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

NAKED ENGLAND aka Inghilterra Nuda d. Vittorio De Sisti, 1969 + Live Translation at The Horse Hospital (08 FEB 19:00):

“Trepanning, hard drugs, naked happenings at the Arts Lab, and a crucifixion on Hampstead Heath. It’s all in NAKED ENGLAND – an extreme UK-shot example of the salacious Mondo Movie pseudo-documentary phenomena, which seedily centres on the capital. Plus: a selection of sensational British Mondo trailers, and the weird and wonderful, James Mason-fronted THE LONDON THAT NOBODY KNOWS (1969).”

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Films in London this month: HOTEL, part of THE CINEMA OF JESSICA HAUSNER at BFI Southbank (FEB).

Check out our epic roundup of February’s rep seasons & fests.

Films in London this week: THE HOUSE WHERE THE MERMAID SLEEPS, part of HAPPINESS IS A STATE OF MIND: JOY & DESPAIR IN JAPANESE CINEMA at ICA (09 FEB).

Read our in-depth guide to the Japan Foundation’s Touring Film Programme at ICA (31 JAN to 16 FEB). We’ve also posted the first of our event writeups: TEN DARK WOMEN (01 FEB 2020).

FILMS IN LONDON TODAY

SINGLE-O EXHIBITS

PARASITE d. Bong Joon-ho, 2019 + Panel at Picturehouse Central (08 FEB 14:00):

BEATS Cinema presents: “The panel for this special screening will dive into the themes of capitalism, inequality and class divide that the film touches upon, and discuss the film’s impact for the East Asian community. Guests include playwright and filmmaker In-Sook Chappell, Hyun Jin Cho, the Film Curator at Korean Cultural Centre and London Korean Film Festival, and Elaine Wong, the Short Programme Advisor at BFI London Film Festival.”

PETER CUSHING: IN HIS OWN WORDS d. Richard Edwards, 2019 + Q&A with the director & special guests at The Cinema Museum (08 FEB 19:00 – Currently looking SOLD OUT!/Check venue):

Rabbit & Snail Films presents: “A special gala screening of their feature documentary, PETER CUSHING: IN HIS OWN WORDS (2019), followed by a Q&A hosted by author and film historian Morris Bright MBE, who will be joined on stage by the director, contributors Derek Fowlds, Madeline Smith, Valerie Leon, Judy Matheson, Brian Reynolds and Phil Campbell, and narrator Jenny Hanley.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

1917 d. Sam Mendes, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (08 FEB 13:20).
A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD d. Marielle Heller, 2019 at Phoenix Cinema (08 FEB 14:00).
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE d. Elia Kazan, 1951 at Ciné Lumière (08 FEB 18:00).
BAIT d Mark Jenkin, 2019 + Short: TRAVELOGUE (1920s Archival Footage) at BFI Southbank (08 FEB 13:40).
Derek Jarman Documentaries presented by Deeper Into Movies at SET (08 FEB 14:00).
THE IRISHMAN d. Martin Scorsese, 2019 at The David Lean (08 FEB 13:30).
JOKER d. Todd Phillips, 2019 at Rich Mix (08 FEB 21:00).
JANKA d. Adela Kaczmarek, 2019 at Polish Social & Cultural Association (08 FEB 15:00).
THE KINGMAKER d. Lauren Greenfield, 2019 at Deptford Cinema (08 FEB 20:00).
MR. JONES d. Agnieszka Holland, 2019 at Regent Street Cinema (08 FEB 13:40, 16:00, 18:25 & 20:50).
MY FRIEND FELA d. Joel Zito Araújo, 2019 + Skype Q&A with the director presented by African Odysseys at BFI (08 FEB 14:00).
SHOW ME THE PICTURE: THE STORY OF JIM MARSHALL d. Alfred George Bailey, 2019 at DocHouse (08 FEB 14:30).
TARZAN & THE TREASURE d. Liang Zhe-fu, 1965 at Kings’ College London (08 FEB 19:30 – FREE!).
UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG d. Jacques Demy, 1964 + Talk by Jon Davies presented by French Impressions at Watermans (08 FEB 13:00).
UNCUT GEMS d. Benny Safdie & Josh Safdie, 2019 at The Lexi (08 FEB 19:50)

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MUSEUM SHOWS 1 // SEASONS

Films in London today: THE SEA OF GRASS 35mm, part of ELIA KAZAN: THE ACTORS’ DIRECTOR at BFI Southbank (08 FEB).

AFRICAN IDENTITIES REBORN at DocHouse (31 JAN to 16 FEB):

MALI BLUES d. Lutz Gregor, 2017 (08 FEB 16:30).
TALKING ABOUT TREES d. Suhaib Gasmelbari, 2019 (08 FEB 18:30).

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

APOLLO 11 d. Todd Douglas Miller, 2019 (08 FEB 16:00).

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

WALKABOUT d. Nicolas Roeg, 1971 (08 FEB 15:30).
SOUTH, SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON’S GLORIOUS EPIC OF THE ANTARCTIC 35mm d. Trans Atlantic Film Syndicate-Frank Hurley, 1919 + live piano accompaniment by Costas Fotopoulos (08 FEB 20:45).

ELIA KAZAN: THE ACTORS’ DIRECTOR at BFI Southbank (FEB to MAR):

THE SEA OF GRASS 35mm d. Elia Kazan, 1947 (08 FEB 15:45).
GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT d. Elia Kazan, 1947 (08 FEB 18:20).

