Films in London this month: SCHOOL DAZE, part of MUSICALS! at BFI (18 NOV).
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NOW BOOKING: Films in London this month [NOVEMBER 2019]

RADIANT CIRCUS is your handcrafted guide to London’s DIY, indie & alternative movie nights, film events & gallery screenings. Our latest SCREEN GUIDE helps you find repertory seasons & film festivals in London this month.

Find films in London this month by: REPERTORY SEASONS // FILM FESTIVALS

Welcome to our monthly roundup.

Each month we look ahead to what we call London’s MUSEUM SHOWS, the places where you can find several attractions under one roof. Our listings are divided into repertory seasons and film festivals.

We keep you updated on all London’s one-off screenings including film clubs, meet the talent Q&As and other special events in our weekly digests and daily updates.

UPDATES: Historic Films season at ACF added [08]; We The Peoples Film Festival added [07].

FEATURED ATTRACTION

Films in London this month; TOMMY, part of MUSICALS! at BFI (from 22 NOV).
Films in London this month; TOMMY, part of MUSICALS! at BFI (from 22 NOV).

Maybe it’s the changeable weather, maybe it’s the General Election or maybe we’re just getting tired at this time of year, but our feel-good featured attraction of the month just has to be MUSICALS! at BFI which goes into hyperdrive. With singalongs, giant screen events at BFI IMAX and a host of strands and special features, there is nowhere better to escape the November gloom. And of course, don’t forget A HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN MUSICAL at Deptford Cinema to keep supporting London’s beautiful but fragile community cinema screens…

Elsewhere, 21ST CENTURY ŽILNIK at Close-Up et al, HIDDEN FIGURES: HA GIL-JONG at Barbican, IN FOCUS: HELENA TREŠTÍKOVÁ at ICA/Czech Embassy and MAURICE PIALET at BFI give good focus on distinctive directorial voices. We also like the look of the new season BORDERS & BOUNDARIES at Barbican and Halloween hangover HERE BE WITCHES by The Final Girls at The Prince Charles. Possibly the most pertinent season title of the month is LOST THE PLOT by the fine volunteer folk at Classic Cinema Club – Ealing.

From a festivals point of view, November takes us round the world and back again with blockbuster events like the Korean, Jewish and French film festivals, whilst the nationally programmed Green and locally sourced Climate Crisis festivals thrust us into the hot waters of very contemporary eco concerns.

Our Barker In Chief will be volunteering behind the bar for another year at Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest, so be sure to pop by Stoke Newington Town Hall with a simple drinks order and your debit card.

See you in darkness soon…

NEW AT RADIANT CIRCUS

We’re delighted to share news that Screen25 in South Norwood has achieved its target of 100 champions & will now be keeping its doors open. Carry on supporting this vibrant community cinema by buying tickets for their autumn season (for which we can tempt you with a juicy discount…).

Screen25 NOV Campaign

FILMS IN LONDON THIS MONTH

REPERTORY SEASONS (A–Z)

Films in London this month: KENEDI IS GETTING MARRIED, part of 21ST CENTURY ŽILNIK at Close-Up (17 NOV).
Films in London this month: KENEDI IS GETTING MARRIED, part of 21ST CENTURY ŽILNIK at Close-Up (17 NOV).

20 YEARS at House Of Vans (01 NOV to 01 DEC – FREE!/No booking required):

“We’re stoked to bring our pick of quintessential movies that have just turned 20, to our cinema screen for our November film series.” Includes:

21ST CENTURY ŽILNIK at Close-Up, Goldsmiths, LUX & Birkbeck Cinema (12 to 17 NOV):

“The first UK survey of the work of the pioneering Yugoslav-Serbian filmmaker Želimir Žilnik. With a career that began in the 1960s, Žilnik is one of the genuine legends of European cinema, particularly a radical, engaged, independent, humanist cinema.” Includes:

70mm PRESENTATIONS at The Prince Charles (ongoing):

“Bringing regular 70mm presentations back to the West End with”:

  • 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY 70mm d. Stanley Kubrick, 1968 (02 NOV 15:15 / 30 NOV 20:30); and, JOKER 70mm d. Todd Phillips, 2019 (16 NOV 20:35 / 17 NOV 15:45 / 18 NOV 21:00 / 19 NOV 20:45 / 24 NOV 20:30).

A HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN MOVIE MUSICAL at Deptford Cinema (21 OCT to 09 DEC):

“Deptford Cinema joins in the BFI’s nationwide three-month celebration of the musical film genre with our own special and spectacular season! Expect short films and programme notes at all screenings, and even some special guest speakers.” Includes:

  • A STAR IS BORN d. George Cukor, 1954 (04 NOV 19:00); GUYS AND DOLLS d. Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1956 + Short (11 NOV 19:00); CABARET d. Bob Fosse, 1972 + Short/Intro by Pamela Hutchinson (18 NOV 19:00); and, ALL THAT JAZZ d. Bob Fosse, 1979 + Short (25 NOV 19:00).

ALL NIGHT / DAY / MINI MOVIE MARATHONS at The Prince Charles (ongoing):

“Butt-numbing marathons” (their words…ED.) of cult, horror, themed & film franchises including:

AMERICAN INDEPENDENT: A FOCUS ON SHIRLEY CLARKE at BFI Southbank (OCT to NOV):

“Our monthly Experimenta programme gives you a chance to explore this boundary-pushing, influential filmmaker.” Includes:

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

“Exploring how directors have sought an aura of verisimilitude.” Includes:

BLACK HISTORY (EVERY) MONTH at Genesis Cinema (ongoing):

  • Includes: ATLANTICS d. Mati Diop, 2019 presented by Birds’ Eye View #ReclaimTheFrame (21 NOV 18:20).

BLOOD ON EARTH: FILMS FROM THE AFRICAN & CARIBBEAN DIASPORA at Deptford Cinema (12 OCT to 23 NOV):

“A series of films embracing work which explores the human condition through stories from the African and Caribbean diaspora.” Includes:

Films in London this month: WALL, part of BORDERS & BOUNDARIES at Barbican (22 NOV).
Films in London this month: WALL, part of BORDERS & BOUNDARIES at Barbican (22 NOV).

BORDERS & BOUNDARIES at Barbican (08 to 27 NOV):

“This programme offers a contemporary informed gaze on borders the world over as they are drawn and challenged.” Includes:

  • MIDNIGHT TRAVELER d. Hassan Fazili, 2019 + Q&A with producer Emelie Mahdavian (via Skype), Syed Haleem Najibi & Jess Search (08 NOV 18:15); EL NORTE d. Gregory Nava, 1984 (09 NOV 15:00); EL MAR LA MAR d. Joshua Bonnetta & J P Sniadecki, 2017 (10 NOV 16:00); Architecture on Film: BERLINMUREN d. Lars Laumann, 2008 + RABBIT À LA BERLIN d. Bartek Konopka & Piotr Rosołowski, 2009 (13 NOV 19:00); THE HAND OF FATE d. Han Hyeong-mo, 1954 + Intro by Hyun Jin Cho, curator at the Korean Cultural Centre UK (19 NOV 18:30); WALL d. Simone Bitton, 2004 + Q&A with the director (22 NOV 18:20); WESTLER d. Wieland Speck, 1985 + Intro by Alex Davidson (26 NOV 18:30); and, TROUBLE d. Mariah Garnett, 2019 (27 NOV 20:30).

CLOSE-UP ON RAINER WERNER FASSBINDER at Close-Up (01 OCT to 01 DEC):

“Marking the 30th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall – and programmed in parallel to our upcoming Jürgen Böttcher retrospective with the Goethe-Institut – we’re pleased to present a selection of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s film and television works from across his vast, yet tragically short lived ouvre.” Includes:

CONJURING UP THE REAL: THE FILMS OF JÜRGEN BÖTTCHER various venues (23 OCT to 21 NOV):

“Celebrating Jürgen Böttcher’s diverse body of work as a filmmaker, this season includes seven programmes of short and feature length films.” Includes:

DIRECTOR DEBUTS at Deptford Cinema (19 NOV to 10 DEC):

“Showcasing the feature length debuts from directors both new and old.” Includes:

  • EIGHTH GRADE d. Bo Burnham, 2018 (19 NOV 19:30); MID90S d. Jonah Hill, 2018 (21 NOV 19:30); ARCTIC d. Joe Penna, 2018 (26 NOV 19:30); and, OF HORSES AND MEN d. Friðrik Þór Friðriksson, 2013 (27 NOV 19:30).

EARTH IN CRISIS at DocHouse (14 to 20 NOV):

“The Chinese Independent Film Network UK showcases two Chinese landmark eco-documentary films.” Includes:

  • THE NEXT LIFE d. Fan Jian, 2011 + Q&A with the director (14 NOV 18:30); and, OH, THE SANXIA d. Wang Libo, 2012 + Q&A with the director (20 NOV 18:30).

THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL at DocHouse (08 to 15 NOV):

“Explore the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.” Includes:

  • MEETING GORBACHEV d. Werner Herzog & André Singer, 2018 (08 to 14 NOV); MEETING GORBACHEV d. Werner Herzog & André Singer, 2018 + Q&A with co-director André Singer (10 NOV 18:00); and, BERLIN BOUNCER d. David Dietl, 2019 (15 NOV 20:30).

THE FILMS OF CARLOS REYGADAS at Deptford Cinema (20 OCT to 03 NOV):

“A season of films by the Mexican filmmaker. His output explores themes of love, suffering, death, and meaning in life.” Includes:

  • OUR TIME d. Carlos Reygadas, 2018 (03 NOV 18:30).

THE FILMS OF DAVID FINCHER at The Prince Charles (15 AUG to 21 NOV):

HARRY POTTER SEASON at The Prince Charles (03 AUG to 16 NOV):

“Every HARRY POTTER film screening over the coming months, all presented from 35mm!” Includes:

Films in London this month: LEGEND OF THE WITCHES, part of HERE BE WITCHES at The Prince Charles (13 NOV).
Films in London this month: LEGEND OF THE WITCHES, part of HERE BE WITCHES at The Prince Charles (13 NOV).

HERE BE WITCHES at The Prince Charles (31 OCT to 21 NOV):

“Kicking off on Halloween and all throughout November, The Final Girls will dive deep into exploring the figure of the witch in film and TV through a season of films, discussions and a brand-new podcast.” Includes:

HIDDEN FIGURES: HA GIL-JONG at Barbican (04 to 10 NOV):

“The provocative, brutal films of Ha Gil-jong, a major figure of 1970s Korean cinema, are the focus of our latest HIDDEN FIGURES programme.” Includes:

HISTORICAL FILM SERIES – A TRIBUTE TO ANNA GMEYNER & PAUL HENREID at Austrian Cultural Forum (12 NOV to 03 DEC – FREE!/Booking required):

HITCHCOCKTOBER at The Birds E11 (03 OCT to 01 NOV – FREE!/Paid reservations & packages available!):

“Hitch’s best, for free.” Includes:

  • 78:52 d. Alexandre O. Philippe, 2017 (01 NOV 20:00).

IN FOCUS: HELENA TREŠTÍKOVÁ at ICA & the Czech Embassy (17 to 19 NOV):

“A tribute to Czech filmmaker Helena Třeštíková, whose impressive career spans over forty years and features more than fifty documentaries.” Includes:

  • FORMAN VS. FORMAN d. Helena Třeštíková & Jakub Hejna, 2019 + Q&A with Helena Třeštíková (17 NOV 18:30); MALLORY d. Helena Třeštíková, 2015 + Intro by the director (17 NOV 20:40); and, A MARRIAGE STORY + MIRACLE d. Helena Třeštíková, 2017 + 1975 (19 NOV 19:00 – at Czech Embassy).

INGMAR BERGMAN at Deptford Cinema (on going):

“A season of films by the prolific and much celebrated Swedish director. Philip French referred to Bergman as ‘one of the greatest artists of the 20th century’.” Includes:

KAZUHIRO SODA at Deptford Cinema (06 OCT to 10 NOV):

“A season of documentary films by the Japanese filmmaker.” Includes:

  • INLAND SEA d. Kazuhiro Soda, 2018 (10 NOV 18:30).
Films in London this month: A WOMAN IS A WOMAN, part of LOST THE PLOT at Classic Cinema Club – Ealing (29 NOV).
Films in London this month: UNE FEMME EST UNE FEMME, part of LOST THE PLOT at Classic Cinema Club – Ealing (29 NOV).

LOST THE PLOT at Classic Cinema Club – Ealing (NOV to DEC):

“As these characters try to better their lives, get rich quick, or work on their relationships, they learn that the best intentions and best laid plans often go awry.” Includes:

LUNCHTIME FILM SOCIETY at The Bridewell Theatre (22 OCT to 01 NOV):

“RADIANT CIRCUS & partners present a brand new popup cinema screening daily programmes of bitesize films for busy workers, visitors & residents in the City Of London. Bring your own lunch, relax & refocus as you feast on a world of inspiring short film drama, documentary & animation.” Concludes with:

MAURICE PIALET AND THE NEW FRENCH REALISM at BFI Southbank (OCT to NOV):

“A two-part exploration of an uncompromising director and the impact he’s made on recent French cinema and its actors.” Includes:

Films in London this month: ERASER, part of MIDNIGHT EXCESS (23 NOV).
Films in London this month: ERASER, part of MIDNIGHT EXCESS at Rio Cinema (23 NOV).

