Featured attraction of the week: YAMA - ATTACK TO ATTACK at Close-Up (20 FEB).
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SCREEN GUIDE: Films in London this week [14 to 20 FEB 2020]

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 great films in London this week*.

FRI 14 // SAT 15 // SUN 16 // MON 17 // TUE 18 // WED 19 // THU 20

Find films in London this week by:

SINGLE-O EXHIBITS (one-off attractions – by date) // MUSEUM SHOWS (several exhibits under one roof – by seasons & festivals) // GRIND SHOWS (a selection of new releases & regular runs).

FEATURED ATTRACTION

Depending upon how you regard Valentine’s Day, the start of this screen week is either one to love or loathe… Either way, there are more than enough great screen events for you to indulge in and/or escape that ole devil. Begin by heading to Genesis Cinema for The Celluloid Sorceress’ exclusive revival of GHOST on 35mm, or a special preview of Céline Sciamma’s PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE from Fringe! and Birds’ Eye View. For those after something, well, a little rougher, try POSSESSION at The Lexi or JE T’AIME, MOI NON PLUS at Barbican (all 14 FEB – details below).

Looking further ahead, there are (or at least were…) two chances on Wednesday to see Stanley Kubrick’s THE KILLING. Ciné-Real Film Club’s 16mm projection at The Castle Cinema is currently looking SOLD OUT! (don’t worry, there’s another chance on 23 FEB), so we wouldn’t hesitate in recommending the programme from Kennington Noir at The Cinema Museum (19 FEB).

Taking that as our excuse to dive into genre cinema, there’s another arterial spray of great horror shows this week with a double bill of Crawling Intruders from World Wide Weird! at The King & Queen (15 FEB), COME TO DADDY with intro from FrightFest’s very own Alan Jones at The Prince Charles (17 FEB), and Japanese zombie breakthrough movie-within-a-movie, ONE CUT OF THE DEAD screams at the normally polite Richmond Film Society (18 FEB).

As February is LGBT History Month, there are plenty of queer screens too. We like the look of The New Black’s presentation of HUSTLERS complete with live pole dancing at Picturehouse Stratford East, and VITA & VIRGINIA at Wimbledon Film Club (both 18 FEB). And they don’t come much queerer than a 35th Anniversary screening of Paul Schrader’s biopic, MISHIMA: A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS at Deptford Cinema (17 FEB). BFI’s Experimenta Salon is discussing a 16mm queer gem that has been heavily censored across its history, Jean Genet’s sexually explicit, UN CHANT D’AMOUR (19 FEB).

Of course, attacks on creative expression come in many guises. Beloved undergound venue The Horse Hospital has been threatened before by the rising tide of gentrification and is once again in serious risk of closing for good (from a 333% rent rise). Join the protest with an evening of clips about London and its landlord problem (15 FEB).

Our featured attraction of the week memorialises filmmakers who have paid a horrific price for their freedom of expression. YAMA – ATTACK TO ATTACK was a film that sought to liberate workers from the yoke of criminal gangs. Both of its directors were murdered by Japanese yakuza as a result of its making. The finally finished film screens with a content warning at Close-Up (20 FEB).

See you in darkness…

Richard – Barker-In-Chief, RADIANT CIRCUS

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NEW AT RADIANT CIRCUS

SCREEN DIARY: HER SKETCHBOOK, part of Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme at ICA (02 FEB).
SCREEN DIARY: HER SKETCHBOOK, part of Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme at ICA (02 FEB).

The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme (31 JAN to 16 FEB) returns to ICA for its final weekend. We’ve posted the second of our event writeups: HER SKETCHBOOK + Intro/Q&A with director Masaya Ozaki (02 FEB 2020). RADIANT CIRCUS also went to see TEN DARK WOMEN (01 FEB 2020) on the opening weekend.

FILMS IN LONDON THIS WEEK

SINGLE-O EXHIBITS

ONE-OFF MOVIE NIGHTS, FILM EVENTS & GALLERY SCREENINGS (by date/event)

FRI 14

Films in London this week: PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE at Genesis Cinema (14 FEB).
Featured attractions in London this week: PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE at Genesis Cinema (14 FEB).

