Sam Mendes’ ‘Empire Of Light’ added to BFI London Film Festival line-up

Sam Mendes’ Empire Of Light has been selected as the American Express Gala at this year’s BFI London Film Festival (LFF, October 5-16).

The title is written, directed and produced by Oscar and Bafta winning Skyfall director Mendes, and will have its European premiere at LFF on October 12 at the Southbank Centre in the Royal Festival Hall, with Mendes in attendance alongside producer Pippa Harris and key cast including Olivia Colman, Screen Star of Tomorrow 2020 Micheal Ward, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Tanya Moodie, Tom Brooke and Crystal Clarke.

It is set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s, and reflects on human connection and the magic of cinema. It marks Mendes’ first solo credit as a screenwriter, and is produced by Mendes and Harris’ Neal Street Productions, in partnership with Searchlight Pictures.

The film will receive its world premiere at Toronto before its release theatrically in the US on December 9 and the UK on January 13. 

As previously announced, LFF’s opening night film will be the world premiere of Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical, and the closing night film will be the European premiere of Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

The full programme will be launched on September 1.

•  Jason Blum says ‘Get Out’ would win the best picture Oscar today