MIDNIGHT EXCESS at Rio Cinema (12 OCT to 14 DEC):

“MIDNIGHT EXCESS is a film programme from SUPAKINO that brings back the thrill of weird and wonderful late-night movies to London’s historic Rio Cinema.” Includes:

  • ERASERHEAD d. David Lynch + Intro by Ranjit S. Ruprai (16 NOV 23:30); and, ERASER d. Charles Russell, 1997 + Intro by Ranjit S. Ruprai (23 NOV 23:30).

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

“Dust off your dancing shoes, practice your scales and join us for some heart-lifting movies, special events and joyful singalongs.” Includes:

NIGHTCLEANERS & ’36 TO ’77 at DocHouse (31 OCT to 06 NOV):

“Two classics of ’70s British political protest cinema made by the Berwick Film Collective.” Includes:

  • ’36 TO ’77 d. Marc Karlin & James Scott & Humphry Trevelyan & Jon Sanders, 1978 + Q&A with the filmmakers (06 NOV 18:30).

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

RIAN JOHNSON SELECTROSPECTIVE at The Prince Charles (12 to 27 NOV):

“To get us warmed up for the forthcoming release of KNIVES OUT, we’re bringing Rian Johnson’s other original-tales back to the big-screen – all presented from 35mm!” Includes:

ROM COMS at Everyman Maida Vale (20 OCT to 10 NOV).

“Warm up with some of our favourite rom coms this Autumn at Everyman Maida Vale.” Includes:

Films in London this month: BABY CART AT THE RIVER STYX, part of SAMURAI SUNDAYS at Deptford Cinema (17 NOV).
Films in London this month: BABY CART AT THE RIVER STYX, part of SAMURAI SUNDAYS at Deptford Cinema (17 NOV).

SAMURAI SUNDAYS at Deptford Cinema (27 OCT to 24 NOV):

“The SAMURAI SUNDAYS season has been programmed by Peter Blunden, and is kindly supported by the London East Asia Film Festival.” Includes:

STUDIO GHIBLI FOREVER at The Prince Charles (forever!):

“Never far from our screen are the legendary films from the greatest animation house on the planet, STUDIO GHIBLI.” Includes:

  • MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO d. Hayao Miyazaki, 1988 (23 NOV 13:15).
  • Dubbed versions are also available (check venue for details).

SYSTEM OF CARE at Deptford Cinema (14 OCT to 24 NOV):

Wavelength presents: “A new season of non-fiction films exploring care for the elderly, the mentally ill and neuro-diverse adults.” Includes:

  • À L’INFINI aka Endless d. Edmond Carrère, 2017 (17 NOV 19:45); and, MOTHER d. Kristof Bilsen, 2019 (24 NOV 16:15).

THE TALENTED MR DELON at Ciné Lumière (20 OCT to 26 NOV):

“Les Classiques will be dedicated to legendary French actor Alain Delon, showcasing a selection of films by the greatest directors from René Clément to Michelangelo Antonioni.” Includes:

  • L’INSOUMIS d. Alain Cavalier, 1964 (03 NOV 14:00 / 05 NOV 18:15); LA PISCINE d. Jacques Deray, 1969 (10 NOV 14:00 / 13 NOV 20:30); PLEIN SOLEIL d. René Clément, 1960 (17 NOV 14:00 / 19 NOV 18:30); and, L’ECLISSE d. Michelangelo Antonioni, 1962 (24 NOV 14:00 / 26 NOV 18:40).

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

“We bring you a strand of dark, twisted, scary, fun and bloody cinema!” Includes:

WE’RE GONNA PARTY LIKE IT’S 1999! at The Prince Charles (ongoing):

“1999 was an EPIC year for movies – so we’re bringing a whole heap of it back to the big-screen!” Includes:

WES ANDERSON SEASON at Everyman Hampstead (03 to 17 NOV):

WOMEN DIRECTORS OF THE DEFA at Goethe-Institut (30 OCT to 19 NOV):

“With this series, comprising three feature and four documentary films, we take a look at how women directors working for the DEFA (German Film Corporation, Ltd, 1946 – 1990/1992), East Germany’s state-owned production company, represented life in the GDR and under what conditions they could made their films.” Includes:

FILM FESTIVALS (A–Z)

Films in London this month: THE LITTLE MERMAID: A DRAG-A-LONG, part of Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest (15 NOV).
Films in London this month: THE LITTLE MERMAID: A DRAG-A-LONG, part of Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest (15 NOV).

Film festivals in London this month include:

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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 already be sold out. Please click quickly! We don’t filter by age/certification: all readers & subscribers should be 18+.