Radiant Circus Screen Guide - Films in London today: BLACK UTOPIA LP at Tate Modern (09 MAY).

SCREEN GUIDE DAILY: Films in London today 09.05.18

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 (regular runs).

FILMS IN LONDON TODAY

SINGLE-O EXHIBITS

Radiant Circus Screen Guide - Films in London today: NOTHING BUT A MAN at BFI (09 MAY).
Films in London today: NOTHING BUT A MAN at BFI (09 MAY).

BLACK UTOPIA LP at Tate Modern (09 MAY 18:30):

  • The European premiere of Cauleen Smith’s captivating audio-visual performance. Combining 35mm slide projection with the artist’s vinyl LP, this 90-minute ‘film without film’ offers a unique cinematic experience. Emerging from Smith’s extensive research on Afrofuturism, this live work ruminates on history, music, outer space and African divination using the tactics of musician Sun Ra.

BLUE ORCHIDS + SHORTS + Q&A with director Johan Grimonprez and writer Andrew Feinstein at DocHouse (09 MAY 18:30):

  • A portrait of two people on different sides of the global arms trade, BLUE ORCHIDS reveals the duplicity and corruption that keep the industry of war alive. Cut with archive footage of news reports and aerial shots from wars across the years, BLUE ORCHIDS is a thoughtful and at times shocking provocation of the devastating effects of war.

EXP at Genesis Cinema (09 MAY 19:00):

  • Meshes presents an exhibition of selected short experimental films by local and international artists. The programme includes works exploring social identity, the performative body and animatic expression.

NOTHING BUT A MAN + INTRO by Kelli Weston at BFI Southbank (09 MAY 18:20):

  • Michael Roemer’s vividly authentic account of African American life as experienced by a young couple living in Alabama in the early 1960s demonstrates how poverty, racism, inequality and injustice can take their toll, both on a loving relationship and on an individual’s sense of self-worth.

More films in London today (A – Z): 120 BPM at ICA (09 MAY 15:45). BATTLE OF THE SEXES + SHORT at Screen25 (09 MAY 19:45). CASABLANCA at Rooftop Film Club (09 MAY 20:30). DJAM special screening for Europe Day at Ciné Lumière (09 MAY 20:45). HEAVEN’S GATE 35mm at The Prince Charles (09 MAY 19:00). KOYAANISQUATSI presented by Pitshanger Pictures at St Barnabas Millennium Halls (09 MAY 20:15). LAND OF THE RISING SUN Japanese short film presented by Shorts On Tap and SSFF Asia at 93 Feet East (09 MAY 19:00). RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK at Rooftop Film Club, Peckham (09 MAY 20:30). RODIN at Ciné Lumière (09 MAY 18:20). SKID ROW MARATHON at Rio Cinema (09 MAY 18:30). SKID ROW MARATHON at The Castle Cinema (09 MAY 18:45). UNFAITHFULLY YOURS at Regent Street Cinema (09 MAY 12:00 & 15:30).

MUSEUM SHOWS 1 // SEASONS

Radiant Circus Screen Guide - Films in London today: WE'LL LIVE TILL MONDAY at Regent Street Cinema (09 MAY).
Films in London today: WE’LL LIVE TILL MONDAY at Regent Street Cinema (09 MAY).

ANIMATION 2018 at BFI Southbank (all year):

  • AKIRA (09 MAY 20:30 – NFT1).

CLOSE-UP ON PIER PAOLO PASOLINI at Close-Up (03 to 29 MAY):

LOST IN AMERICA: THE OTHER SIDE OF REAGAN’S 80s at BFI Southbank (MAY):

RETURNING THE COLONIAL GAZE at Barbican (02 to 30 MAY):

  • AFRIQUE 50 + TO BE 20 IN THE AURÈS (09 MAY 20:45 – is sold out!).

UPRISING: THE SPIRIT OF ’68 at BFI Southbank (MAY):

WE <3 GRETA GERWIG at The Prince Charles (until 09 JUN):

YOUTH ON THE MARCH! at Regent Street Cinema (02 MAY to 27 JUN):

MUSEUM SHOWS 2 // FESTIVALS

Radiant Circus Screen Guide - Films in London today: MY GENERATION at Everyman kings Cross (09 MAY).
Films in London today: MY GENERATION at Everyman King’s Cross (09 MAY).

Herne Hill Free Film Festival (01 MAY to 01 JUN)

  • Next screening 11 MAY.

London Greek Film Festival (07 to 12 MAY)

  • “ABOVE EVERYTHING, THE OPUS” A Tribute To Nikos Kazantzakis (09 MAY 16.30, Theatro Technis).
  • SHORT FILM PROGRAMME (09 MAY 17:40, Theatro Technis).
  • LEND AN EAR + SHORT: KALTRINA (09 MAY 19:05, Theatro Technis).
  • THE TREE & THE SWING (09 MAY 20:15, Theatro Technis).

Everyman Music Film Festival (07 to 31 MAY)

  • MY GENERATION + Q&A with Archive Producer James RM Hunt (09 MAY 19:30, Everyman King’s Cross).

Reel to Reel: The Craft Film Festival (08 to 10 MAY)

  • SCREENING 2 short film programme (08 MAY 18:30, Picturehouse Central).

GRIND SHOWS

Radiant Circus Screen Guide - Films in London today: NEW TOWN UTOPIA at Barbican & Picturehouse Central (06 MAY).
Films in London today: NEW TOWN UTOPIA at Barbican & Picturehouse Central (09 MAY).

MARY & THE WITCH’S FLOWER at ArtHouse Crouch End (09 MAY 12:00 & 16:30:

  • From Hiromasa Yonebayashi, animator on such Studio Ghibli masterpieces such as Ponyo and Spirited Away, comes a dazzling new adventure. Based on Mary Stewart‘s 1971 classic children’s book The Little Broomstick, Mary and the Witch’s Flower is packed with jaw-dropping imagination and ingenious characters.
  • Also at Genesis Cinema (09 MAY 16:30 & 18:00) and Rio Cinema (09 MAY 16:00).

NEW TOWN UTOPIA at Picturehouse Central (09 MAY 16:20):

  • A feature documentary film about utopian dreams and concrete realities. The challenging, funny, and sometimes tragic story of the British new town of Basildon, Essex.
  • Also at Barbican (09 MAY 18:30).

THE YOUNG KARL MARX at ICA (09 MAY 15:30 & 20:50):

  • Between censorship and police raids, riots and political upheavals, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels meet in Paris in 1844, and together, become defining voices for the burgeoning labour movement. Expect fiery exchanges of ideas over drunken bonding sessions, nurturing support from their adoring partners and masses of righteous indignation at the social inequalities magnified by the industrial revolution.
  • Also at JW3 (09 MAY 15:30).

More films in London this week (A – Z): See our weekly digest.

MORE: weekly digests // monthly roundups // event calendar // festivals A to Z.

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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 check box office each morning for films in London today and try to only list events you can book for at the time of posting: some events may still be sold out. Please click quickly! We don’t filter by age/certification: all readers & subscribers should be 18+.

Featured attraction: BLACK UTOPIA LP at Tate Modern (09 MAY 18:30).