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

THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF d. Felix E. Feist, 1950 + Supporting Programme at The Cinema Museum (16 OCT 19:30):

Kennington Noir presents: “With visually sharp cinematography from Russell Harlan – BLACKBOARD JUNGLE (1955) and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962) – especially in the spectacular climactic scene at Fort Point, adjacent to SF’s Golden Gate Bridge, this is a film which needs to be seen on the big screen, so don’t miss it! We will be showing the recent Film Noir Federation restored version.”

NEW AT RADIANT CIRCUS

LUNCHTIME FILM SOCIETY is a brand new popup cinema screening daily programmes of bitesize films for busy City workers at the Bridewell Theatre in the City Of London (22 OCT to 01 NOV 2019).

> Book here: sbf.org.uk/whats-on

Online at radiantcircus.com: The 13th Native Spirit Film Festival (12 to 20 OCT) continues this week. // Ranjit S. Ruprai aka SUPAKINO launched a new season of MIDNIGHT EXCESS at Rio Cinema last weekend. // Help Screen25 in South Norwood and The Horse Hospital stay open if you can.

FILMS IN LONDON TODAY

SINGLE-O EXHIBITS

TEHRAN: CITY OF LOVE d. Ali Jaberansari, 2018 + Q&A with the director at Ciné Lumière (16 OCT 20:40):

“Presented at the London Film Festival last year, this bittersweet comedy follows three characters in search of love in contemporary Tehran. Mina, an overweight beauty clinic secretary, Hessam, a veteran bodybuilder and Vahid, a funeral singer, all three disenchanted souls yearn for love and affection.”
Enjoys a grind show run at the same venue (11 to 17 OCT).

VIEW FROM THE TOP 35mm d. Bruno Barreto, 2003 with Richard Ayoade at The Prince Charles (16 OCT 20:00):

“Ayoade argues for the canonisation of this brutal masterpiece, a film that celebrates capitalism in all its victimless glory; one we might imagine Donald Trump himself half-watching on his private jet’s gold-plated flat screen while his other puffy eye scans the cabin for fresh, young prey.” There will be book signings.

More films in London today (A – Z):

CAROUSEL d. Henry King, 1956 presented by Pitshanger Pictures at St Barnabas Church (16 OCT 14:00).
DOLEMITE IS MY NAME d. Craig Brewer, 2019 at Catford Mews (16 OCT 19:00).
EXTRA INNINGS d. Albert Dabah & Brian Dillinger, 2018 presented by UK Jewish Film at JW3 (16 OCT 18:10).
HITSVILLE: THE MAKING OF MOTOWN d. Benjamin Turner & Gabe Turner, 2019 at The Prince Charles (16 OCT 12:30).
HONEYLAND d. Tamara Kotevska & Ljubomir Stefanov, 2019 at ICA (16 OCT 14:35).
THE LAST TREE d. Shola Amoo, 2019 at Peckhamplex (16 OCT 21:00).
MIDNIGHT COWBOY d. John Schlesinger, 1969 at JW3 (16 OCT 13:00).
MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL d. Stanley Nelson, 2019 at JW3 (16 OCT 20:40).
MRS LOWRY & SON d. Adrian Noble, 2019 at The David Lean (16 OCT 14:30 & 19:30).
MYSTIFY: MICHAEL HUTCHENCE d. Richard Lowenstein, 2019 + Prerecorded Q&A at DocHouse (16 OCT 18:30).
MYSTIFY: MICHAEL HUTCHENCE d. Richard Lowenstein at ICA (16 OCT 18:30).
ONCE UPON A TIME IN… HOLLYWOOD d. Quentin Tarrantino, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (16 OCT 18:30).
ONE CHILD NATION d. Nanfu Wang & Jialing Zhang, 2019 at DocHouse (16 OCT 16:30).
PAVAROTTI d. Ron Howard, 2019 at JW3 (16 OCT 10:30).
ROCKETMAN d. Dexter Fletcher, 2019 presented by Screen25 at Harris Academy South Norwood (16 OCT 19:45 – Use promo code “CIRCUS19” to book & save).
THE THIRD MAN 4K d. Carol Reed, 1949 at Curzon Aldgate (16 OCT 19:45 – Other Curzons available!).
YESTERDAY d. Danny Boyle, 2019 at Rio Cinema (16 OCT 14:30).

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MUSEUM SHOWS 1 // SEASONS

Films in London today: BRIEF ENCOUNTERS, part of CLOSE-UP ON KIRA MURATOVA at Close-Up (16 OCT).

BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: REAL TO REEL at BFI Southbank (OCT to NOV):

THE GENERAL d. Buster Keaton & Clyde Bruckman, 1926 + Intro by Geoff Andrew (16 OCT 18:20).
CLEO FROM 5 TO 7 aka Cléo de 5 à 7 d. Agnès Varda, 1962 (16 OCT 18:40).
RAGING BULL d. Martin Scorsese, 1980 (16 OCT 20:20);
THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS [Director’s Definitive Cut] d. Michael Mann, 1992 (16 OCT 20:45).

CLOSE-UP ON KIRA MURATOVA at Close-Up (16 to 26 OCT):

BRIEF ENCOUNTERS d. Kira Muratova, 1967 (16 OCT 20:30).

HIDDEN FIGURES: EUZHAN PALCY at Barbican (06 to 26 OCT):

A DRY WHITE SEASON d. Euzhan Palcy, 1989 + Intro by Akua Gyamfi (16 OCT 18:20).

MUSICALS! THE GREATEST SHOW ON SCREEN at BFI Southbank (OCT to DEC):

CABIN IN THE SKY 35mm d. Vincente Minnelli, 1943 (16 OCT 18:10).

Barbra Streisand: FUNNY GIRL d. William Wyler, 1968 (16 OCT 14:30).
Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen: ON THE TOWN d. Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen, 1949 (16 OCT 20:30).

NEWMAN’S OWN: THE EARLY FILMS OF PAUL NEWMAN at Regent Street Cinema (01 SEP to 27 OCT):

COOL HAND LUKE d. Stuart Rosenberg, 1967 (16 OCT 20:00).

ONCE UPON A TIME WITH TARANTINO at The Prince Charles (ongoing):

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD 35mm d. Quentin Tarantino, 2019 (16 OCT 20:45).

THRILLERS & KILLERS & MONSTERS, OH MY! at The Prince Charles (27 SEP to 01 NOV):

GET OUT d. Jordan Peele, 2017 (16 OCT 18:20).

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MUSEUM SHOWS 2 // FESTIVALS

Film festivals in London today include:

Bloomsbury Festival (11 to 20 OCT).
Native Spirit Festival (12 to 20 OCT – Read our RADIANT CIRCUS guide to the festival HERE).
Ocean Film Festival World Tour (14 to 19 OCT).

GRIND SHOWS

Films in London today: FARMING at Catford Mews (11 to 17 OCT).

BEANPOLE d. Kantemir Balagov, 2019 at ICA (16 OCT – Not showing today/Come back tomorrow!):

“Russian filmmaker Kantemir Balagov’s hypnotic and rigorous third feature confirms his impressive capacity to deliver strong, accurate and delicate portraits of individuals in past and contemporary Russia.”

FARMING d. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, 2019 at Catford Mews (16 OCT 15:40 & 21:00):

“Based on the writer/director’s childhood, FARMING tells story of a young Nigerian boy, ‘farmed out’ by his parents to a white British family in the hope of a better future. Instead, he becomes the feared leader of a white skinhead gang.”

YOUR TURN d. Eliza Capai, 2019 at DocHouse (16 OCT 21:00):

“Following the student movement from the protests of 2013 until the election of the new president, Jair Bolsonaro, in 2018, YOUR TURN captures an urgent time in Brazilian politics. In the wake of the economic and social crisis, students protest and occupy hundreds of schools.”

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

BAIT d. Mark Jenkin, 2019 at The Castle Cinema (until 23 OCT). THE DAY SHALL COME d. Christopher Morris, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (11 to 17 OCT). DOLEMITE IS MY NAME d. Craig Brewer, 2019 at The Prince Charles (11 to 22 OCT). THE FAREWELL d. Lulu Wang, 2019 at Watermans (11 to 24 OCT). FOR SAMA d. Waad Al-Khateab & Edward Watts, 2019 at The Castle Cinema (until 17 OCT). GOOD POSTURE d. Dolly Wells, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (until 17 OCT). HUSTLERS d. Lorene Scafaria, 2019 at Genesis Cinema (until 17 OCT). JOKER d. Todd Phillips, 2019 at The Lexi (until 17 OCT). JUDY d. Rupert Goold, 2019 at Phoenix Cinema (until 17 OCT). MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL d. Stanley Nelson, 2019 at DocHouse (13 to 17 OCT). ONLY YOU d. Harry Wootliff, 2018 at Whirled Cinema (14 to 20 OCT). PAIN & GLORY d. Pedro Almodóvar, 2019 at ICA (until 17 OCT). THE SOUVENIR d. Joanna Hogg, 2019 at ICA (until 17 OCT). TEHRAN: CITY OF LOVE d. Ali Jaberansari, 2018 at Ciné Lumière (11 to 17 OCT).

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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+.