68th BFI London Film Festival Opens with “Blitz” and Closes with “Piece by Piece”
The 68th BFI London Film Festival, set to take place from 9 to 20 October 2024, promises a stellar lineup with the world premiere of Steve McQueen’s Blitz as its opening night gala and the UK premiere of Morgan Neville's Piece by Piece as its closing film. Both premieres will be hosted at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, with additional screenings at venues across the United Kingdom.
Steve McQueen’s Blitz, an Apple Original Film, is a World War II drama that follows the journey of George, a 9-year-old boy sent to the English countryside by his mother, Rita, for safety. As George faces peril in his quest to return home to East London, his mother desperately searches for him. The film features Academy Award-nominee Saoirse Ronan and newcomer Elliott Heffernan, with a supporting cast including Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, and Stephen Graham.
This marks McQueen’s return to the BFI London Film Festival, where he has previously premiered notable works such as Widows and Mangrove. McQueen expressed his excitement for the premiere, stating, "Blitz is a movie about Londoners. It honours the spirit of what and how Londoners endured during the Blitz, but also explores the true representation of people in London."
The closing night of the festival will feature Piece by Piece, an animated biopic directed by Academy Award-winning documentarian Morgan Neville. The film explores the life of cultural icon Pharrell Williams through LEGO animation, a creative choice suggested by Williams himself. The film features LEGO-animated versions of stars like Jay-Z, Missy Elliot, Gwen Stefani, and Snoop Dogg, and delves into Williams' rise from his early days in Virginia Beach to becoming a global phenomenon.
Neville expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to close the festival, saying, "The BFI London Film Festival has been supportive of my career for a long time. Bringing Piece by Piece to the LFF means the world to me."
Kristy Matheson, BFI London Film Festival Director, praised both films for their creativity and impact. She described Blitz as an "astounding production" and Piece by Piece as a film "of enormous joy and invention."
Following its premiere, Blitz will be released in select UK cinemas on 1 November 2024 and will stream globally on Apple TV+ from 22 November 2024. Piece by Piece will be released in UK cinemas on 8 November 2024.
The BFI London Film Festival will be hosted at various prominent venues, including BFI Southbank, BFI IMAX, and partner cinemas across the UK. In addition to physical screenings, audiences can explore festival programs on BFI Player. The full festival lineup will be announced on 4 September 2024, with tickets available for purchase from 17 September 2024.