GHOST 35mm d. Jerry Zucker, 1990 + Intro by Rebecca Nicole Williams at Genesis Cinema (14 FEB 21:00):

  • The Celluloid Sorceress presents: “Sam and Molly love each other, but their romance is short-lived when Sam is killed by a thug. Unable to tell Molly that her life is in danger, Sam’s spirit takes help of a psychic. 30th anniversary screening and exclusive engagement on film.”

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE d. Céline Sciamma, 2019 + Creative Writing Workshop with artist/drag king Kit Griffiths at Genesis Cinema (14 FEB 18:20)

  • Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest + Birds’ Eye View #ReclaimTheFrame present: “Romance and art entwine in a sumptuous new masterpiece from Céline Sciamma (TOMBOY, GIRLHOOD). A heartbreaking period piece told with a distinctly modern feminist energy, PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE is the first female-directed film to win the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival, where it also won the Best Screenplay award.”

Uncanny Valentine: POSSESSION d. Andrzej Żuławski, 1981 + Intro by Irene Silvera Frischknecht at The Lexi (14 FEB 18:25):

  • “In 1981 West Berlin, US undercover agent Mark (Sam Neill) returns home to find his wife Anna (Isabelle Adjani, who won ‘Best Actress’ at Cannes for this) exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior following her request for a divorce. The film, which initially promises to be a relationship intrigue, quickly develops into a gem of an unclassifiable psychological-horror-drama, and it has found a dedicated cult following since being first identified with the ‘video-nasties’ of the 80s.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

Subscribers at RADIANT CIRCUS can unblock a great discount at Screen25 Cinema.

SAT 15

Films in London this week: CRAWLSPACE, part of Crawling Intruders at The King & Queen (15 FEB).
Featured attractions in London this week: CRAWLSPACE, part of Crawling Intruders at The King & Queen (15 FEB).

Crawling Intruders inc. CRAWLSPACE d. David Schmoeller, 1986 + INTRUDER d. Scott Spiegel, 1989 at The King & Queen (15 FEB 18:00):

  • World Wide Weird! presents: “A double bill of independent 80s horror with live music from keyboard maestro Gary Baxter’s Random Loop Generator! CRAWLSPACE: Klaus KInski being… Klaus Kinski! INTRUDER: From the team behind the EVIL DEAD films!”

London and Landlords: An Unfinished Video History by William Fowler & Matthew Harle at The Horse Hospital (15 FEB 19:00):

  • “After 25 years of presenting alternative and underground culture, the future of the Horse Hospital hangs in the balance. Its landlords have demanded a 333% increase in rent and the Horse Hospital has been given a deadline of February 28th to negotiate with their proprietors, otherwise it faces eviction. This is not an isolated story. Here, we contextualise the Horse Hospital’s current struggle in moving image history in an impressionistic, carefully compiled mix drawing from a rich array of sources, including: broadcast television, community video, corporate video and alternative film.”

One Night, One Country: JAPAN at The Cinema Museum (15 FEB 18:00):

  • South Social presents: “Take a trip to Japan with cinema, dance and flavours. Intriguing feature DEMOLITION GIRL (d. Genta Matsugami, 2019), about a girl earning money as a video fetish performer, is followed by a panel with academic experts on Japan. Plus a dance performance by Yukiko Masui, a delicious menu and a quick workshop on sushi-making, courtesy of chef Keiko Urakawa.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

SUN 16

Films in London this week: DARLING, part of Short Film Club: From Venice With Love & Squalor at Phoenix Cinema (16 FEB).
Featured attractions in London this week: DARLING, part of Short Film Club: From Venice With Love & Squalor at Phoenix Cinema (16 FEB).

