The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival: Sam Taylor Wood Talk

The highly acclaimed artist and filmmaker comes to the BFI to discuss her career transition from gallery to cinema with Tim Marlow.

Whilst creating her first major artwork Killing Time in 1994, and the subsequent 1996 multi-screen works Travesty of a Mockery and Pent-Up, Sam Taylor-Wood gained valuable experience working with actors, and she has applied a cinematic sensibility to her still photographic work as well as her films ever since. Her diagnosis and recovery from both colon cancer in 1997 and breast cancer in 2001, influenced her already melancholic work, exploring and reflecting on the theme of mortality in such works as Still Life (2001) and A Little Death (2002) while experimenting with the distortion of time and motion. Pieces from 2005-2006; David, Prelude in Air and The Last Century, focus on moments of vulnerability and intimacy and remind us of elements now lost from our culture. Taylor-Wood’s impressive short narrative film Love You More (LFF 2008) has much in common with her artwork, in as much that it is a simple idea, beautifully executed, and as with all of her work, it is the visual expression of the idea that is so original. We are proud to present the World Premiere of Sam’s first feature Nowhere Boy as our Closing Night film, and very excited that she will be in conversation to discuss her work. Timothy Smith

Where
BFI NFT1

When
18:30 Tues 27 October

The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival: Wallace & Gromit's 20th Anniversary

Master animator Nick Park discusses his illustrious career and helps us celebrate 20 years since Wallace & Gromit hit our screens.

As a child, Nick Park’s career aspirations included being an artist for the Beano comic and an inventor. By far, his best invention has been Wallace & Gromit, who first appeared on our screens 20 years ago. In 1985, Park became an invaluable addition to Aardman Animations, and A Grand Day Out (which he began as a student at the NFTS) earned him his first of many BAFTA awards. Four Academy Awards followed, not just for his much-loved shorts Creature Comforts, The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave, but also for his feature Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Park’s perfectionist attention to detail and his ability to infuse his plasticine characters with humanity and humour (not to mention giving an immense vocabulary and emotional range to a dog that never speaks a word) is testament to the genius of his imagination and to his unsurpassed talent as an animator. To celebrate Park’s ‘cracking’ achievements we are delighted to be able to screen A Grand Day Out, digitally remastered for the occasion. Nick Park will be interviewed on stage after the screening by journalist David Gritten. Timothy Smith

Where
BFI NFT1

When
15:15 Sat 24 October

The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival: Clive Owen Talk

Held in the highest regard by everyone he’s worked with, Coventry’s favourite son comes to the BFI for a discussion about his career.

Straight out of drama school, Clive Owen landed a starring role in his first feature Vroom (LFF 1988) and within two years he was starring in TV crime drama Chancer. Concerned that he would be stereotyped into television roles, he chose to take a controversial role in Stephen Poliakoff’s Close My Eyes which fed his desire to explore a more interesting career path in both film and theatre. Since then, Owen has taken particular care to work with scripts that he feels passionate about, and has the highest regard for the actors and directors that he works with. This strong work ethic has seen repeat collaborations with director Mike Hodges on Croupier and I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, and he has enjoyed working more than once with Julia Roberts and Paul Giamatti. The hard work was rewarded with both a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for his performance in Closer, and Owen went on to impress as anti-hero Dwight McCarthy in Sin City. His work on Children of Men was also highly acclaimed, and writer-director Alfonso Cuaron has personally credited Owen with contributing to the script. The Boys Are Back sees Owen in a very different acting role (as well as Executive Producer), and working once again with a wonderful script. We are very pleased to welcome such a dedicated actor to take part in the BFI Screen Talks series. Timothy Smith

Where
BFI NFT1

When
18:30 Thu 22 October

The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival: Jane Campion Talk

The Oscar winning director comes to the BFI to discuss her impressive career.

There is often a deliberate ambiguity in a Jane Campion film which allows the audience to focus on what is unseen or unsaid and openly interpret the narrative possibilities. Since Campion’s first short film Peel won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1982, she has made her mark internationally as a filmmaker with a distinctive visual and narrative style. Her use of strong female characters has undoubtedly contributed to her films becoming marked as powerful texts for feminist analysis. The recurring themes of madness and desire in Campion’s work are prevalent in her debut feature Sweetie (LFF 1989), and a fascination with the darker side of romance is demonstrated by her declared passion for the Gothic literature of the Brontës, and exemplified in The Piano (for which Campion was nominated for a Best Director Oscar in 1993 and won for Best Screenplay, in addition to many other awards, including her second Palme d’Or). In the beautiful Bright Star, Campion sews her signature style poetically through the narrative to help create a sensitive portrayal of a tragic love story in a way that only Jane Campion could. Timothy Smith

Where
BFI NFT1

When
18:30 Tue 20 October

The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival: Julianne Moore Talk

One of the most daring and talented actors of her generation comes to the BFI to discuss her diverse slate of work.

