Films in London this week: THE FILM NOT THE COUNTRY at Close-Up (31 JAN).
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SCREEN GUIDE: Films in London this week [31 JAN to 06 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 31 // SAT 01 // SUN 02 // MON 03 // TUE 04 // WED 05 // THU 06

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

As you’re probably aware, we’ve hit peak awards season and so there are catch-up chances aplenty for some of the more popular nominees this week. We rarely get excited about films at this stage in their lifecycles as new releases aren’t where we spend a lot of our time, but that doesn’t mean we’re not thrilled to see PARASITE which gets a special preview + broadcast Q&A with Bong Joon-ho at venues across town (03 FEB). Check out awards seasons at Ciné Lumière, Prince Charles and others listed below.

One of the great joys of listing London’s indie screens rather than mainstream affairs is the scene’s commitment to creating a considerably more diverse slate. This week we have several great events featuring Black talent including deserved celebration of QUEEN & SLIM (we’ve listed the regular run at Genesis as well as special screenings), The Batty Mama’s new monthly short film offering, 7/11, and the quite incredible cast in The Celluloid Sorceress’ equally incredibly rare screening of THE BINGO LONG TRAVELING ALL-STARS & MOTOR KINGS (from 35mm no less!). Find details of these events and more listed below.

Speaking of seasons (as we were…), there are lots of changeovers this week as one month folds into another which is why this screen guide is a little later than it should be. But that also means our epic monthly roundup of every film and screening time in every rep season won’t be far behind (expect it 01 or 02 FEB at the latest). Of the new season crop, we are particularly fond of HAPPINESS IS A STATE OF MIND, the Japan Foundation’s Touring Film Programme which is complemented by IN FOCUS: KAZUO HARA, also at the ICA.

As to our featured attraction of the week, well, we’ve finally got there: BREXIT DAY. We’ve found two events that mark the occasion (previous bookings have been and gone, like so many ‘dead in a ditch’ departure dates…). We’ve picked THE FILM NOT THE COUNTRY where artist/director/curator Winstanley Schtinter will be leaving the Close-Up building in style at 23:00 but we’ve also spotted In Short: An Evening Of European Short Films & Drinks by the collection of European Union Cultural Institutes in London, which seems like another great way to go (and is FREE! to attend).

See you in darkness…

Richard – Barker-In-Chief, RADIANT CIRCUS

NEW AT RADIANT CIRCUS

Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2020: TEN DARK WOMEN at ICA (01 FEB).

Read our in-depth screen guide to the Japan Foundation’s Touring Film Programme at ICA (31 JAN to 16 FEB).

Screen25 Spring Season Patreon Exclusive Promo Code at RADIANT CIRCUS

We’re working with Screen25 Cinema to offer our monthly subscribers a juicy £2 discount on every full price ticket. Head to patreon.com/radiantcircus to unlock the voucher code.

FILMS IN LONDON THIS WEEK

SINGLE-O EXHIBITS

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

FRI 31

Films in London this week: WIZARDS at The Cinema Museum (31 JAN).
Films in London this week: WIZARDS at The Cinema Museum (31 JAN).

THE FILM NOT THE COUNTRY d. Winstanley Schtinter, 2020 + “Non-Event” at Close-Up (31 JAN 19:00):

  • “The Festival of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was announced by Theresa May to take place in 2022 to celebrate the success of an independent Britain. The artist and filmmaker Winstanley Schtinter decided 2022 was too long to wait and appointed himself director, running the event at notorious Manchester nightclub The White Hotel on October 31 in 2019. THE FILM NOT THE COUNTRY is a feature presentation documenting The Festival through surveillance footage.”

QUEEN & SLIM d. Melina Matsoukas, 2019 + New Talent Showcase at Hackney Picturehouse (31 JAN):

  • Birds’ Eye View #ReclaimTheFrame presents: “A special screening of QUEEN & SLIM, followed by a new talent showcase in The Attic. Performing in response to the film’s themes will be poet and grime artist Eklipse, singer Ayeisha Raquel and multilingual rapper and Reprezent Radio host C Cane.”