Short Film Club: From Venice With Love & Squalor at Phoenix Cinema (16 FEB 15:40):

  • “A short film programme of five award-winning shorts screened over the years at Venice Film Festival, based around the theme of love.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

  • 2040 d. Damon Gameau, 2019 at The Castle Cinema (16 FEB 13:15). A STAR IS BORN d. George Cukor, 1954 presented by Sunday Musicals at The Cinema Museum (16 FEB 14:00). BOB’s BURGERS Marathon presented by Deeper Into Movies at Peckham Levels (16 FEB 15:00 – FREE!). CASABLANCA d. Michael Curtiz, 1942 at Picturehouse Bromley (16 FEB 12:00 – Other Picturehouses available!). FANDO Y LIS d. Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1968 at Rio Cinema (16 FEB 12:45). THE KILLING FIELDS d. Roland Joffé, 1984 presented by Exotic Travel Film Club at The Exhibit (16 FEB 14:30). QUEEN & SLIM d. Melina Matsoukas, 2019 at BFI (16 FEB 15:20). SAUVAGE d. Camille Vidal-Naquet, 2018 at Whirled Cinema (16 FEB 18:00). TALKING ABOUT TREES d. Suhaib Gasmelbari, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (16 FEB 13:20). WAVES d. Trey Edward Shults, 2019 at Regent Street Cinema (16 FEB 19:30).

MON 17

Films in London this week: MISHIMA - A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS at Deptford Cinema (17 FEB).
Featured attractions in London this week: MISHIMA: A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS at Deptford Cinema (17 FEB).

COME TO DADDY d. Ant Timpson, 2019 + Intro by Alan Jones at The Prince Charles (17 FEB 21:00):

  • “An urban hipster faces major daddy issues in a coastal Oregon town in a deliciously edgy stunner. 30-something Norval (a career best performance by Elijah Wood) receives a surprise invitation to visit his estranged father’s remote cliff house. Nervous and desperate to impress his uncaring dad, Norval stretches the truth about his life until finally his father’s growing animosity reaches a dark fever pitch.”

MISHIMA: A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS 35th Anniversary Screening d. Paul Schrader, 1985 at Deptford Cinema (17 FEB 19:15):

  • “Paul Schrader’s visually stunning portrait of the legendary Japanese author and playwright Yukio Mishima (played by Ken Ogata) investigates the internal turmoil and fascinating contradictions of a man who attempted the impossible task of finding harmony among self, art, and society.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

TUE 18

Films in London this week: HUSTLERS at Stratford Picturehouse (18 FEB).
Featured attractions in London this week: HUSTLERS at Stratford Picturehouse (18 FEB).

HUSTLERS d. Lorene Scafaria, 2019 + Q&A + Live Pole Dancing in celebration of LGBT History Month at Picturehouse Stratford East (18 FEB 19:00):

  • The New Black presents: “Working as a stripper to make ends meet, Destiny’s life changes forever when she becomes friends with Ramona – the club’s top money earner. Ramona soon shows Destiny how to finagle her way around the wealthy Wall Street clientele who frequent the club. But when the 2008 economic collapse cuts into their profits, the gals and two other dancers devise a daring scheme to take their lives back.”

ONE CUT OF THE DEAD d. Shin’ichirô Ueda, 2017 + Intro at The Exchange (18 FEB 20:00):

  • Richmond Film Society presents: “A minor movie, latched on to at the Udine Far East Film Festival, went on to become an international hit and one of the biggest grossing Japanese films of recent years, A multi- film film and the funniest zombie movie you will ever see!”