When she first appeared in feature films, Julianne Moore garnered much attention for her talent and her presence on screen, with roles in films such as Short Cuts (LFF 1993) and [Safe] (LFF 1995). A number of Oscar nominations and a slew of other awards followed, for her roles in Boogie Nights (LFF 1997), The End of the Affair, Far from Heaven (LFF 2002) and The Hours. By cleverly positioning her career across both the mainstream studio system and independent film, Moore has been able to use her status at the box office to help independent directors find funding for projects that otherwise may not have been made. Although she always brings individuality and originality to the diverse range of roles that she chooses, Moore has a rare skill of being able to play characters in a natural and believable way that audiences often relate to, whilst at the same time highlighting the complexities of a character (few other actors could play a porn-star cokehead with such tenderness and sensitivity). The range and diversity in her talent are especially evident in her portrayal of a wife and mother in Atom Agoyan’s Chloe and almost the antithesis of that in Tom Ford’s A Single Man. Timothy Smith

Where
BFI NFT1

When
18:30 Fri 23 October

The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival: Lee Daniels – Script Factory and NFTS Masterclasses

The remarkably gifted producer-turned-director discusses his work, including his powerful new feature Precious.

Few people have the qualities needed to be a successful producer and even fewer have those needed to be a successful director. Lee Daniels’ natural skills as a producer allowed him to make Monster’s Ball (for which Halle Berry won an Oscar) as his first film. He then went on to gain further critical acclaim as a producer with The Woodsman (LFF 2004). Daniels is an extremely creative producer with a strong vision. He is so secure and determined in the way he envisages his films, and so hands-on as a producer that it was natural (and inevitable) that he would try his hand at directing. Daniels believes that he learned a great deal from his debut directorial experience on Shadowboxer, and that this made him an even better producer on his next project, Tennessee. This also started his fruitful collaboration with Mariah Carey, who stars in that film as well as playing a supporting role in his new offering Precious which he has directed and produced. In this deeply moving and powerful film, Daniels expertly balances the absolute horror of the title character’s experience with humour and fantasy, and proves that all of the heart and soul he puts into his films is definitely paying off. Timothy Smith

Where
BFI NFT1

When
13:00 Sat 24 October

The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival Screening: Fantastic Mr. Fox

Wes Anderson works with stop-motion animation and an outstanding voice cast to bring Roald Dahl’s much loved story to the screen.

In his first animated feature, Wes Anderson proves the perfect filmmaker to bring Roald Dahl’s much-loved story to the screen.

Mr and Mrs Fox live an idyllic home life with their son Ash and visiting young nephew Kristofferson. But, after 12 years, the bucolic existence proves too much for Mr Fox’s wild animal instincts. Soon he slips back into his old ways as a sneaky chicken thief, and in doing so endangers not only his own beloved family, but the whole animal community. Trapped underground with not enough food to go round, the animals band together to fight against the evil farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean, who are determined to capture the audacious, fantastic Mr Fox at any cost. – Sandra Hebron

Where & When
Wed 14 | 19:00 | ODEON LEICESTER SQ.
Thu 15 | 13:15 | Vue Screen 7
Thu 15 | 18:00 | Vue Screen 5
Sat 17 | 13:15 | Vue Screen 7

The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival Screening: 44 Inch Chest – Film on the Square

Ray Winstone and friends behaving very badly in this powerful drama of a wronged husband trying to regain his self-respect.

Anyone inclined to bemoan the shocking behaviour of young people would be advised to take a look at 44 Inch Chest, which features some spectacularly foul mouthed and habitually violent behaviour from a group of men well beyond any flush of youth. This debut feature by Malcolm Venville from a script by Sexy Beast writers Louis Mellis and David Scinto is a powerful drama of a wronged husband trying to regain his self-respect. Colin (Ray Winstone) is devastated when his wife announces she’s leaving him for a younger man, and when we first meet him he is sprawled drunkenly amidst the wreckage of their final argument, as Nilsson’s ‘Without You’ loops in the background. This virtuoso opening really sets the tone for what follows, aggressive and maudlin by turns. Colin’s motley crew of old friends (John Hurt, Ian McShane, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Dillane) rally to his aid, though their plot to kidnap the lover and push Colin into taking revenge is misguided in conception and inept in execution. A provocative and darkly funny study of masculinity at its most troubling, 44 Inch Chest gives the actors full rein to explore the male ego pushed to its limits, and this wonderful ensemble certainly rise to the task. – Sandra Hebron

Where & When
Sat 17 | 18:00 | Vue Screen 5
Sat 17 | 18:15 | Vue Screen 7
Sun 18 | 16:15 | Vue Screen 9
Mon 19 | 13:00 | Vue Screen 5

Preview: The Soloist

LA Times columnist Steve Lopez is in desperate need of a story when he encounters Nathaniel Ayres, a homeless schizophrenic possessing a violin with just two strings. Ayres, Lopez discovers, possesses a remarkable talent for music and was once a precocious classical cellist. Documenting Ayres’ story in his column, Lopez, with a little help from his readers, endeavours to help Ayres realise his potential, and finds his own life transformed in the process.

Where
BFI, NFT1

When
Wed 16 Sep 18:20

The Independent Interview with Spike Lee at The BFI

To coincide with the BFI’s ‘Fight the Power: Do the Right Thing in Context’ season, the BFI are pleased to announce that Spike Lee will be interviewed on-stage by David Lammy MP. The interview will focus on Lee’s career to date, as well as exploring his thoughts around Do the Right Thing, 20 years on from its original release.

 NB – Do the Right Thing screens at 18:30 in NFT1. Tickets to be booked separately.

The Independent Interview with Spike LeeMonday September 21, 2009 at 8:45pm
BFI Southbank NFT1
Belvedere Road
London, England SE1 8XT Get Directions