sobre todo de noche Víctor Iriarte [es ] Spain, Portugal, France
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell Bên trong vỏ kén vàng Thien An Pham
Vietnam, Singapore, France, Spain
Last Summer L'Été dernier Catherine Breillat France
Little Girl Blue Mona Achache France, Belgium
Music Angela Schanelec Germany, France, Serbia
Omen Baloji Belgium, Netherlands, Democratic Republic of Congo, France, South Africa
The Peasants Chłopi DK Welchman , Hugh Welchman Poland, Serbia, Lithuania
Power Alley Levante Lillah Halla
Brazil, France, Uruguay
A Prince Un prince Pierre Creton
France
Red Island L'Île rouge Robin Campillo France, Belgium, Madagascar
Samsara Lois Patiño
Spain
Thrill
Cult
Journey
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt Raven Jackson
United States
The Bride Myriam U. Birara
Rwanda
The Delinquents Los delincuentes Rodrigo Moreno Argentina
The Echo El eco Tatiana Huezo Mexico, Germany
Expats Lulu Wang United States, Hong Kong
Haar Ben Hecking
United Kingdom
How to Have Sex Molly Manning Walker United Kingdom, Greece
If Only I Could Hibernate Баавгай болохсон
Zoljargal Purevdash
Mongolia, France, Switzerland, Qatar
Inshallah a Boy Inshallah Walad Amjad Al Rasheed
Jordan, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt
The Lost Boys Le Paradis Zeno Graton Belgium, France
The New Boy Warwick Thornton Australia
Ramona Victoria Linares Villegas
Dominican Republic, United Kingdom
The Settlers Los colonos Felipe Gálvez Haberle
Chile, Argentina, France, Denmark, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Sweden, Germany
Shayda Noora Niasari
Australia
The Spectre of Boko Haram Le spectre de Boko Haram Cyrielle Raingou
Cameroon, France
The Sweet East Sean Price Williams United States
That They May Face the Rising Sun Pat Collins
Ireland, United Kingdom
Create
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
Anita Alexis Bloom , Svetlana ZillUnited States
Anselm Anselm – Das Rauschen der Zeit Wim Wenders Germany
Apolonia, Apolonia Lea Glob
Denmark, Poland, France
Close Your Eyes Cerrar los ojos Víctor Erice Spain, Argentina
The Daughters of Fire As Filhas do Fogo Pedro Costa Portugal
Croma Kid Pablo Chea
Dominican Republic
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project Michèle Stephenson , Joe Brewster United States
In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon Alex Gibney
Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros Frederick Wiseman France, United States
The Pot-au-Feu La Passion de Dodin Bouffant Tran Anh Hung France
Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus Neo Sora
Japan
Swan Song Chelsea McMullan Canada
They Shot the Piano Player Dispararon al pianista Fernando Trueba , Javier Mariscal Spain, France, Netherlands
This Is Going to Be Big Thomas Charles Hyland
Australia
You Can Call Me Bill Alexandre O. Philippe
United States
Experimenta
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
The Lost Art of the Future Theo Cuthand Canada
A Radical Duet Onyeka Igwe
United Kingdom
Speech for a Melting Statue Collectif Faire-Part
Belgium, Democratic Republic of Congo
Wells of Despair Sata Taas
Netherlands
The Archive: Queer Nigerians Simisolaoluwa Akande
United Kingdom
Everything Worthwhile Is Done with Other People Rehana Zaman
Night Fishing with Ancestors Elizabeth Povinelli
Australia
Minevissam (I Am Writing) Niki Kohandel
United Kingdom
Notes from Gog Magog Riar Rizaldi
Indonesia
Coders Anastasia Sosunova
Lithuania
Platform Ghosts – Turker, Farmer, Bot Aarti Sunder
India
Onset Anna Engelhardt, Mark Cinkevich
United Kingdom, Poland
Gush Fox Maxy
United States
Pacific Club Valentin Noujaïm
France, Qatar
It Can't Be That Nothing That Can Be Returned Dana Kavelina
Ukraine
Timekeepers of the Anthropocene Federico Cuatlacuatl
Mexico, United States
Tristxtotl Mădălina Zaharia
United Kingdom
Mangosteen Tulapop Saenjaroen Thailand
The Goose's Excuse Mahdy Abo Bahat, Abdo Zin Eldin
Egypt, United Kingdom
Room in a Crowd John Torres
Philippines
Tempo Yu Araki
Japan
All the Days of May Miryam Charles Canada
Wood for the Trees Rob Crosse
Germany
Sunflower Siege Engine Sky Hopinka United States
A Throwing Forth Xiao Zhang
United States, China
Levitate Iván Argote
Italy, Spain, France
Desert Dreaming Abdul Halik Azeez
Sri Lanka
Khabur Nafis Fathollahzadeh
Germany, Iran
Family
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
Dancing Queen Aurora Gossé
Norway
Deep Sea (3D) Xiaopeng Tian
China
Kensuke's Kingdom Kirk Hendry, Neil Boyle
United Kingdom, Luxembourg, France
The Sacred Cave Daniel Minlo
Cameroon, Burkina Faso, France
Treasures
Shorts
The short film programme was divided into the following nine sections.