VITA & VIRGINIA d. Chanya Button, 2019 + Q&A with Chris Park of Sutton LGBTQ+ Forum at Curzon Wimbledon (18 FEB 20:30):

  • Wimbledon Film Club presents: “Enjoyable period drama/biopic from director Chanya Button brings a modern sensibility & soundtrack to the relationship between aristocrat Vita Sackville-West & novelist Virginia Woolf, charting its impact on Woolf’s landmark work Orlando.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

  • 1917 d. Sam Mendes, 2020 at Rich Mix (18 FEB 20:50). ABOUT A BOY d. Chris Weitz & Paul Weitz, 2002 at TT Liquor (18 FEB 18:30). THE ACCUSED: DAMNED OR DEVOTED + Q&A with the filmmakers at Frontline Club (18 FEB 19:00). BE NATURAL: THE UNTOLD STORY OF ALICE GUY-BLACHÉ d. Pamela B. Green, 2018 at Regent Street Cinema (18 FEB 20:50). FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES d. Max Lewkowicz, 2019 at JW3 (18 FEB 16:00). FINDING BOBBI d. Ava Karvonen & Scot Morison, 2019 + SHORT: DUSK + Panel presented by Raindance Film Club & TransCreative at Century Club (18 FEB 18:30). FIRST LOVE d. Takashi Miike, 2019 at Genesis Cinema (18 FEB 21:00). Fringe! Shorts: Hide & Seek at Colours Hoxton (18 FEB 19:00). LITTLE WOMEN d. Greta Gerwig, 2019 at Regent Street Cinema (18 FEB 18:10). MIDNIGHT FAMILY d. Luke Lorentzen, 2019 + Q&A with the director at ICA (18 FEB 19:25). MONTY PYTHON & THE HOLY GRAIL d. Terry Jones & Terry Gilliam, 1975 screened in tribute to Terry Jones & Neil Innes by Tufnell Park Film Club at The Lord Palmerston (18 FEB 20:00). PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE d. Céline Sciamma, 2019 + Q&A with Kate Gerova presented by Breakthrough Women in Film at Bvlgari Hotel London (18 FEB 18:30 – Donation requested). STALKER d. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1979 presented by Westminster Film Society at University of Westminster, Harrow Campus (18 FEB 18:00 – FREE!). TWENTY-FOUR EYES d. Keisuke Kinoshita, 1954 at Sands Films (18 FEB 20:00 – Donation requested).

WED 19

Films in London this week: THE KILLING at The Cinema Museum (19 FEB).
Featured attractions in London this week: THE KILLING at The Cinema Museum (19 FEB).

Experimenta Salon: UN CHANT D’AMOUR 16mm d. Jean Genet, 1950 + Panel Discussion at BFI Southbank (19 FEB 20:20):

  • “Banned upon release for its sexually explicit nature, this queer, homoerotic underground classic from novelist and poet Jean Genet focuses on the charged relationship between two prisoners and their guard. Following this special 16mm screening, our panel will discuss the film’s production and release history, analyse key scenes, and reflect on its legacy and influence on filmmakers and artists from Derek Jarman to Andy Warhol.”

HOPE & GLORY d. John Boorman, 1987 + Q&A with the director at Curzon Soho (19 FEB 18:10):

  • “Seen through the eyes of a young boy, World War II for him was a glorious adventure with bombed ruins as a perfect playground and skies filled with dogfights between the Luftwaffe and the RAF. To be followed by a Q&A with John Boorman about his latest memoir, Conclusions. The Q&A will be hosted by director Ben Wheatley (KILL LIST).”

THE KILLING d. Stanley Kubrick, 1956 + Full Supporting Programme at The Cinema Museum (19 FEB 19:30):

  • Kennington Noir presents: “Stanley Kubrick’s second feature was his only film noir, and it’s a doozy. An audacious five man heist at a race track seems perfectly orchestrated, and is prepared with a surgical precision, until a minor glitch transforms the operation into a disaster. Watch for cult favourite Tim Carey and noir queen Marie Windsor in supporting roles.”
  • FYI: THE KILLING 16mm d. Stanley Kubrick, 1956 presented by Ciné-Real 16mm at The Castle Cinema (19 FEB 19:30 – Currently looking SOLD OUT! – Also 23 Feb 14:00). 

PEGGY & FRED IN HELL: FOLDING d. Leslie Thornton, 1984-2016 + Intro by the director at Close-Up (19 FEB 20:15):

  • “Leslie Thornton’s remarkable, mind-boggling experimental feature-length cycle of short films which she’s been working on and releasing in episodes since 1981 is a postapocalyptic narrative about two children feeling their way through the refuse of late-20th-century consumer culture.” – Jonathan Rosenbaum.

