The 68th BFI London Film Festival was a film festival that took place from 9–20 October 2024. The competition films were announced on 29 August 2024 while the films for the galas and the strands were revealed on 4 September 2024.
Steve McQueen's historical drama Blitz opened the festival on 9 October 2024, being the third film by McQueen to do so after Widows in 2018 and Mangrove in 2020. Morgan Neville's animated documentary film Piece by Piece closed the festival on 20 October 2024.
Juries The jury members were as follows: Main Competition Alexandre O. Philippe, Swiss film director – Jury president Manori Ravindran, English trade journalist Reinaldo Marcus Green, American filmmaker
First Feature Competition (Sutherland Award) Dionne Edwards, British filmmaker – Jury president Julia Weigl, artistic co-director of the Munich Film Festival Bernardo Rondeau, curator of Film Programs at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and former Senior Director of Film Programs for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Documentary Competition (Grierson Award) June Givanni, Guyanese-British curator, archivist, and founder of the June Givanni Pan-African Cinema Archive – Jury president Ella Glendining, British writer and director Raul Niño Zambrano, creative director of Sheffield DocFest
Short Film Competition Chloe Abrahams, Sri Lankan-British writer and director – Jury president Simisolaoluwa Akande, British director George Jaques, British filmmaker
Venues The partner venues for the festival included: London cinemas BFI Southbank BFI IMAX Curzon Mayfair Curzon Soho Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) Prince Charles Cinema Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall Vue West End Picturehouse Central - Press and industry screenings
Expanded venues Bargehouse at Oxo Tower Wharf Outernet Theatre Avenue
UK-wide cinemas Broadway Cinema, Nottingham Chapter, Cardiff Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow HOME, Manchester Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham Queen's Film Theatre, Belfast Showroom Cinema, Sheffield Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle upon Tyne Watershed, Bristol
Official Selection Galas The following films were selected for the Galas section, which screens world, European, and British premieres: English Title Original Title Director(s) Country(s) Opening Night GalaBlitzSteve McQueen The United Kingdom and the United States Closing Night GalaPiece by Piece Morgan Neville The United States American Express GalaElton John: Never Too Late R. J. Cutler and David FurnishThe United States Mayor of London's GalaWe Live in Time John Crowley France and the United Kingdom Cunard GalaJoyBen TaylorThe United Kingdom BFI Patron's GalaHard Truths Mike Leigh Spain and the United Kingdom Family GalaThat ChristmasSimon OttoThe United Kingdom Headline GalaAnoraSean BakerThe United StatesThe ApprenticeAli AbbasiCanada, Denmark and IrelandBirdAndrea ArnoldThe United Kingdom, France, Germany and the United StatesConclaveEdward Berger The United Kingdom and the United StatesEmilia PérezJacques AudiardFranceMariaPablo LarraínItaly, Germany and the United StatesNightbitchMarielle Heller The United StatesThe Room Next DoorLa habitación de al ladoPedro AlmodóvarSpain
Special Presentations The following films were selected for the Special Presentations section: English Title Original Title Director(s) Production CountryAll We Imagine As LightPayal KapadiaFrance, India, Netherlands, LuxembourgThe Ballad of Suzanne CésaireMadeleine Hunt-EhrlichUnited StatesDahomeyMati DiopFrance, Senegal, BeninEnduranceElizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Natalie HewitUnited Kingdom, United StatesHarvestAthina Rachel TsangariUnited Kingdom, Germany, Greece, France, United StatesI’m Still HereAinda Estou AquiWalter SallesBrazil, FranceA Nice Indian Boy (BFI Flare Special Presentation)Roshan SethiUnited States, CanadaNickel BoysRaMell RossUnited StatesThe Piano LessonMalcolm WashingtonQueerLuca GuadagninoItaly, United StatesA Real PainJesse EisenbergUnited States, PolandThe Seed of the Sacred Figدانهی انجیر معابدMohammad RasoulofIran, Germany, FranceSilent Sherlock (1921–1923)Maurice Elvey, George RidgwellUnited KingdomThe Summer BookCharlie McDowellFinland, United KingdomThe Wild RobotChris SandersUnited States
In Competition There were four competition sections, each with a different selection of films and different juries.