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
The Archive: Queer Nigerians Simisolaoluwa Akande
United Kingdom
The Lost Art of the Future Theo Cuthand Canada
A Radical Duet Onyeka Igwe
United Kingdom
Speech for a Melting Statue Collectif Faire-Part
Belgium, Democratic Republic of Congo
Wells of Despair Sata Taas
Netherlands
Stories We Tell
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
All the Lights Still Burning Dominic Leclerc
United Kingdom
Essex Girls Yero Timi-Biu
Festival of Slaps Abdou Cissé
Only Yourself to Blame Noomi Yates
The Scottish Play James Soldan
The Singer Cora Bissett
Smoking Dolphins Sean Lyons
What Makes Us
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
Area Boy Iggy London
United Kingdom
Blood Vathana Suganya Suppiah
United Kingdom, Australia
Gorka Joe Weiland
United Kingdom
Making Babies Faire un enfant Éric K. Boulianne Canada
Mother of Mine Jesse Lewis Reece
United Kingdom
Sound & Colour Emma Foley
Ireland
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
Boat People Thao Lam , Kjell Boersma Canada
Graveyard of Horses Xiao Xuan Jiang
China
I Am More Dangerous Dead Majiye Uchibeke
United States, Nigeria, United Kingdom
Waking Up in Silence Mila Zhluktenko, Daniel Asadi Faezi
Ukraine, Germany
The Walk Michael Jobling
United Kingdom
Wildmen of the Greater Toronto Area Solmund MacPherson
Canada
For the Haunted and Possessed
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
Coders Anastasia Sosunova
Lithuania
Notes from Gog Magog Riar Rizaldi
Indonesia
Onset Anna Engelhardt, Mark Cinkevich
United Kingdom, Poland
Platform Ghosts – Turker, Farmer, Bot Aarti Sunder
India
The Creeps
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
Doris Edem Dotse
Ghana, United States
Foreigners Only Nuhash Humayun
Bangladesh, United States
The Garden of Heart Olivér Hegyi
Hungary, Slovakia
Predators Jack King
United Kingdom
Pu Ekaw Tnod Rebecca Culverhouse
Strangers Rob Price
The Test Olivia Marie Valdez
United States
Yummy Mummy Gabriela Staniszewska
United Kingdom
No Place Called Home
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
Hafekasi Annelise Hickey
Australia
Now and Then Harris Alvi
United Kingdom
Rizoo Azadeh Navai
Iran, United States
South Facing Reneque Samuels
United Kingdom
Torn Jahfar Muataz
Denmark, Sweden
The Land is the Living Witness
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
Desert Dreaming Abdul Halik Azeez
Sri Lanka
Khabur Nafis Fathollahzadeh
Germany, Iran
Levitate Iván Argote
Italy, Spain, France
Sunflower Siege Engine Sky Hopinka
United States
A Throwing Forth Xiao Zhang United States, China
Animated Shorts for Young Audiences
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
Pond Lena Von Döhren, Eva Rust
Switzerland
Swing to the Moon Marie Bordessoule, Adriana Bouissie, Nadine De Boer, Elisa Drique, Chloé Lauzu, Vincent Levrero, Solenne Moreau
France
The Day I Became a Bird Andrew Ruhemann
United Kingdom
The Swineherd Magnus Igland Møller, Peter Smith
Denmark
Once upon a Studio Trent Correy, Dan Abraham
United States
Ahru Leandro Martinez
Argentina
Hooba Sem Assink
Netherlands
Upside Down Dace Rīdūze
Latvia
LFF for Free: Shorts
The following films were screened during the LFF for Free programme.[ 13]
Big Little Lives
Star Imagine UK
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
Dragon Slayers United Tom Levinge
United Kingdom
Lionhead Alvin Yu
Gently Kevin Morosky
Sleepyhead Milly Garnier
Nights Laura Jayne Tunbridge
Space Plug Marcus Anthony Thomas
London Calling: Brave Faces
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
Seekers Josh Feder
United Kingdom
Independence Karl Jackson
The Girls' Room Tracey Lopes
My Brudda Ntando Brown
