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 LEGEND OF THE STARDUST BROTHERS d. Macoto Tezuka, 1985 + Q&A with the director at The Prince Charles (19 MAY 15:30):

“ROCKY HORROR meets PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE with a long-lost 80s Japanese rock-musical featuring zombies, animation and much more, directed by Macoto Tezka, the son of the “Godfather of Manga” OSAMU TEZUKA! Presented in a brand new digital remaster and never before seen director’s cut!”

NEW AT RADIANT CIRCUS

RADIANT CIRCUS presents MATINEE at Birkbeck Cinema (21 MAY 18:00 - FREE!). — RADIANT CIRCUS presents MATINEE at Birkbeck Cinema (21 MAY 18:00 – FREE!).

Thanks to our friends at Birkbeck University, we’ll be discussing how indie exhibitors are “making movies matter at a time of crisis” and screening Joe Dante’s MATINEE (21 MAY Birkbeck Cinema – FREE!).
Announcing the next edition of MIDNIGHT EXCESS (15 JUN Rio Cinema): SUPAKINO and AMOS LEVIN celebrate American comedy trio THE LONELY ISLAND with a double-bill of unpredictable, jaw-dropping, idiosyncratic comedies.
South Social Film Festival is collaborating with Instituto Cervantes to celebrate Spain at Moving Pictures Cinema (08 JUN). RADIANT CIRCUS subscribers can unlock a juicy discount for this thrilling event.
RADIANT CIRCUS is partnering with Screen25 to celebrate their new Spring/Summer programme. All RADIANT CIRCUS subscribers, friends & followers get a juicy discount when booking for this exciting lineup. First up: RAFIKI (29 MAY).

FILMS IN LONDON TODAY

SINGLE-O EXHIBITS

Double Bill FACES PLACES d. Agnès Varda + JR, 2017 + THE IMAGE BOOK d. Jean-Luc Godard, 2018 at Deptford Cinema (19 MAY 17:30):

Wavelength presents: “FACES PLACES sees the iconic Agnès Varda and photographer JR take their shared passion for image-making on a road trip like no other. Following the 3D GOODBYE TO LANGUAGE, Jean-Luc Godard returns with THE IMAGE BOOK, a bracing, beautiful and provocative essay film interrogating our relationship with film, culture and global politics.”
Discounted joint ticket available.

PICK OF THE LITTER d. Don Hardy & Dana Nachman, 2018 + Q&A with Barry O’Toole, Guide Dog Instructor at ArtHouse Crouch End (19 MAY 15:00):

“Follows a litter of puppies from the moment they’re born and begin their quest to become guide dogs for the blind. Along the way, these remarkable animals rely on a community of dedicated individuals who train them to do amazing, life-changing things in the service of their human.”
Enjoys a grind show run at the same venue.

More films in London today (A – Z):

A STAR IS BORN d. George Cukor, 1954 at The Cinema Museum (19 MAY 14:30).
A STAR IS BORN d. Frank Pierson, 1976 at Picturehouse Central (19 MAY 15:00 – Other Picturehouses available!).
Basquiat Screenings presented by Deeper Into Movies at The Five Bells (19 MAY 15:00).
COCO d. Lee Unkrich & Adrian Molina, 2017 + DISCUSSION presented by Dope Black Dads at Hackney Picturehouse (19 MAY 10:45).
David Lynch Documentaries presented by Deeper Into Movies at The Five Bells (19 MAY 19:00).
DIAMANTINO d. Gabriel Abrantes & Daniel Schmidt, 2018 at ICA (19 MAY 14:20).
DIAMANTINO d. Gabriel Abrantes & Daniel Schmidt, 2018 at Barbican (19 MAY 20:10).
THE FAVOURITE d. Yorgos Lanthimos, 2018 at Deptford Cinema (19 MAY 14:00).
THE FAVOURITE d. Yorgos Lanthimos, 2018 at Whirled Cinema (19 MAY 18:00).
LAST STOP CONEY ISLAND: THE LIFE AND PHOTOGRAPHY OF HAROLD FEINSTEIN d. Andy Dunn, 2018 at DocHouse (19 MAY 16:00).
POND LIFE d. Bill Buckhurst, 2018 at Lexi Cinema (19 MAY 17:45)

MUSEUM SHOWS 1 // SEASONS

Films in London today: GERTRUD, part of CLOSE-UP ON SCOTT WALKER at Close-Up (19 MAY).

BEYOND YOUR WILDEST DREAMS: WEIMAR CINEMA 1919-1933 at BFI Southbank (MAY to JUN):

THE STUDENT OF PRAGUE d. Henrik Galeen, 1926 + INTRO by Miranda Gower-Qian + LIVE PIANO ACCOMPANIMENT (19 MAY 15:00 – Currently looking SOLD OUT!).
THE OYSTER PRINCESS + I DON’T WANT TO BE A MAN d. Ernst Lubitsch, 1919/1918 (19 MAY 17:50 – Currently looking SOLD OUT!).

BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: THE MEANINGS OF LIFE at BFI Southbank (MAY):

THE GRAPES OF WRATH d. John Ford, 1940 (19 MAY 17:30).

CELEBRATING 80 YEARS OF THE BATMAN! at The Prince Charles (06 to 27 MAY):

BATMAN d. Tim Burton, 1989 (17 to 27 MAY).
BATMAN RETURNS d. Tim Burton, 1992 (19 MAY 21:00).