More films in London today (A – Z):

  • A HIDDEN LIFE d. Terrence Malick, 2019 at ICA (19 FEB 15:35). A SERIAL KILLER’S GUIDE TO LIFE d. Staten Cousins-Roe + Q&A with actor Katie Brayben & producer Giles Alderson at Deptford Cinema (19 FEB 19:30). BACHELOR FLAT d. Frank Tashlin, 1961 at Regent Street Cinema (19 FEB 12:00 & 15:30). ESTÔMAGO aka A Gastronomic Story d. Marcos Jorge, 2007 presented by CineClub at Embassy of Brazil (19 FEB 18:00 – FREE!). FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES d. Max Lewkowicz, 2019 at JW3 (19 Feb 13:20). FLESH & BLOOD d. Louise Hooper, 2020 + Q&A with the director, actors Imelda Staunton, Francesca Annis & Stephen Rea, & writer Sarah Williams TV preview at BFI (19 FEB 18:15). GUYS & DOLLS d. Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1955 presented by Pitshanger Pictures at St Barnabas Church (19 FEB 14:00). HERE FOR LIFE d. Andrea Luka Zimmerman & Adrian Jackson, 2019 + Q&A with Andrea Luka Zimmerman & performers presented by Birds’ Eye View #ReclaimTheFrame at Rio Cinema (19 FEB 18:30). Inside The Mind animated shorts from London International Animation Festival at Barbican (19 FEB 18:30). LITTLE WOMEN d. Greta Gerwig, 2019 at The David Lean (19 FEB 14:30 & 19:30). LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT 3D d. Bi Gan, 2018 at Curzon Wimbledon (19 FEB 18:00). Mirror Mirror: A Symposium on Body Image Short Film Programme & Panel Discussion presented by Shorts On Tap at Regent Street Cinema (19 FEB 19:30). NEW MOON d. Philippa Ndisi-Herrmann, 2018 + Q&A with the director at SOAS University of London (19 FEB 19:00 – FREE!). TANGERINE d. Sean Baker, 2015 presented by Screen25 Cinema at Harris Academy South Norwood (19 FEB 19:45 – Pay As You Feel).

THU 20

Films in London this week: LITTLE JOE at Picturehouse Central (20 FEB).
Featured attractions in London this week: LITTLE JOE at Picturehouse Central (20 FEB).

LITTLE JOE d. Jessica Hausner, 2019 + Q&A with the director at Picturehouse Central (20 FEB 18:20):

  • “LITTLE JOE follows Alice (Emily Beecham), a single mother and dedicated senior plant breeder at a corporation engaged in developing new species. She has engineered a special crimson flower, remarkable not only for its beauty but also for its therapeutic value. Against company policy, Alice takes one home as a gift for her teenage son, Joe. They christen it ‘Little Joe.’ But as their plant grows, so too does Alice’s suspicion that her new creation may not be as harmless as its nickname suggests.”

YAMA – ATTACK TO ATTACK d. Mitsuo Sato & Kyoichi Yamaoka, 1985 at Close-Up (20 FEB 20:30):

  • “Filmed at the height of Japan’s economic boom of the 1980s, YAMA – ATTACK TO ATTACK is an unflinching record of the struggles of unionised day-labourers in the San’ya district of Tokyo. From the start its original director Mitsuo Sato makes clear that this documentary is not an appeal for pity. It is instead a film for the workers, meant to function as a weapon in their struggle by exposing the criminal role of the yakuza gangsters in restructuring the job market. Sato paid for this stance with his life, murdered by a member of the yakuza during filming. A collective of directors finished the film, led by Kyoichi Yamoka, who was also murdered upon its completion.”
  • Content warning: “Please note that the film opens with the aftermath of the fatal stabbing of Mitsuo Sato which some viewers may find distressing.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

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MUSEUM SHOWS PART 1

SEASONS (by event/venue)

Films in London this week: I GO GAGA, MY DEAR, part of HAPPINESS IS A STATE OF MIND: JOY & DESPAIR IN JAPANESE CINEMA at ICA (16 FEB).
Featured attractions in London this week: I GO GAGA, MY DEAR, part of HAPPINESS IS A STATE OF MIND: JOY & DESPAIR IN JAPANESE CINEMA at ICA (16 FEB).