Snow Falls In The Summer Ajuán Isaac George
London Calling: Being Seen
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
The Date Amy Hodge
United Kingdom
Darwin Story Natasha Tonkin
Better Zoe Hunter Gordon
Wings Billy Boyd Cape
The Call Riffy Ahmed
For 2023 the Network@LFF short films were split into three programmes.[ 14]
English Title
Director(s)
Production Country
Programme 1
Up Greg Francis
United Kingdom
Muna Warda Mohamed
United Kingdom, Somalia
VHS Solène Guichard
United Kingdom
The Heritage Andrew Rutter
France
Programme 2
Oba Femi Oladigbolu
United Kingdom
High Tide Johnny Massahi
The Last Days Dipo Baruwa-Etti
The Mobius Trip Simone Smith
Seekers Josh Feder
Programme 3
Malcolm Caleb J. Roberts
United Kingdom, Ireland
Doss House Charlotte James
United Kingdom
Alo Xenia Glen
All The Lights Still Burning Dominic Leclerc
Salt Water Town Dan Thorburn
4Love
English Title
Original Title
Director(s)
Production Country
Dope Fiend Rosanagh Griffiths
United Kingdom
Battery Ewan Marshall
Pyramid of Disunion Ella Glendining, Jessi Gutch
MO <3 KYRA 4EVA Debbie Hannan
Surprise Film
Ferrari Michael Mann [ 15]
Awards
Competition
Source:[ 16]
Audience Awards
Source:[ 15]
Best Feature: Gassed Up George Amponsah
Best Documentary: The Taste of Mango , dir. Chloe Abrahams
Best British Film or Work: Festival of Slaps , dir. Abdou Cisse
Best Immersive/XR: Murals , Lead artists. Alex Topaller, Daniel Shapiro and Artem Ivanenko
References
^ "Festival Brochure" . BFI London Film Festival . Retrieved 17 September 2023 .^ Travis, Ben (31 August 2023). "London Film Festival 2023 Full Line-Up Confirmed" . Empire . Retrieved 31 August 2023 . ^ Ntim, Zac (29 August 2023). "London Film Festival Lineup: Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Kitty Green & Christos Nikou To Play In Competition" . Deadline . Retrieved 31 August 2023 . ^ Ntim, Zac (31 August 2023). "BFI London Film Festival Full Lineup: 'The Book Of Clarence' World Premiere; Scorsese, Miyazaki, Lanthimos & Fincher Among Headline Galas" . Deadline . Retrieved 31 August 2023 . ^ "Competition juries announced for 67th BFI London Film Festival" . BFI . 19 September 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-16 .^ Ritman, Alex (7 August 2023). "Emerald Fennell's 'Saltburn' to Open London Film Festival" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 31 August 2023 . ^ "World premiere of Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya's The Kitchen to close the 67th BFI London Film Festival" . BFI . 17 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023 .^ "Full programme announced for 67th BFI London Film Festival" . BFI . 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023 .^ "Official Competition" . BFI London Film Festival 2023 . Retrieved 2023-10-16 .^ "First Feature Competition" . BFI London Film Festival 2023 . Retrieved 2023-10-16 .^ "Documentary Competition" . BFI London Film Festival 2023 . Retrieved 2023-10-16 .^ "Short Film Competition" . BFI London Film Festival 2023 . Retrieved 2023-10-16 .^ "LFF for Free programme announced, with more than 50 free events" . BFI . Retrieved 7 October 2023 .^ "NETWORK@LFF Shorts Programmes" . BFI . Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023 .^ a b "67th BFI London Film Festival brings in record audience and announces LFF Audience Award winners" . BFI . Retrieved 2023-11-12 . The Surprise Film was the biopic sports thriller Ferrari, starring Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz, and directed by Michael Mann, who took part in a Q&A following the screening with Festival Director, Kristy Matheson. ^ "Award winners announced at 67th BFI London Film Festival" . BFI . Retrieved 2023-10-16 .
