Pictures in Motion: The 2022 BFI London Film Festival 

If you’re a cinephile or a diehard film fan, now is your time. The 66th BFI London Film Festival is running as we speak, with 164 films to choose from, along with TV series, an expanded program of XR works, and panels featuring some of the world’s most in-demand stars. Browse those tickets now!

Well who would have guessed it, a whole year has zipped round and here we are again in October. It’s Autumn. Which means, cinema-wise, we are already moving smoothly along the Awards Corridor, a pathway that leads inexorably toward a whole plethora of winning ceremonies early next year, culminating in the night of nights – the Oscars.  

To work out which films have found favour this year, you need to keep any eye on the film festivals, which tend to follow one after the other in quick succession at this time of the year. The big ones from late Summer onwards are Venice, Toronto, New York and our very own BFI London Film Festival. Which starts this week 5^th October and continues spotlighting movies great and small until 16^th October. 

Tell us more, we asked to Rowan Woods of the BFI LFF, and she did just that. “We’ve got such a strong line-up this year. Obviously, there are those big, eye-catching titles but such a strong and varied array of work from around the world. On the independent side, it’s really come back this year with a rich selection of international work. We’ve been spoilt for choice – the work is still being made.”

Good to know that after virtually grinding to a halt during the pandemic and various lockdowns around the world, the industry has picked itself up, dusted itself off and is doing what it does best, getting those movies made. Individualistic as well as eye catching.

This year the opening film is Matilda the Musical, directed by Matthew Warchus, and based on Roald Dahl’s much-loved children’s title. Featured actors include Lashana Lynch, Andrea Riseborough and Emma Thompson, giving us what will probably become the definitive version of the terrifying Miss Trunchbull. The closing night film is the second instalment of Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, with Daniel Craig reprising his Benoit Blanc, the detective’s detective with the smooth, Southern drawl.

“In between that,” continues Rowan, “we have all of the Headline Galas and special presentations, the first feature and documentary competitions, the thematic strands we’ve always had and of course our Best Film competition. Also, there’s the series strands and the XR strands, so the festival is expanding to forms of storytelling beyond just pure film, because that’s really where both audiences and creatives are going.”

So if you’d like to be part of this and enjoy a thorough immersion in the world of cinema, right here on our doorstep on the South Bank, and indeed in venues all over the city, then there are still plenty of tickets available. Take a look at what’s on offer at whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff  and see if you can stay one step in ahead of the game and spot the next big thing who in a few short months will be standing in the spotlight clutching their Academy/SAG/BAFTA Award… and hopefully thanking their mother.

Discover the world’s best new new films, series and immersive storytelling at the BFI London Film Festival 2022 CLICK HERE!

The autumn issue of My Soho Time is out on the 13th October. If you’d like to partner with us, write for us, or advertise with us please email: kai@mysohotimes.co.uk

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