I spent this morning at Odeon West End in Leicester Square, where the press launch for the 52nd London Film Festival (15-30 October 2008) was held. Two events frame the fest in 2008 - first, the BFI, which organises the event, is 75 years old; second, the festival's most high-profile champion, Anthony Minghella, died earlier this year. The mouthwatering international line-up of films is a fitting memorial to his enthusiasm, especially in a season when the world's other major film festivals are thought to have been disappointments.
This sort of thing always begins with a nice gentleman or, in this case, lady, reading out a yawnsome list of sponsors that she has to thank for funding the whole shebang. Next, the bit we all stayed for once we'd munched our mini pain au chocolats: festival director Sandra Hebron boasts about the 15 world premieres the festival will feature, before introducing a clip reel of some of the festival's highlights. As ever, it's a mix of big event movies and arthouse gems. The opening night gala is Ron Howard's film version of Peter Morgan's play, Frost/Nixon:
Looks like Oscar fodder to me - great source material, superb cast, laughter, tears - something for everyone. Also among the blockbusters on show is the new Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, which has a second spectacular trailer online now:
There are new films from at least three major UK directors: Danny Boyle, Richard Eyre and Michael Winterbottom. Steve McQueen's Hunger, Giles Borg's 1234, and a witty short called Tight Jeans prop up the British end. Meanwhile, Alex Gibney's documentary about Hunter S Thompson looks like a blast, as does The Brothers Bloom, the new movie from Rian Johnson, who made the fantastic Brick. Internationally, we can look forward to Modern Life and Palme D'Or winner The Class from France; the acclaimed animated war memoir Waltz with Bashir from Israel; Achilles and the Tortoise from Japan's irrepressible Beat Takeshi, and The Good, The Bad and The Weird, Korea's biggest film of the year, a rollercoaster tribute to its director Kim Jee-Woon's favourite Spaghetti Westerns:
BFI members' priority booking for the Festival opens next Thursday, 18 September. Tickets go on sale to regular punters on Saturday 27 September.
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