Official Competition The following films competed for the Best Film Award: English Title Original Title Director(s) Production CountryAprilDea KulumbegashviliFrance, Italy, GeorgiaBring Them DownChristopher AndrewsIreland, United Kingdom, BelgiumThe Extraordinary Miss FlowerIain Forsyth and Jane PollardUnited KingdomFour MothersColin Thornton, Darren ThorntonIreland, United KingdomLiving in Two Worldsぼくが生きてる、ふたつの世界Mipo OJapanMemoir of a SnailAdam ElliotAustraliaOn Becoming a Guinea FowlRungano NyoniZambia, United Kingdom, IrelandThank You for Banking With UsLaila AbbasPalestine, GermanyUnder the VolcanoPod wulkanemDamian KocurPolandVermiglioMaura DelperoItaly, France, BelgiumThe Wolves Always Come at NightЧоно үүр шөнөөр ирдэгGabrielle BradyAustralia, Mongolia, Germany Highlighted title indicates the section winner.
First Feature Competition The following films competed for the Sutherland Award, which is awarded to a directorial debut: English Title Original Title Director(s) Production CountryCrocodile TearsTumpal TampubolonIndonesia, France, Singapore, GermanyHanamiDenise FernandesSwitzerland, Portugal, Cape VerdeHappyendNeo SoraJapan, United StatesLast SwimSasha NathwaniUnited KingdomMy Eternal SummerMin evige sommerSylvia Le FanuDenmarkOlivia & the CloudsOlivia & Las NubesTomás Pichardo EspaillatDominican RepublicOn FallingLaura CarreiraUnited Kingdom, PortugalSantoshSandhya SuriUnited Kingdom, France, GermanySeptember SaysAriane LabedIreland, United Kingdom, GermanyTo a Land UnknownMahdi FleifelUnited Kingdom, Palestine, France, Greece, Netherlands, Germany, Qatar, Saudi ArabiaWho Do I Belong Toماء العينMeryam JoobeurTunisia, France, Canada, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia Highlighted title indicates the section winner.
Documentary Competition The following films competed for the Grierson Award, which is awarded to a feature-length documentary. English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Collective Monologue Monólogo colectivo Jessica Sarah Rinland Argentina, United Kingdom Holloway Sophie Compton, Daisy-May Hudson United Kingdom Kamay Ilyas Yourish, Shahrokh Bikaran Afghanistan, Belgium, France, Germany Mother Vera Cécile Embleton, Alys Tomlinson United Kingdom Rising Up at Night Tongo Saa Nelson Makengo Democratic Republic of Congo, Belgium, Germany, Burkina Faso, Qatar Seeking Mavis Beacon Jazmin Renée Jones United States The Shadow Scholars Eloise King United Kingdom Witches Elizabeth Sankey Highlighted title indicates the section winner.
Short Film Competition The following films competed for the Short Film Award.
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Adura Baba Mi Juliana Kasumu United Kingdom Cold Snap Ellen Evans Dragfox Lisa Ott I Don't Want to Be Just a Memory Sarnt Utamachote Germany Magic Candies Amedama Nishio Daisuke Japan Mother's Day Emily Burnett United Kingdom See It, Say It Nez Khammal Stomach Bug Matty Crawford Two Refusals (Would We Recognize Ourselves Unbroken?) Suneil Sanzgiri United States Vibrations from Gaza Rehab Nazzal Palestine, Canada Highlighted title indicates the section winner.
