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

SANTA SANGRE – 30th Anniversary Screening d. Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1989 + Intro by Mark Pilkington at Close-Up (28 NOV 19:00):

Redmond Pictures presents: “30th anniversary screening of the surrealist epic by the one and only writer, director, mystic, Alejandro Jodorowsky. A hallucinatory, dreamlike study of an individual’s disturbed psyche; the line between truth and imagination blurs in this surreal universe. A young man is confined in a mental hospital. Through a flashback we see that he was traumatized as a child, when he and his family were circus performers: he saw his father cut off the arms of his mother, a religious fanatic and leader of the heretical church of Santa Sangre (“Holy Blood”), and then commit suicide. Back in the present, he escapes and rejoins his surviving and armless mother. Against his will, he “becomes her arms” and the two undertake a grisly campaign of murder and revenge.”

NEW AT RADIANT CIRCUS

Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest might be over for another year, but we’re posting a special series of Fringe! Diaries to report from the action. Next: (DEEP) INTO YOU sex positive shorts.

Fringe!’s next Fling – part of their year-round programme of screenings – is JONATHAN AGASSI SAVED MY LIFE d. Tomer Heymann, 2018 + Q&A with the director (05 DEC 18:20 – Genesis Cinema).

FILMS IN LONDON TODAY

SINGLE-O EXHIBITS

THE HOUSE WITH LAUGHING WINDOWS 35mm aka La casa dalle finestre che ridono d. Pupi Avati, 1976 at BFI Southbank (28 NOV 20:30):

Terror Vision presents: “Artist Stefano travels to a remote Italian village to restore the local church’s ghoulish fresco. Hearing rumours that the original painter tortured his subjects to capture the true agonies of death, Stefano gradually uncovers the terrifying secrets of this sleepy place. Unlike many Italian horrors of the time, Pupi Avati’s macabre masterpiece forgoes baroque set-pieces in favour of slow-burn, insidious dread. The results are unforgettable.”

SHOOTING THE MAFIA d. Kim Longinotto, 2019 + Q&A with the director at Ciné Lumière (28 NOV 18:30):

“Selected at the Berlin and Sundance Film Festivals, this documentary celebrates the ground-breaking and committed work of the free-spirited and charismatic photojournalist Letizia Battaglia. Through interviews, news footage, clips from Italian films and of course some of her extraordinary images, we get a sense of both Battaglia herself and the social landscape of organised crime in Italy.”

THE STREET d. Zed Nelson, 2019 + Q&A with the director + Hoxton locals at Rio Cinema (28 NOV 18:30):

“Hoxton Street is at the traditional beating heart of East London. Less than a mile from the City of London it has become the last bastion of the areas disadvantaged while many of the businesses that have been around for over a hundred years continue to disappear. Set against rapid gentrification, unregulated capitalism, years of austerity, the fallout from the Grenfell disaster and the eruption of Brexit, award-winning photo-journalist Zed Nelson’s feature-length debut, filmed over four years, is a revealing portrait of life in London today…and tomorrow.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

THE AMAZING NINA SIMONE d. Jeff L. Lieberman, 2015 presented by Black History Studies & The Batty Mama at Peckhamplex (28 NOV 18:30).
BEANPOLE d. Kantemir Balagov, 2019 at ICA (28 NOV 12:30).
Between Aeaea and the rocks of Scylla presented by Alix Marie & A—Z (Anne Duffau) at The Horse Hospital (28 NOV 18:30).
CABIN IN THE SKY d. Vincente Minnelli & Busby Berkeley, 1943 at Bernie Grant Arts Centre (28 NOV 19:00).
HITSVILLE: THE MAKING OF MOTOWN d. Benjamin Turner & Gabe Turner, 2019 at The David Lean (28 NOV 14:30 & 19:30).
JULIEN DONKEY-BOY d. Harmony Korine, 1999 + Intro/Salon with Nick Walker, Rochester Kino presented by Cult Classic Collective at Genesis Cinema (28 NOV 18:40).
KNIVES OUT d. Rian Johnson, 2019 at Genesis Cinema (28 NOV 15:10, 18:05 HOH & 21:00).
MONOS d. Alejandro Landes, 2019 at ICA (28 NOV 15:05).
RONNIE WOOD: SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME d. Mike Figgis, 2019 at DocHouse (28 NOV 16:30).
SEASONS OF LOVE d. Christin Baker, 2019 presented by Unicorn Nights at The Prince Charles (28 NOV 15:55 HOH).
Shorts On Tap at Samsung KX: A selection of London Shorts at Coal Drops Yard (28 NOV 19:00).
SORRY WE MISSED YOU d. Ken Loach, 2019 + Q&A with the director & actor Kris Hitchen at Curzon Soho (28 NOV 18:00).
THE WAR ROOM d. D. A. Pennebaker & Chris Hegedus, 1993 – Memorial Screening + Intro by Mandy Chang in conversation with Chris Hegedus, co-director and wife of D.A Pennebaker at DocHouse (28 NOV 18:30).
WILD ROSE d. Tom Harper, 2018 presented by Stow Film Lounge at Wild Card Brewery (28 NOV 19:15)

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MUSEUM SHOWS 1 // SEASONS

Films in London today: TOKYO GODFATHERS, part of CHRISTMAS AT THE PCC at The Prince Charles (28 NOV).

