RADIANT CIRCUS is your handcrafted guide to London’s DIY, indie & alternative movie nights, film events & gallery screenings. Our DAILY UPDATE helps you find great films in London today*.

Find films in London today by: SINGLE-O EXHIBITS (one-off attractions) // MUSEUM SHOWS (several exhibits under one roof – seasons & festivals) // GRIND SHOWS (a selection of regular runs).

FEATURED ATTRACTION

Essay Film Festival Prelude: THE LAW OF THE LAND aka A Lei da Terra d. Grupo Zero, 1977 + Discussion at Birkbeck Cinema (07 MAR 13:00 – FREE!):

“Grupo Zero was one of the many film co-operatives founded right after the Portuguese Carnation Revolution, in 1974. The Law of the Land, one of the few productions by the group, follows the story of Land Reform in southern Portugal. Screening followed by discussion with Mari Paz Balibrea (Birkbeck College) and Luís Trindade (Universidade de Coimbra).”
Followed by: GESTURES & FRAGMENTS aka Gestos & Fragmentos d. Alberto Seixas Santos, 1982 Screening followed by discussion with Luís Trindade (Universidade de Coimbra) and Pedro Ramos Pinto (Cambridge University) (07 MAR 15:30 – FREE!).

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NEW AT RADIANT CIRCUS

What to see in London this month: part of CLOSE UP: CÉLINE SCIAMMA at BFI Southbank (14 & 16 MAR).

Read our epic MARCH roundup of all London’s repertory seasons & festivals.

FILMS IN LONDON TODAY

SINGLE-O EXHIBITS

What to see in London today: SOLIDARITY at The Green Nunhead (07 MAR).

SOLIDARITY d. Lucy Parker, 2019 + Q&A with the director at The Green Nunhead (07 MAR 19:00 – FREE! but please bring a food donation for Southwark FoodBank):

Films For Food presents: “A film about the secretive methods used against UK activists and trade unionists. In the film blacklisted construction workers and activists spied on by the police share their ongoing struggles. SOLIDARITY had its International Premiere at International Documentary Festival Amsterdam in November 2019 and won the Competition for First Appearance for first time feature filmmakers.”

Tribute to Tony Conrad inc. THE FLICKER, STRAIGHT & NARROW + FILM FEEDBACK 1966-1974 16mm at Close-Up (07 MAR 18:00):

LUX & Close-Up present: “A special screening in memory of the late-great Tony Conrad on what would have been his 80th Birthday, with a rare screening of three of his 16mm films – including his classic stroboscopic film THE FLICKER – alongside Jack Smith’s SCOTCH TAPE 16mm (1959-1962).”

More films in London today (A – Z):

AND THEN WE DANCED d. Levan Akin, 2019 Preview at The Castle Cinema (07 MAR 19:00).
BIXA TRAVESTY d. Kiko Goifman & Claudia Priscilla, 2018 at Bernie Grant Arts Centre (07 MAR 19:00).
DIRTY DANCING d. Emile Ardolino, 1987 + Dance Class at The Fellowship & Star (07 MAR 20:00).
MIDNIGHT FAMILY d. Luke Lorentzen, 2019 at DocHouse (07 MAR 14:00).
MIDNIGHT FAMILY d. Luke Lorentzen, 2019 at ICA (07 MAR 14:50).
MR. JONES d. Agnieszka Holland, 2019 at Phoenix Cinema (07 MAR 13:00).
Projections: Women Directors Representing Mental Illness Day Course taught by Mary Wild at Freud Museum (07 MAR 10:00).
QUEEN & SLIM d. Melina Matsoukas, 2019 at Regent Street Cinema (07 MAR 14:30, 17:15 & 20:00).

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MUSEUM SHOWS 1 // SEASONS

What to see in London today: BONES 35mm, part of IN FOCUS: PEDRO COSTA at ICA (07 MAR).

1999 – 2019: EXPLORING 20 YEARS OF SCI-FI at The Prince Charles (2020):

COLOR OUT OF SPACE d. Richard Stanley, 2019 (until 12 MAR/Check venue to details).

AMERICAN NEW WAVE at The Prince Charles (2020):

COOL HAND LUKE d. Stuart Rosenberg, 1967 (07 MAR 15:00).

BEST OF 2019 at Ciné Lumière (FEB to MAR):

AMAZING GRACE d. Allan Elliott and Sydney Pollack, 2019 (07 MAR 18:15).
ONCE UPON A TIME IN… HOLLYWOOD d. Quentin Tarantino, 2019 (07 MAR 20:15).

BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: MAN VS NATURE at BFI Southbank (MAR):

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA 4K d. David Lean, 1962 (07 MAR 18:30).

CHEN CHIEH-JEN: REVERBERATIONS at Tate Modern (02 to 07 MAR)

Masterclass (07 MAR 14:00).
REALM OF REVERBERATIONS + WIND SONGS d. Chen Chieh-jen, 2014/2015 (07 MAR 17:00).

CLOSE UP: CÉLINE SCIAMMA at BFI Southbank (MAR):

New Releases: PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE d. Céline Sciamma, 2019 (until 12 MAR/Check venue for details).

DAVID LYNCH at Deptford Cinema (FEB to JUN):

INLAND EMPIRE d. David Lynch, 2006 (07 MAR 19:00).

