BFI London Film Festival Screen Talks: 11 names this October

Andrew Scott, Ava DuVernay, Cynthia Erivo and Mahershala Ali are among 11 actors and filmmakers confirmed for the Screen Talks programme at the 70th BFI London Film Festival.

The festival runs from Wednesday 7 October to Sunday 18 October. BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XT, will host the London talks, while Danny Boyle will appear at HOME Manchester for the programme’s first session outside the capital.

General ticket sales open on 17 September, with earlier booking for BFI Members. The British Film Institute’s announcement does not specify individual start times, ticket prices, accessibility arrangements or talk-specific transport information. The programme is aimed at film enthusiasts and industry professionals interested in detailed conversations about performance, directing and creative careers.

Eleven guests, with opening- and closing-night connections

Andrew Scott’s talk is closely tied to the festival’s opening night. He plays Ian Charleson in Elsinore and will discuss a career spanning Pride, Ripley, All of Us Strangers, Hamlet and Uncle Vanya.

Jesse Eisenberg arrives with the closing-night gala film The Debut. His conversation will cover both acting and filmmaking, from The Social Network and Zombieland to his directorial work on When You Finish Saving the World and A Real Pain.

Ava DuVernay will trace the social and civil-rights themes running through projects including Selma, 13th and Origin. Sofia Coppola’s session will range from The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation to Priscilla, examining a filmography frequently focused on celebrity, isolation and identity.

Animation, blockbusters and award-winning performances

Brad Bird brings one of the programme’s broadest genre ranges. His credits move from animated films such as The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille to the live-action productions Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and Tomorrowland.

Cynthia Erivo will discuss her stage and screen work, including The Color Purple, Harriet and the Wicked films. Two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali will reflect on roles in Moonlight, Green Book, True Detective and Leave the World Behind.

The acting line-up also includes John Malkovich, whose four-decade career encompasses theatre, major studio films and the self-referential Being John Malkovich, and Naomie Ackie, whose credits include Lady Macbeth, Small Axe: Education, Blink Twice and Mickey 17.

Writer-director James Gray will discuss films grounded in New York life, including Little Odessa, The Yards, We Own the Night and Armageddon Time, alongside the more expansive settings of The Lost City of Z and Ad Astra.

Danny Boyle’s Manchester appearance will cover a career running from Shallow Grave and Trainspotting to 28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire and 28 Years Later.

BFI Southbank anchors a wider UK festival

The Screen Talks form one part of a festival spread across London and ten partner venues elsewhere in the UK. Royal Festival Hall will serve as the gala venue, while BFI Southbank will house the competition programme, Screen Talks and LFF for Free events. BFI IMAX and four West End cinemas will also screen festival titles.

Readers planning a broader festival visit can review the films competing at BFI London Film Festival. The BFI says Screen Talks will also be available to catch up through BFI Player and its YouTube channel.

Tickets open after the full programme reveal

The full festival programme is due to be published on Wednesday 2 September. BFI Members will receive an early booking window, followed by the general ticket sale on 17 September; session times and prices remain to be confirmed.

Source: British Film Institute News