LONDON (AP) 鈥� After a pared down, pandemic-affected edition in 2021, the BFI London Film Festival is back in full swing this year.
The annual event kicks off Wednesday evening with the premiere of a new, musical action adaptation of 鈥淢atilda鈥� 鈥� the first time in a decade that a family-friendly film has opened the festival.
Based on the story by Roald Dahl and featuring the songs of Tim Minchin, newcomer Alisha Weir takes the lead role with support from stars Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch and Stephen Graham. All are expected to walk the red carpet at the Royal Festival Hall on opening night.
Speaking ahead of the gala, festival director Tricia Tuttle called the choice of opening film 鈥渏oyous,鈥� adding that 鈥渋t plays really well to everyone.鈥�
The London Film Festival is in its 66th year, and prides itself for being more 鈥渁udience facing鈥� than other festivals across the globe.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e a public ticket buyer, you can walk the red carpet. You can鈥檛 do that at lots of film festivals. And that鈥檚 really very much part of our identity,鈥� Tuttle said.
Celebrities expected to attend this year include actor/producer Jennifer Lawrence with 鈥淐auseway,鈥� Timothee Chalamet with Luca Guadagnino鈥檚 cannibal romance 鈥淏ones and All,鈥� and Cate Blanchett and Christoph Waltz for Guillermo del Toro鈥檚 stop motion animation 鈥淧inocchio.鈥�
The festival closes on Sunday Oct. 16 with the premiere of Rian Johnson鈥檚 鈥淜nives Out鈥� sequel 鈥淕lass Onion,鈥� starring Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Mon谩e and Leslie Odom Jr.
Sian Watson, The Associated Press