ESSENTIAL CINEMA at Close-Up (DEC to MAR):

THE HOUSEMAID d. Kim Ki-young, 1960 (07 MAR 20:00).

IN FOCUS: PEDRO COSTA at ICA (03 to 15 MAR):

BONES 35mm aka Ossos d. Pedro Costa, 1997 + Q&A with the director (07 MAR 16:30).

LATE NIGHTS SEASON – NICOLAS CAGE at Everyman Screen On The Green (FEB to MAR):

FACE/OFF d. John Woo, 1997 (07 MAR 23:30).

PODSTROCHNIK 10th Anniversary Screening, Discussion & Lecture at Pushkin House (07 to 08 MAR – Check venue for schedule):

Pushkin House and Stage Russia HD present: “A marathon screening of the 15-part award-winning documentary series directed by Oleg Dorman, with an English translation and subtitles by noted translator, Anna Zakhayeva. The series will be shown over two days, with introductions and Q&As from the director Oleg Dorman and translator Anna Zakharyeva.”

RIGHTS AT RISK: YESTERDAY / TOMORROW at DocHouse (FEB to MAR):

PUSH d. Fredrik Gertten, 2019 (until 12 MAR/Check venue for details).

TILDA SWINTON at BFI Southbank (MAR):

MICHAEL CLAYTON d. Tony Gilroy, 2007 (07 MAR 18:00).
I AM LOVE aka Io sono l’amore d. Luca Guadagnino, 2009 (07 MAR 20:40).
CARAVAGGIO d. Derek Jarman, 1986 (07 MAR 21:00).

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH at DocHouse (MAR):

TONI MORRISON: THE PIECES I AM d. Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, 2019 (06 to 11 MAR/Check venue for details).

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MUSEUM SHOWS 2 // FESTIVALS

What to see in London today: SOLE, part of Cinema Made In Italy at Ciné Lumière (07 MAR).

Film festivals in London today include:

Cinema Made In Italy (04 to 10 MAR).
Crystal Palace International Film Festival (05 to 28 MAR).
Deptford Cinema Film Festival (07 MAR).
The People’s Film Festival (06 to 07 MAR).

GRIND SHOWS

What to see in London today: VITALINA VARELA at Barbican (06 to 11 MAR).

TONI MORRISON: THE PIECES I AM d. Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (07 MAR 11:30 & 14:15):

“An artful and intimate meditation on the life and works of the legendary storyteller and Nobel Prize winner – from her childhood in the steel town of Lorain, Ohio to ’70s era book tours with Muhammad Ali – from the front lines with Angela Davis to her own riverfront writing room. Toni Morrison leads an assembly of her peers, critics and colleagues on an exploration of race, America, history and the human condition as seen through the prism of her own literature.”

VITALINA VARELA d. Pedro Costa, 2019 at Barbican (07 MAR 15:20 & 20:35):

“The latest film from Pedro Costa, which follows a Cape Verdean woman left behind when her husband leaves to find work in Portugal. Years later, the titular Vitalina finally makes the journey to Lisbon herself but arrives three days after her husband’s funeral.”

WOMEN’S DAY d. Dolya Gavanski, 2019 at DocHouse (07 MAR – Not screening today/Starts tomorrow!):

“As an actress in London, director Dolya Gavanski has played a dizzying array of Russian stereotypes from spies to prostitutes and oligarchs’ wives. But the women she remembered from her Soviet days were different. Gavanski sets out to hear the stories of the women who shaped the narrative of 20th century USSR, including the Nobel Prize for Literature winning author Svetlana Alexievich, internet sensation Elena Krygina and exiled feminist dissident Natalya Malakhovskaya.”

More films in London this week (A – Z):

COLOR OUT OF SPACE d. Richard Stanley, 2019 at The Prince Charles (until 12 MAR). DARK WATERS d. Todd Haynes, 2019 at Genesis Cinema (until 12 MAR). EMMA d. Autumn de Wilde, 2020 at Catford Mews (until 12 MAR). ESCAPE FROM PRETORIA d. Francis Annan, 2020 at JW3 (06 to 12 MAR). THE FAREWELL d. Lulu Wang, 2019 at Whirled Cinema (09 to 15 MAR). THE LIGHTHOUSE d. Robert Eggers, 2019 at The Prince Charles (until 12 MAR). LITTLE JOE d. Jessica Hausner, 2019 at ICA (06 to 12 MAR). PARASITE d. Bong Joon-ho, 2019 at Rich Mix (until 12 MAR). PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE d. Céline Sciamma, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (until 12 MAR). PUSH d. Fredrik Gertten, 2019 at Rio Cinema (until 12 MAR). QUEEN & SLIM d. Melina Matsoukas, 2019 at Genesis Cinema (until 12 MAR). THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG d. Justin Kurzel, 2019 at Catford Mews (06 to 12 MAR). WAITING FOR ANYA d. Ben Cookson, 2019 presented by UKJF at JW3 (until 12 MAR).

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“Home of alternative screen culture in London” (Film London)

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*THE SMALL PRINT: As accurate as we could make it. Apologies for any errors. Apologies if we have missed your event. Updates & corrections will be made to the online version. Event dates/times are subject to change by the venue/organiser. We try to only list events you can book for at the time of posting: however, some events may still be sold out. Please click quickly! We don’t filter by age/certification: all readers & subscribers should be 18+.