The BFI London Film Festival unveiled its 69th edition with a star-heavy slate that runs October 8–19, led by the international premiere of Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery as opening night and Julia Jackman’s 100 Nights of Hero as the closer. Organizers also set Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, featuring George Clooney, as the Cunard Gala.
Program highlights include the European premiere of Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet with Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, alongside UK premieres such as Hikari’s Rental Family and Baumbach’s Jay Kelly. In total, the festival counts 247 works from 79 countries, with 103 directed by female or non-binary filmmakers, and will screen in London and at partner venues across the UK.
Daniel Day-Lewis returns to the screen in Anemone, directed by his son Ronan Day-Lewis, and will take part in a sold-out “Screen Talk” series that also features Chloé Zhao, Yorgos Lanthimos, Richard Linklater, Jafar Panahi, Lynne Ramsay and Tessa Thompson. “This Autumn we invite audiences to craft their own festival journey… brimming with formal innovations,” festival director Kristy Matheson said.
The lineup folds in several politically charged selections, including Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent, Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab and Óliver Laxe’s Sirāt, a cluster that underscores the event’s mix of marquee titles and urgent dispatches.
Lynne Ramsay’s Die, My Love, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, joins the festival following its Cannes berth, while Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia and Bradley Cooper’s Is This Thing On? extend the roster of high-profile entries. The festival’s screening footprint spans Royal Festival Hall, BFI Southbank, BFI IMAX and cinemas across the city, with additional presentations nationwide.
