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

REACH FOR THE SKY d. Lewis Gilbert, 1956 + Q&A with Nick Pourgourides at Kenneth More Theatre (20 JAN 11:00):

The Good Company Film Club presents: “The true story of airman Douglas Bader, who overcame the loss of both legs in a flying accident to become a successful World War II fighter pilot. A rare opportunity to see Kenneth More on the big screen, the film will be followed by a Q&A with the founder of More’s official website Nick Pourgourides, who will also share some behind-the-scenes stories.”

FILMS IN LONDON TODAY

SINGLE-O EXHIBITS

21 MILES d. Richard Parry, 2019 + Q&A with the director at Frontline Club (20 JAN 19:00):

“Kais, a 30-year old Tunisian arrives in France’s notorious Calais Jungle with nothing more than the shirt on his back. Over sixteen months, the film charts his mounting struggles with human traffickers, violent gangs, poverty, mass eviction and arrest as he tries to leave the makeshift camp and cross the 21 miles of English Channel to the UK.”

THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD d. Armando Iannucci + Q&A with the director at Genesis Cinema (20 JAN 18:15):

“The irresistible pairing of Iannucci and Charles Dickens produces a hilarious, contemporary spin on a timeless story that follows young David (Dev Patel) on his journey from childhood to middle age. Along the way he learns about social injustice and meets some of the richest characters from the Dickens universe such as eternal optimist Mr Micawber (Peter Capaldi), eccentric Mr Dick (Hugh Laurie) and humble but deadly Uriah Heep (Ben Whishaw).”

More films in London today (A – Z):

CITIZEN K d. Alex Gibney, 2019 at DocHouse (20 JAN 14:00).
FRIDA d. Julie Taymor, 2002 at TT Liquor (20 JAN 18:30).
JEWISH BRITAIN ON FILM d. Jon Spira, 2019 at JW3 (20 JAN 15:55).
THE KINGMAKER d. Lauren Greenfield, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (20 JAN 18:10).
LA BELLE ÉPOQUE d. Nicolas Bedos, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (20 JAN 20:40).
ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD d. Quentin Tarrantino, 2019 presented by Deeper Into Movies at The Old Queens Head (20 JAN 19:30).
RONNIE WOOD: SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME d. Mike Figgis, 2019 at Regent Street Cinema (20 JAN 20:30).
SO LONG, MY SON d. Wang Xiaoshuai, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (20 JAN 17:15).

> SIGN UP for free Friday emails highlighting 7 days of sensational screens.

MUSEUM SHOWS 1 // SEASONS

RADIANT CIRCUS #ScreenGuide - Films in London today: MORVERN CALLAR, part of THE FILMS OF LYNNE RAMSAY at The Prince Charles (20 JAN). — Films in London today: MORVERN CALLAR, part of THE FILMS OF LYNNE RAMSAY at The Prince Charles (20 JAN).

70mm PRESENTATIONS at The Prince Charles (ongoing):

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY 70mm d. Stanley Kubrick, 1968 (20 JAN 20:15).

BIG SCREEN CLASSICS at BFI Southbank (DEC to JAN):

12 ANGRY MEN d. Sidney Lumet, 1957 (20 JAN 20:45).

CAROLE LOMBARD: THE BRIGHTEST STAR at BFI Southbank (JAN):

TO BE OR NOT TO BE 35mm d. Ernst Lubitsch, 1942 (20 JAN 18:10).

ESSENTIAL CINEMA at Close-Up (23 DEC to 31 JAN):

THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE d. Víctor Erice, 1973 (20 JAN 20:15).

FELLINI at BFI Southbank (JAN to FEB):

Society & Spectacle: FELLINI: A DIRECTOR’S NOTEBOOK 4K + ORCHESTRA REHEARSAL 4K d. Federico Fellini, 1969 + 1978 (20 JAN 18:00).
Walkers & Wanderers: LA STRADA 4K d. Federico Fellini, 1954 (20 JAN 20:50).
Re-release: LA DOLCE VITA 4K d. Federico Fellini, 1960 (06 to 26 JAN).

THE FILMS OF LYNNE RAMSAY at The Prince Charles (JAN to FEB):

MORVERN CALLAR d. Lynne Ramsay, 2002 (20 JAN 18:00).

