And the titles include ‘The Extraordinary Miss Flower’ by Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard, ‘On Becoming a Guinea Fowl’ by Rungano Nyoni and Georgian film ‘April’, produced by Luca Guadagnino.

The 68th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express is delighted to announce the films screening in Official Competition and contending for the Best Film Award. The 2024 nominated films showcase innovative filmmaking and an incredible range of talent from across the world, with 13 countries represented across the selection.

From a gripping Irish portrait of deep-rooted generational rivalry to a stop-motion animated tale of self-discovery; a moving portrait of living with deaf parents in Tokyo to a follow up feature from one of Zambia’s most distinctive voices, the films selected for Official Competition celebrate and recognize inspiring and inventive global filmmaking.  

Established in 2009 and first won by Jacques Audiard for A Prophet, recent winners of the Best Film Award include Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist in 2023 and Marie Kreutzer’s Corsage in 2022.

One of the films I’m looking forward to is the world premiere of The Extraordinary Miss Flower by Jane Pollard and Iain Forsyth, the team behind 20,000 Days On Earth. When Geraldine Flower passed away, her family uncovered a secret cache of letters containing declarations of love from suitors around the globe, hinting at the possibility of a life of espionage. Taking inspiration, Icelandic songstress Emilíana Torrini recorded an album, which forms the spine of this filmic fever dream. The songs and images bring these amorous words and the beguiling Miss Flower thrillingly back to life, along with the help of other entertainment personalities, from Nick Cave to Angus Sampson, who embody the men who wrote those love letters to Flower.

April is Dea Kulumbegashvili’s probing exploration of rural life in Georgia, which centers on the experiences of a doctor whose moral compass is as unwavering as her strength of character.

Nina is the best gynaecologist in her area, but after a new-born dies during a difficult birth, blame is directed at her. Stoically unshakeable in her beliefs, Nina continues providing care to those who need it, even if her position on respecting women’s wishes regarding their bodies puts her at risk. Produced by Luca Guadagnino, this is a stunningly shot, revelatory drama. 

Memoirs of a Snail is Oscar winning director Adam Elliot’s tale of separated twins in 1970s Australia is a funny and moving stop-motion triumph. The film won the top award at this year’s Annecy Film Festival.

Twins Grace and Gilbert are separated as children due to tragic circumstances; Grace goes to live with a ‘swinger’ couple, while Gilbert is ensconced with a religious fundamentalist family. Then Grace’s life changes when she meets old Pinkie who has ‘done it all’ from making love to John Denver to playing ping pong with Fidel Castro. Adam Elliot’s latest revels in its distinctive wit to produce an offbeat masterpiece.

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl is Rungano Nyoni’s follow-up to her BAFTA-winning debut I Am Not a Witch and proves a powerful and atmospheric tale of tradition, abuse and strength within a Zambian family. 

Driving home one night, Shula seems unfazed by the sight of her uncle’s dead body on the road. Later, while helping in funeral proceedings, her cool exterior melts as she questions her family’s complicity towards the abuse she and her cousins suffered. As Nyoni makes clear through this perceptive drama, silence breeds impunity. With touches of humour and surrealism, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl confirms her position as one of her generation’s most distinctive voices.

Under the Volcano is Damian Cokur’s follow up to his haunting feature debut Bread and Salt. His latest deals with a Ukrainian family on their sunny beach holiday, as they navigate a seismic political shift, with the outbreak of war immediately making them refugees.

Damian Kocur’s timely second feature explores the precariousness of our lives and the brittle line between safety and uncertainty, stability and upheaval. Tenerife’s volcano looms in the background, but it’s the human drama of a family unable to return to their home that generates the tension. It’s an exceptional portrait of a relatable family coping with events out of their control.

Rounding out the list are the Italian title Vermiglio by Maura Delpero; the hybrid documentary The Wolves Always Come at Night by Gabrielle Brady; the Japanese title Living in Two Worlds by Mipo O; Palestinian director Laila Abbas’s Thank You for Banking with Us; Christopher Andrews’ Bring Them Down, starring Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbot; and Four Mothers, Darren Thornton’s adaptation of Gianni Di Gregorio’s 2008 LFF winner, and popular Italian film Mid-August Lunch, which the Irish-born filmmaker turns into a charming tale of one Irish son juggling four very different mothers.

From these 11 films, the winner to be chosen by LFF Awards Jury and revealed on Sunday, October 20th. The BFI London Film Festival takes place from October 9th to the 20th, at venues in London and around the UK.

For more information, and to purchase tickets which go on sale for the general public on September 17th, check out the BFI London Film Festival website.

Image courtesy of the festival, used with permission.