Re-release: A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE d. Elia Kazan, 1951 (07 to 20 FEB).

FELLINI at BFI Southbank (JAN to FEB):

JULIET OF THE SPIRITS 4K aka Giulietta degli spiriti d. Federico Fellini, 1965 (08 FEB 17:40).
FELLINI’S ROMA 4K aka Roma d. Federico Fellini, 1972 (08 FEB 20:30).

THE FILMS OF CÉLINE SCIAMMA at The Prince Charles (JAN to FEB):

GIRLHOOD aka Bande de filles d. Céline Sciamma, 2014 (08 FEB 13:00).

HAPPINESS IS A STATE OF MIND: JOY & DESPAIR IN JAPANESE CINEMA at ICA (31 JAN to 16 FEB):

MY DAD IS A HEEL WRESTLER aka Papa wa Warumono Champion d. Fujimura Kyohei, 2018 (08 FEB 15:40).
LYING TO MOM aka Suzukike no Uso d. Nojiri Katsumi, 2018 (08 FEB 18:00).

IN HARM’S WAY: THE FILMS OF MAJED NEISI at Close-Up (18 JAN & 14 MAR):

Programme 1 (08 FEB 18:00).
Programme 2 (08 FEB 20:30).

THE OSCARS – AND THE NOMINEES ARE… at The Prince Charles (FEB to MAR):

JOJO RABBIT d. Taika Waititi, 2019 at The Prince Charles (07 to 13 FEB/Check venue for details).

OSCAR® WEEK 2020 at Barbican (07 to 13 FEB):

“Catch up with this year’s Best Picture and International Feature Film nominees in one glamorous week.” Includes:

Animated Shorts (08 FEB 14:00).
1917 d. Sam Mendes, 2020 (08 FEB 17:00).
ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD d. Quentin Tarantino, 2019 (08 FEB 19:30).

OUT IN MERTON at various venues (24 JAN to 28 FEB – FREE!):

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME d. Luca Guadagnino, 2017 (08 FEB 19:00 – Wimbledon Arts Space).

ROMCOMS at House Of Vans (06 FEB to 01 MAR – FREE!/No booking required):

LOST IN TRANSLATION d. Sofia Coppola, 2003 (08 FEB 15:00 & 17:30).

THE SAFDIE BROTHERS at The Prince Charles (JAN):

UNCUT GEMS 35mm d. Josh Safdie & Benny Safdie, 2019 (until 13 FEB/Check venue for details.)

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MUSEUM SHOWS 2 // FESTIVALS

We don’t think there are any film festivals in London today – let us know what we’re missing!

GRIND SHOWS

Films in London today: A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD at JW3 (07 to 13 FEB).

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD d. Marielle Heller, 2019 at JW3 (08 FEB 20:20):

“Tom Hanks portrays beloved American children’s TV icon, Mister Rogers, in A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD, a timely story of kindness triumphing over cynicism, based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod.”

HUNTING FOR HEDONIA d. Pernille Rose Grønkjær, 2019 at DocHouse (08 FEB 20:30):

“This fascinating festival favourite explores how the medical community is transforming lives through Deep Brain Stimulation. By manipulating specific neural pathways, DBS promises to transform the way we treat mental health disorders, addiction, and even obesity. As we probe the mysteries of the human brain, what kind of future lies ahead?”

MR. JONES d. Agnieszka Holland, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (08 FEB 18:15 & 20:20):

“1933. Gareth Jones (James Norton) is an ambitious young Welsh journalist who gained fame after his report on being the first foreign journalist to fly with Hitler. Whilst working as an advisor to Lloyd George, he is now looking for his next big story. The Soviet “utopia” is all over the news, and Jones is intrigued as to how Stalin is financing the rapid modernisation of the Soviet Union.”

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

BAIT 35mm d. Mark Jenkin, 2019 at The Prince Charles (07 to 13 FEB). FANDO Y LIS d. Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1968 at Rio Cinema (07 to 13 FEB). THE LIGHTHOUSE d. Robert Eggers, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (until 13 FEB). LITTLE WOMEN d. Greta Gerwig, 2019 at The Castle Cinema (until 20 FEB). MARRIAGE STORY d. Noah Baumbach, 2019 at The Lexi (09 to 12 FEB). MISS AMERICANA: TAYLOR SWIFT d. Lana Wilson, 2020 at The Prince Charles (until 12 FEB). PARASITE d. Bong Joon-ho, 2019 at Rich Mix (07 to 13 FEB). THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD d. Armando Iannucci, 2020 at The Castle Cinema (until 20 FEB). QUEEN & SLIM d. Melina Matsoukas, 2019 at Genesis Cinema (until 13 FEB). SAUVAGE d. Camille Vidal-Naquet, 2018 at Whirled Cinema (10 to 16 FEB). TALKING ABOUT TREES d. Suhaib Gasmelbari, 2019 at DocHouse (until 13 FEB). THE UNORTHODOX d. Eliran Malka, 2018 presented by UK Jewish Film (09 to 13 FEB). UNCUT GEMS 35mm d. Josh Safdie & Benny Safdie, 2019 at The Prince Charles (until 13 FEB). WAVES d. Trey Edward Shults, 2019 at Watermans (07 to 12 FEB).

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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+.