CLOSE-UP ON SCOTT WALKER at Close-Up (24 APR to 31 MAY):

GERTRUD d. Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1964 (19 MAY 17:30).

THE FILMS OF JEAN-MARIE STRAUB & DANIÈLE HUILLET Goethe-Institut & partners’ epic season continues at Birkbeck Cinema, Ciné Lumière, Close-Up, Goethe-Institut, ICA & Whitechapel Gallery (MAR to JUN):

DER TOD DES EMPEDOKLES + HARUN FAROCKI: FILMTIP: DER TOD DES EMPEDOKLES (19 MAY 20:00, Close-Up).

HAL ASHBY DOUBLE BILLS at Regent Street Cinema (05 to 19 MAY):

THE LAST DETAIL/COMING HOME d. Hal Ashby, 1973/1978 (19 MAY 18:00 + 20:10).

JAMES BOND SUNDAYS at Regent Street Cinema (12 MAY to 16 JUN):

LIVE AND LET DIE d. Guy Hamilton, 1973 + Q&A with Madeline Smith (19 MAY 15:00).

KORE-EDA RETROSPECTIVE at Phoenix Cinema (28 APR to 19 MAY):

STILL WALKING d. Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2008 (19 MAY 13:45).

KUBRICK at BFI Southbank (APR to MAY):

SPARTACUS d. Stanley Kubrick, 1960 (19 MAY 13:30 35mm).
DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB d. Stanley Kubrick, 1963 enjoys a grind show run (18 to 30 MAY).
“Inspired by Kubrick”: EX MACHINA d. Alex Garland, 2014 (19 MAY 20:10).

OF FLESH AND BLOOD: THE CINEMA OF HIROKAZU KORE-EDA at BFI Southbank (APR to MAY):

THE THIRD MURDER d. Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2017 (19 MAY 20:00 – Currently looking SOLD OUT!).

MUSEUM SHOWS 2 // FESTIVALS

Films in London today: THE FINAL LAND, part of SCI-FI-LONDON at The Prince Charles (19 MAY 20:30).

Film festivals in London today include:

Beyond Words French Literature Festival (15 to 20 MAY).
Everyman Music Film Festival (09 to 26 MAY).
FLAWA: Festival of Latin American Women in Arts (15 to 19 MAY).
Herne Hill Free Film Festival (29 APR to 01 JUN).
Sci-Fi-London (15 to 22 MAY).
Uncensored Festival (17 to 19 MAY).

GRIND SHOWS

Films in London today: TUCKED at Rio Cinema (17 to 23 MAY).

AMA-SAN d. Cláudia Varejão, 2016 at ICA (19 MAY 16:20):

For over 2,000 years, female shellfish divers, known as ama-san, have fished for abalone off the coast of Japan. Focusing on three women who have spent decades diving together near a small fishing village on the Shima peninsular, AMA-SAN is a unique portrait of an ancient custom which is at risk of disappearing.

TUCKED d. Jamie Patterson, 2018 at Rio Cinema (19 MAY 14:30 & 21:00):

“Gender non-conforming Jackie Collins is an 80+ years old drag queen with an acerbic nightclub comedy act. Diagnosed with cancer but determined to keep on performing and boozing, but between a surprising new friendship with young, non-binary newcomer Faith and unfinished business with his estranged daughter, he may just have the most eventful month and a half of his life.”

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

AMAZING GRACE d. Alan Elliott & Sydney Pollack, 2018 at DocHouse (until 23 MAY). THE ARCTIC CAMELS d. Karl Emil Rikardsen, 2019 at DocHouse (17 to 23 MAY). ASH IS PUREST WHITE d. Jia Zhangke, 2018 at ICA (until 23 MAY). BATMAN d. Tim Burton, 1989 (17 to 27 MAY). BEATS d. Brian Welsh, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (17 to 23 MAY). BIRDS OF PASSAGE d. Cristina Gallego, 2018 at Barbican (17 to 23 MAY). DR STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I STOPPED WORRYING & LEARNED TO LOVE THE BOMB d. Stanley Kubrick, 1964 at ArtHouse Crouch End (18 to 23 MAY). ELLA FITZGERALD: JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS d. Leslie Woodhead, 2019 at DocHouse (until 22 MAY). FERRANTE FEVER d. Giacomo Durzi, 2017 at DocHouse (17 to 23 MAY). HIGH LIFE d. Claire Denis, 2018 at Ciné Lumière (until 23 MAY). MADELINE’S MADELINE d. Josephine Decker, 2018 at Barbican (until 22 MAY). MARTY d. Delbert Mann, 1955 at Whirled Cinema (20 to 26 MAY). PICK OF THE LITTER d. Don Hardy & Dana Nachman, 2018 at ArtHouse Crouch End (17 to 23 MAY). THE SISTERS BROTHERS d. Jacques Audiard, 2018 at The Prince Charles (until 23 MAY). THE TESTAMENT d. Amichai Greenberg, 2017 presented by UKJF at JW3 (19 to 23 MAY). VOX LUX d. Brady Corbet, 2018 at The Castle Cinema (until 23 MAY). WOMEN AT WAR d. Benedikt Erlingsson, 2018 at The Castle Cinema (17 to 23 MAY).

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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+.