BFI London Film Festival 2023; when is it, what are the opening and closing night films, how to get tickets

Considered one of the “big five” film festivals in the world, the BFI London Film Festival starts next week, with another compelling collection of films both in and out of competition, and some hallowed names from the film industry scheduled to offer their advice as part of the “Screen Talk” programme. 

Martin Scorsese, the iconic filmmaker and a fervent advocate for the art of cinema, will make a return to the festival with his latest work, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’ Also, the festival will showcase the remarkable writer, actor, and director Emerald Fennell, whose second feature film, ‘Saltburn,’ will kickstart this year's event.

Director Andrew Haigh will provide insights into his career, spanning his latest achievement, the outstanding ‘All of Us Strangers.’ Lulu Wang will share her experiences, shedding light on her body of work, including her new series ‘Expats.’ Kitty Green, whose latest feature film ‘The Royal Hotel’ is a contender for the prestigious Best Film award at this year's festival, will also be part of the discussions.

In a remarkable addition, the LFF is also thrilled to host Greta Gerwig, a versatile filmmaker known for her distinctive humour, authentic storytelling, and unique, personal cinematic vision. Her highly original and critically acclaimed film ‘Barbie’ has not only become a cultural sensation but has also set new records in terms of box office success.

So what’s on offer this year at the London Film Festival, in terms of films screening in competition, and how can you get tickets to see some of the films, including Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and The Heron’?

What are the opening and closing night films at the BFI London Film Festival?

Academy Award winner Emerald Fennell’s new film, ‘Saltburn,’ will open this year’s BFI London Film Festival, while  Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya’s ‘The Kitchen’ starring Kane Robinson will screen at the closing night gala.

Are there any awards on offer at the BFI London Film Festival?

There are currently four categories where films are shown in competition; Official Competition, the Sutherland Award for the most original and imaginative directorial debut, the Grierson Award, which recognises feature-length documentaries with integrity, originality and social or cultural significance and the Short Film Award. 

The films in competition for each category are as follows:

Official Competition 

• Baltimore (Ireland-UK, dir-scr. Christine Molloy, Joe Lawlor)  
• Dear Jassi (India, dir. Tarsem Singh Dhandwar) 
• Europa (Austria-UK, dir-scr. Sudabeh Mortezai)  
• Evil Does Not Exist (Japan, dir-scr. Ryusuke Hamaguchi)  
• Fingernails (USA, dir-scr. Christos Nikou)   
• Gasoline Rainbow (USA, dir-scr. Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross)  
• I Am Sirat (Canada, dir. a collaboration between Deepa Mehta and Sirat Taneja)  
• The Royal Hotel (Australia, dir-scr. Kitty Green) 
• Self Portrait: 47 Km 2020 (China, dir. Zhang Mengqi) 
• Starve Acre (UK, dir-scr. Daniel Kokotajlo) 
• Together 99 (Sweden-Denmark, dir-scr. Lukas Moodysson)  

Sutherland Award

• Black Dog (UK, dir-scr. George Jaques) 
• Earth Mama (USA-UK, dir-scr. Savanah Leaf) 
• Hoard (UK, dir-scr. Luna Carmoon) 
• In Camera (UK, dir-scr. Naqqash Khalid) 
• Mambar Pierrette (Belgium-Cameroon, dir-scr. Rosine Mbakam) 
• Paradise Is Burning (Sweden-Italy-Denmark-Finland, dir-scr. Mika Gustafson) 
• Penal Cordillera (Chile-Brazil, dir-scr. Felipe Carmona) 
• The Queen of My Dreams (Canada, dir-scr. Fawzia Mirza) 
• Sky Peals (UK, dir-scr. Moin Hussain) 
• Tiger Stripes (Malaysia-Taiwan-Singapore-France-Germany-Netherlands-Indonesia-Qatar, dir-scr. Amanda Nell Eu) 
• Tuesday (UK-USA, dir-scr. Daina O. Pusić) 

Grierson Award

• Bye Bye Tiberias (France-Palestine-Belgium-Qatar, dir-scr. Lina Soualem) 
• Celluloid Underground (UK-Iran, dir. Ehsan Khoshbakht) 
• Chasing Chasing Amy (USA, dir. Sav Rodgers) 
• A Common Sequence (USA-Mexico, dir. Mary Helena Clark, Mike Gibisser) 
• Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano (Germany-Lebanon, dir-scr. Cyril Aris) 
• The Klezmer Project (Austria-Argentina, dir-scr. Leandro Koch, Paloma Schachmann) 
• Queendom (France-USA, dir. Agniia Galdanova) 
• The Taste of Mango (UK-USA, dir. Chloe Abrahams) 

Short Film Award

• The Archive: Queer Nigerians (UK, dir. Simisolaoluwa Akande) 
• Area Boy (UK, dir. Iggy London) 
• Boat People (Canada, dir. Thao Lam, Kjell Boersma) 
• Essex Girls (UK, dir. Yero Timi-Biu) 
• The Goose’s Excuse (Egypt-UK, dir. Mahdy Abo Bahat,  Abdo Zin Eldin) 
• Khabur (Germany-Iran, dir. Nafis Fathollahzadeh) 
• Onset (UK-Poland, dir. Anna Engelhardt,  Mark Cinkevich) 
• The Singer (UK, dir. Cora Bissett) 
• The Walk (UK, dir. Michael Jobling) 
• Wells of Despair (Netherlands, dir. sata taas) 

When does the BFI London Film Festival run until?

The BFI London Film Festival begins on October 4 2023 and runs until its closing night gala on October 15 2023.

How do I get tickets to see a screening as part of the BFI London Film Festival?

Tickets to screenings at the BFI London Film Festival, alongside availability to the movies on show, can be found by visiting the festival’s ticketing section of their website.