Strands Most of the out-of-competition films have been organised into strands, each based on a different mood or emotion. Love English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country All of You William Bridges United Kingdom All Shall Be Well 從今以後 Ray Yeung Hong Kong At Averroès & Rosa Parks Averroès & Rosa Parks Nicolas Philibert France Grand Tour Miguel Gomes Portugal, Italy, France I'm Your Venus Kimberly Reed United States Motherboard Victoria Mapplebeck United Kingdom Patrice: The Movie Ted Passon United States Pavements Alex Ross Perry Queens of Drama Les Reines du drame Alexis Langlois France, Belgium Sex Dag Johan Haugerud Norway Tarika Стадото Milko Lazarov Bulgaria, Germany, Luxembourg Weightless Sulla terra leggeri Sara Fgaier Italy When Fall Is Coming Quand vient l'automne François Ozon France When the Light Breaks Ljósbrot Rúnar Rúnarsson Iceland, Netherlands, Croatia, France
Debate English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country 2073 Asif Kapadia United Kingdom Black Box Diaries Shiori Itō Japan, United States, United Kingdom The Cats of Gokogu Shrine Gokōgu no Neko Kazuhiro Soda Japan, United States Families like Ours Familier som vores Thomas Vinterberg Denmark, France, Sweden, Czechia, Belgium, Norway, Germany I'm Nevenka Soy Nevenka Icíar Bollaín Spain The Invasion Sergei Loznitsa Netherlands, France, United States Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989 Göran Hugo Olsson Sweden, Finland, Denmark Julie Keeps Quiet Julie zwijgt Leonardo Van Dijl Belgium, Sweden The Listeners Jordan Tannahill United Kingdom Three Kilometres to the End of the World Trei kilometri până la capătul lumii Emanuel Pârvu Romania Youth (Homecoming) 青春 Wang Bing France, Luxembourg, Netherlands
Laugh English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Audrey Natalie Bailey Australia The Gutter Yassir Lester, Isaiah Lester United States The Other Way Around Volveréis Jonás Trueba Spain, France Rumours Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson Germany, Canada Sofa, So Good Kyle Thiele, Eli Thiele, Cole Thiele United States A Traveler's Needs 여행자의 필요 Hong Sang-soo South Korea Triumph Триумф Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov Bulgaria, Greece Universal Language Une langue universelle / آواز بوقلمون Matthew Rankin Canada
Dare English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Bionico's Bachata La bachata de Bionico Yoel Morales Dominican Republic Caught by the Tides 风流一代 Jia Zhangke China Cidade; Campo Juliana Rojas Brazil, Germany, France Diciannove Giovanni Tortorici Italy, United Kingdom Don't Cry, Butterfly Mu’a trên cánh bU’ó’m Dương Diệu Linh Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia Eight Postcards from Utopia Opt ilustrate din lumea ideală Radu Jude, Christian Ferencz-Flatz Romania Familiar Touch Sarah Friedland United States Fire of Wind Fogo do Vento Marta Mateus Portugal, Switzerland, France My Stolen Planet Sayyareye dozdide shodeye man Farahnaz Sharifi Germany, Iran The Nights Still Smell of Gunpowder As Noites Ainda Cheiram a Pólvora Inadelso Cossa Mozambique, France, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, Norway Pepe Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias Dominican Republic, Namibia, Germany, France Formosa Beach Praia Formosa Julia de Simone Portugal, Brazil Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass Brothers Quay United Kingdom, Poland, Germany Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat Johan Grimonprez Belgium, France, Netherlands Sugar Island Johanné Gómez Terrero Dominican Republic, Spain Việt and Nam Trong lòng đất Minh Quý Trương Vietnam, Philippines, France, Singapore, Netherlands, Italy, Germany
Thrill English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Aïcha Mehdi M. Barsaoui Tunisia, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar Architecton Viktor Kossakovsky Germany, France La cocina Alonso Ruizpalacios Mexico, United States Eat the Night Caroline Poggi, Jonathan Vinel France Ghost Trail Les Fantômes Jonathan Millet France, Germany, Belgium Maldoror Fabrice Du Welz Belgium, France Marco, the Invented Truth Marco, la verdad inventada Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño Spain Misericordia Miséricorde Alain Guiraudie France, Spain, Portugal Skincare Austin Peters United States Stranger Eyes 默視錄 Yeo Siew Hua Singapore, Taiwan, France, United States A Thousand Blows Steven Knight United Kingdom
Cult