ACADEMY AT REGENT ST. at Regent Street Cinema (JAN to FEB):

“Before the advent of widescreen formats such as CinemaScope, VistaVision and Todd A-O, all films were shot at the (by modern standards) boxy aspect ratio of 1.37:1, also known as the Academy ratio.” Includes:

AFRICAN IDENTITIES REBORN at DocHouse (31 JAN to 16 FEB):

“Going beyond the misconceptions to look at how complex African identities are today.” Includes:

  • MALI BLUES d. Lutz Gregor, 2017 (14 FEB 14:30 / 15 FEB 17:50 / 16 FEB 20:45 / 19 FEB 14:30 / 20 FEB 18:30); TALKING ABOUT TREES d. Suhaib Gasmelbari, 2019 (14 FEB 16:30 / 17 FEB 14:30 / 18 FEB 20:50 / 19 FEB 16:30); and, WHEN LAMBS BECOME LIONS d. Jon Kasbe, 2018 (daily 14 to 20 FEB 18:30/Check venue for details).

AUTOBIOGRAPHY & AUTOFICTION at Ciné Lumière (02 FEB to 31 MAR):

“Be it fictitious or real, our classic film season explores autobiography and autofiction through the lens of the greatest masters, from Truffaut to Tarkovsky, Akerman to Fellini.”

  • THE MIRROR d. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1975 (16 FEB 14:00 / 18 FEB 18:30).

A WORM’S TAIL VIEW IS OFTEN THE TRUE ONE: FILMS BY PERE PORTABELLA at Close-Up (26 NOV 2019 to 15 FEB 2020):

“The most ambitious, creative and complete retrospective of works by ‘the most important living director you’ve never heard of’—Pere Portabella—will tour London’s most engaged cultural institutions from November 2019 until February 2020.” Includes:

BEST OF 2019 at Ciné Lumière (FEB to MAR):

“For those who missed some of the standout films or those who want to watch them again, our Best of 2019 gathers a selection of 8 of the most acclaimed films of last year, giving you one more chance to see them on the big screen!” Includes:

  • PAIN AND GLORY d. Pedro Almodóvar, 2019 (14 FEB 20:40); APOLLO 11 d. Todd Douglas Miller, 2019 (17 FEB 18:20); and, FOR SAMA d. Waad al- Khateab & Edward Watts, 2019 (19 FEB 18:20).

BEST OF THE DECADE at The Prince Charles (FEB to JUN):

“We bring back some of our favourite films released in the last decade; 2010 to 2019!” Includes:

  • LITTLE WOMEN d. Greta Gerwig, 2019 (14 to 20 FEB/Check venue for details); and, BAIT 35mm d. Mark Jenkin, 2019 (14 to 19 FEB/Check venue for details);

BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: MAN VS NATURE at BFI Southbank (FEB):

“Humanity’s insatiable thirst to control everything that stands in its way has been especially true when it comes to the natural world. These films present different perspectives of mankind and nature bumping into each other in various ways.” Includes:

BLOOD ON EARTH: FILMS FROM THE AFRICAN & CARIBBEAN DIASPORA at Deptford Cinema (until 16 MAY 2020):

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

  • RAFIKI d. Wanuri Kahiu, 2018 (15 FEB 19:30).