> SUBSCRIBE to get our full listings emailed & support #LDNindieFILM.

MUSEUM SHOWS 2 // FESTIVALS

We don’t think there are any film festivals in London today, but we’ve been wrong before! Let us know…

GRIND SHOWS

RADIANT CIRCUS #ScreenGuide - Films in London today: WAVES at BFI Southbank (17 to 23 JAN). — Films in London today: WAVES at BFI Southbank (17 to 23 JAN).

BE NATURAL: THE UNTOLD STORY OF ALICE GUY-BLACHÉ d. Pamela B. Green, 2018 at Ciné Lumière (20 JAN – Not screening today, check back on Wednesday!):

“When Alice Guy-Blaché completed her first film in 1896 Paris, she was not only the first female filmmaker, but one of the first directors ever to make a narrative film. Narrated by Jodie Foster, this documentary follows her rise from Gaumont secretary to her appointment as head of production a year later, and her subsequent illustrious 20-year international career.”

WAVES d. Trey Edward Shults, 2019 at BFI (20 JAN 14:30, 17:50 & 20:25):

“Tyler (Kelvin Harrison Jr) is a high-school senior with a star spot on the wrestling team, an adoring girlfriend and an affluent middle-class home. Yet bubbling pressures slowly cause his bright future to unravel. This complex and devastating family melodrama is fuelled by an array of raw and intense performances. An eclectic soundtrack fused with vivid camerawork firmly establishes Shults (IT COMES AT NIGHT) as one of contemporary cinema’s most exciting new voices.”

WEATHERING WITH YOU d. Makoto Shinkai, 2019 at ICA (20 JAN – Not screening today, check back tomorrow!):

“The summer of his high school freshman year, Hodaka runs away from his remote island home to Tokyo and quickly finds himself pushed to his financial and personal limits. The weather is unusually gloomy and rainy every day, as if to suggest his future. Then one day, Hodaka meets Hina on a busy street corner. This bright and strong-willed girl possesses a strange and wonderful ability: the power to stop the rain and clear the sky…”

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

1917 d. Sam Mendes, 2019 at The Lexi (17 to 23 JAN). ADVOCATE d. Rachel Leah Jones & Philippe Bellaiche, 2019 at DocHouse (until 23 JAN). A HIDDEN LIFE d. Terrence Malick, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (17 to 23 JAN). BOMBSHELL d. Jay Roach, 2019 at Rio Cinema (17 to 23 JAN). BUDDHA IN AFRICA d. Nicole Schafer, 2019 at DocHouse (17 to 23 JAN). EL TOPO d. Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1970 at Rio Cinema (17 to 20 JAN). THE GHOST OF PETER SELLERS d. Peter Medak, 2018 at DocHouse (until 23 JAN). JOJO RABBIT d. Taika Waititi, 2019 at Rich Mix (17 to 23 JAN). LITTLE WOMEN d. Greta Gerwig, 2019 at The Castle Cinema (until 30 JAN). LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT d. Bi Gan, 2018 at ICA (until 23 JAN). MIDNIGHT TRAVELER d. Hassan Fazili, 2019 at DocHouse (17 to 23 JAN). THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR d. Ry Russo-Young, 2019 at Whirled Cinema (20 to 26 JAN). UNCUT GEMS d. Benny Safdie & Josh Safdie, 2019 at ICA (until 23 JAN).

Subscribe & support

RADIANT CIRCUS – “Home of alternative screen culture in London” (Film London) – is supported entirely by readers’ monthly subscriptions. Subscribers get our listings emailed directly as well as other great rewards. With enough subscribers backing us, we will be able to: 1) establish RADIANT CIRCUS as a permanent resource; 2) fund a full site rebuild to make our listings more social and searchable; and, 3) stage free events for subscribers as our way of saying a huge thank you! Our target? One thousand passionate film fans sharing what they love so that many more can discover it. Subscribe at patreon.com/radiantcircus

“I love everything you’re doing with RADIANT CIRCUS, the output is brilliant. And just so great to see it grow. Kudos to you.” (A fan via email!).

#LDNindieFILM

*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+.