A WORM’S TAIL VIEW IS OFTEN THE TRUE ONE: FILMS BY PERE PORTABELLA at ICA, Whitechapel Gallery, Close-Up, Cafe Oto & Brixton Prison (26 NOV 2019 to 15 FEB 2020):

UMBRACLE d. Pere Portabella, 1972 + Shorts: PREMIOS NACIONALES, 1969 + PLAY BACK, 1970 + Intro by Erika Balsom at Whitechapel Gallery (28 NOV 19:00).

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

A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS 4K aka Per un pugno di dollari d. Sergio Leone, 1964 (28 NOV 14:30).

CHRISTMAS AT THE PCC at The Prince Charles (NOV to DEC):

The Naughty List: TOKYO GODFATHERS d. Kon Satoshi, 2004 (28 NOV 18:20 – Currently looking SOLD OUT!).

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

GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES d. Howard Hawks, 1953 + Intro by Robin Baker (28 NOV 18:15).
Re-releases: TOMMY d. Ken Russell, 1975 (22 NOV to 05 DEC).

MUSEUM SHOWS 2 // FESTIVALS

Films in London today: BROKEN, part of London Palestine Film Festival at SOAS (28 NOV).

Film festivals in London today include:

Climate Crisis Film Festival (28 NOV to 01 DEC).
Czech Velvet 1989-2019 (01 to 29 NOV).
French Film Festival (07 NOV to 14 DEC).
London Migration Film Festival (28 NOV to 04 DEC).
London Palestine Film Festival (15 to 30 NOV).
Russian Film Week (24 NOV to 01 DEC).

GRIND SHOWS

Films in London today: HEIMAT IS A SPACE IN TIME at ICA (22 to 28 NOV).

HEIMAT IS A SPACE IN TIME d. Thomas Heise, 2019 at ICA (28 NOV 19:50):

“Shot in black and white and drawing on letters, diaries, and other personal documents, HEIMAT IS A SPACE IN TIME traces the story of German filmmaker Thomas Heise’s family over several generations. Composed of a series of fragmented narratives, the film is a monumental historical essay and moving account of a family torn apart by the upheavals of the 20th century.”

JUDY & PUNCH d. Mirrah Foulkes, 2019 at Rich Mix (28 NOV 18:15 & 20:40 – LAST CHANCE!):

“Famous puppeteers Judy (Mia Wasikowska) and her husband Punch (Damon Herriman) live in the town of Seaside. A strange place that is located nowhere near any sort of coastline, the town and its inhabitants are in thrall to a frenzy of witch hunts and superstition. But while the townspeople revel in the drama of the various trials and punishments, Judy and Punch provide welcome distraction with their magical puppet show.”

RETABLO d. Alvaro Delgado Aparicio, 2019 at The Castle Cinema (28 NOV 16:30):

“High in the remote mountainside of Peru, 14-year-old Segundo is being groomed to follow his father’s footsteps in the traditional folk art of retablo-making — crafting intricate, artisan story-boxes depicting religious scenes and important everyday events. Segundo reveres his father, however the young boy is becoming restless realizing that the weight of carrying the family legacy on his shoulders will keep him on the mountain forever. When he stumbles across a heartbreaking secret his father is harbouring, Segundo will come to face the raw reality of his deeply religious and conservative landscape, as well as a more profound connection with his father than he’d ever imagined.”

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

THE AMAZING JOHNATHAN DOCUMENTARY d. Ben Berman, 2019 at DocHouse (22 to 28 NOV). HARRIET d. Kasi Lemmons, 2019 at Barbican (22 to 28 NOV). HERE FOR LIFE d. Andrea Luka Zimmerman & Adrian Jackson, 2019 at DocHouse (22 to 27 NOV). THE IRISHMAN d. Martin Scorsese, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (until 28 NOV). GLORIA BELL d. Sebastián Lelio, 2018 at Whirled Cinema (25 NOV to 01 DEC). LA BELLE ÉPOQUEd. Nicolas Bedos, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (22 NOV to 16 DEC). MARRIAGE STORY d. Noah Baumbach, 2019 at Rio Cinema (until 28 NOV). PERMISSION d. Soheil Beiraghi, 2018 at ICA (22 to 28 NOV). SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE d. Cédric Klapisch, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (until 27 NOV).

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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+.