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN SELECTROSPECTIVE at The Prince Charles (JAN to MAR):

ELIA KAZAN: THE ACTORS’ DIRECTOR at BFI Southbank (FEB to MAR):

“Be awed by the brilliant performances that Kazan elicited throughout his directing career, in our two-month season featuring Brando, Dean, Hepburn, Kerr and many more.” Includes:

ESSENTIAL CINEMA at Close-Up (DEC to FEB):

“Our ongoing repertory series presenting masterpieces from throughout the history of cinema.” Includes:

FELLINI at BFI Southbank (JAN to FEB):

“Enjoy the start of a two-month season on one of world cinema’s most exuberantly playful filmmakers.” Includes:

FIND YOUR MUSE at Catford Mews (FEB):

“This February we’ll be offering something for everyone with a series of Valentines-adjacent screenings and events.” Includes:

GALENTINES & VALENTINES CELEBRATIONS at The Prince Charles (13 to 20 FEB):

“Our tradition of screening a bunch of films of people falling in [and out] of love over Valentines Week continues with a few staple classics, a heartbreaker and a couple films exploring the darker side of romance!” Includes:

HAPPINESS IS A STATE OF MIND: JOY & DESPAIR IN JAPANESE CINEMA at ICA (31 JAN to 16 FEB):

“Happiness, though universal in its importance, is felt so subjectively by humankind that the definition of the concept is still very elusive. And yet, the search for happiness has long provided Japanese cinema with a staple theme.” Includes:

  • MY LOVE STORY!! aka Ore Monogatari!! d. Kawai Hayato, 2015 (15 FEB 14:40); OUR MEAL FOR TOMORROW aka Bokura no gohan wa ashita de matterud. Ichii Masahide, 2017 (16 FEB 14:30); and, RIDE YOUR WAVE aka Kimi to, Nami ni Noretara d. Yuasa Masaaki, 2019 (16 FEB 16:45).
  • ‘Japan Now’: I GO GAGA, MY DEAR aka Bokemasukara, yoroshiku onegaishimasu d. Nobutomo Naoko, 2018 (15 Feb 16:45).

JELINEK – HANDKE AND THE SILVER SCREEN at Austrian Cultural Forum (FEB – FREE!):

JOIN THE #BONGHIVE at The Prince Charles (JAN to FEB):

“We’re trying to bring as many of Bong Joon-ho’s titles to our screen as possible.” Includes:

JONATHAN ROSENBAUM ON PORTABELLA & SAEED-VAFA at Close-Up (15 to 16 FEB):

“We’re pleased to welcome American film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum for a weekend of screenings and masterclasses.” Includes:

NOAH BAUMBACH SELECTROSPECTIVE at The Prince Charles (JAN to FEB):

THE OSCARS – AND THE NOMINEES ARE… at The Prince Charles (FEB to MAR):

“We’ve got the Oscar fever, how ’bout you? Catch some of the top films of 2019 once more on the big screen, ahead of the biggest awards show of the year.. THE OSCARS!” Includes:

  • JOJO RABBIT d. Taika Waititi, 2019 (until 20 FEB/Check venue for details).

OUT IN MERTON at various venues (24 JAN to 28 FEB – FREE!):

“FilmMerton presents a short season of LGBT+ films.” Includes:

  • BEAUTIFUL THING d. Hettie Macdonald, 1996 (14 FEB 19:00 – Colour House Theatre).

PRE-CODE AT REGENT ST. at Regent Street Cinema (JAN to FEB):

“The 1934 Motion Picture Production Code (also known as the Hays Code) attempted to ensure that “no picture shall be produced that will lower the moral standards of those who see it.” In the brief window of major Hollywood productions pre-Code, however, many films did just that. And we are delighted to screen them for you…” Includes:

RIGHTS AT RISK: YESTERDAY / TOMORROW at DocHouse (06 FEB to 01 MAR):

“If your rights were at risk before, what do the current political changes mean for tomorrow?” Includes:

ROMCOMS at House Of Vans (06 FEB to 01 MAR – FREE!/No booking required):

“Who said that Valentine’s has to be restricted to one day? This month, we’re getting cosy in the screening room as we show some of the best blockbuster romcoms for every situation, curated by us. We hope you love them.” Includes:

THE SAFDIE BROTHERS at The Prince Charles (JAN):

SECOND SIGHT at Barbican (18 to 23 FEB):

“In association with LUX, the ICO’s 2020 national film tour Second Sight explores the legacy, methods, aesthetic strategies and histories of the UK’s Black Film Workshop Movement.” Includes:

  • New Commissions + Q&A with the artists inc Ayo Akingbade, B.O.S.S. Collective, Morgan Quaintance and Rehana Zaman (18 FEB 18:30).

VALENTINE’S DAY SCREENINGS at BFI Southbank (14 FEB):

“Bring your loved one to the cinema and prepare to be swept away…”

MUSEUM SHOWS PART 2

FILM FESTIVALS (by event)

Films in London this week: TOMMY presented by Classic Cinema Club - Ealing, part of Ealing Music & Film Festival (14 FEB).
Featured attractions in London this week: TOMMY presented by Classic Cinema Club – Ealing, part of Ealing Music & Film Festival (14 FEB).

Film festivals in London this week include:

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GRIND SHOWS

REGULAR RUNS & MAINSTREAM MARVELS (by title)

Films in London this week: THE SHARKS at ICA (14 to 20 FEB).
Featured attractions in London this week: THE SHARKS at ICA (14 to 20 FEB).

A PARIS EDUCATION d. Jean-Paul Civeyrac, 2018 at Ciné Lumière (14 to 20 FEB):

  • “Jean-Paul Civeyrac’s partly autobiographical drama, gorgeously shot in black and white, tells the story of Etienne, a young impressionable man who goes to Paris to study filmmaking at the Sorbonne. He meets Mathias and Jean-Noël who share his passion for films, and soon falls under the thrall of the seductive Mathias.”

FIRST LOVE d. Takashi Miike, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (14 to 20 FEB):

  • “The film is the prolific auteur, Takashi Miike, at his most fun and anarchic, a noir-tinged yakuza film blending genres in the story of a young boxer and a call girl, who fall passionately in love while getting innocently caught up in a drug-smuggling scheme over the course of one night in Tokyo.”

THE SHARKS d. Lucía Garibaldi, 2019 at ICA (14 FEB 16:20 / 15 FEB 14:40 / 18 FEB 21:25 / 20 FEB 16:20):

  • “The first feature-length film from Uruguayan director Lucía Garibaldi is a study of romantic fumbling and youthful obsession. Fourteen-year-old Rosina lives in a beach resort rumoured to be plagued by sharks. Upon meeting the older Joselo, she feels a desire to bridge the distance between their bodies and begins to circle him, as if inspired by the mysterious predators.”

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

  • A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD d. Marielle Heller, 2019 at Watermans (14 to 27 FEB). BAIT 35mm d. Mark Jenkin, 2019 at The Prince Charles (until 19 FEB). EMMA d. Autumn de Wilde, 2020 at Phoenix Cinema (14 to 20 FEB). FARMING d. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, 2018 at Whirled Cinema (17 to 23 FEB). FOR SAMA d. Waad al-Kateab & Edward Watts, 2019 (15 to 20 FEB). LITTLE WOMEN d. Greta Gerwig, 2019 at The Castle Cinema (until 20 FEB). MR. JONES d. Agnieszka Holland, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (until 20 FEB FEB). THE OTHER STORY d. Avi Nesher presented by UK Jewish Film at JW3 (16 to 20 FEB). PARASITE d. Bong Joon-ho, 2019 at Rich Mix (until 20 FEB). THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD d. Armando Iannucci, 2020 at The Castle Cinema (until 18 FEB). QUEEN & SLIM d. Melina Matsoukas, 2019 at Genesis Cinema (until 20 FEB). SONIC THE HEDGEHOG d. Jeff Fowler, 2020 at The Castle Cinema (14 to 23 FEB). TALKING ABOUT TREES d. Suhaib Gasmelbari, 2019 at DocHouse (until 19 FEB).

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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+.