WIZARDS d. Ralph Bakshi, 1977 + Live podcast + Q&A with Dr. Alexander Sergeant at The Cinema Museum (31 JAN 19:30):

  • Fantasy / Animation presents: “Ralph Bakshi’s WIZARDS may feature magic, fairies and princesses, but it is very far from the typical Disney fairy tale. A high fantasy epic, the film is a counter-cultural marvel of the 1970s, one that blends a series of innovative animation styles with a story designed to stick two fingers up at the man with its heady mixture of psychedelia, allegory and fantasy.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

SAT 01

Films in London this week: THE FACE AT THE WINDOW, part of A Slaughterous Afternoon With Tod at The Cinema Museum (01 FEB).
Films in London this week: THE FACE AT THE WINDOW, part of A Slaughterous Afternoon With Tod at The Cinema Museum (01 FEB).

A Slaughterous Afternoon With Tod at The Cinema Museum (01 FEB 14:30):

  • “Jasper Sharp & Kip Xool present a 35mm double-bill of Tod Slaughter’s CRIMES AT THE DARK HOUSE (1940) and THE FACE AT THE WINDOW (1939). Hemlock Books will be selling the brand new Tod Slaughter biography with authors in attendance to sign copies.”

DIL DHADAKNE DO d. Zoya Akhtar, 2015 + Intro by Sâmir Bhamra at BFI Southbank (01 FEB 12:15):

  • “This romantic comedy-drama follows the misadventures of a family, their friends and a dog as they embark on a cruise to celebrate a 30th wedding anniversary. Yet it’s not long before suppressed emotions, resentments and insecurities emerge and threaten to upset the holiday.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

  • A HIDDEN LIFE d. Terrence Malick, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (01 FEB 18:45). A WOMAN IS A WOMAN d. Maisy Goosy Suen, 2018 presented by Preston Community Library + Queer East Film Festival for LGBT+ History Month at Preston Community Library (01 FEB 19:00). I AM THE PRIZE d. Oliver Purches + Shorts + Q&A with filmmakers at Queen Mary University Of London (01 FEB 14:00). Kashmir: A Crisis of Compassion – A Look At Youth and Aspirations inc NO FATHERS IN KASHMIR d. Ashvin Kumar, 2019 at SOAS (01 FEB 18:00). LITTLE WOMEN d. Greta Gerwig, 2019 at Regent Street Cinema (01 FEB 14:30, 17:15 & 20:00). PINK FLAMINGOS 35mm d. John Waters, 1972 at The Prince Charles (01 FEB 21:00). TALKING ABOUT TREES d. Suhaib Gasmelbari, 2019 + Meet-Up Chat at DocHouse (01 FEB 15:30 + 16:00). TURTLE ROCK d. Xiao Xiao, 2017 at DocHouse (01 FEB 14:00). UNCUT GEMS d. Benny Safdie & Josh Safdie, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (01 FEB 18:00).

SUN 02

Films in London today: THE BINGO LONG TRAVELING ALL-STARS & MOTOR KINGS at The Cinema Museum (02 FEB).
Films in London this week: THE BINGO LONG TRAVELING ALL-STARS & MOTOR KINGS at The Cinema Museum (02 FEB).

THE BATTLE OF CHILE: 45th Anniversary Screening d. Patricio Guzman, 1975/1976/1978 at Deptford Cinema (02 FEB 14:00):

  • Wavelength presents: “Instantly recognised as a landmark of political documentary when it debuted at Cannes, THE BATTLE OF CHILE – banned in Chile for 22 years – is an urgent, epic, gripping chronicle of a crucial moment in 20th century politics: of Chile’s open, peaceful socialist revolution and the violent counter-revolution against it.”

THE BINGO LONG TRAVELING ALL-STARS & MOTOR KINGS 35mm d. John Badham, 1976 + Intro by Rebecca Nicole Williams at The Cinema Museum (02 FEB 15:30):

  • The Celluloid Sorceress presents: “The first theatrical feature of director John Badham stars Billy Dee Williams as Bingo Long, optimistic showman playing ball in the “Negro Leagues” of the segregated America of the 1930s. Considering the owners of the Negro League clubs no better than their white counterparts, Bingo assembles a breakaway team of rogue players.”

THE BIG PARADE d. King Vidor, 1925 + Intro by Michael Hammond + Live piano accompaniment by Neil Brand at BFI Southbank (02 FEB 13:30):

  • “One of the biggest Hollywood hits of the silent era, THE BIG PARADE wraps every WWI trope – the unlikely hero, the French girl, the comradeship, the horrors of battle – into a tidy narrative. But these were not yet clichés in 1925 and it’s easy to see why this powerful, funny, romantic anti-war film became a model against which all WWI dramas would be measured.”

THE PAINTED BIRD d. Václav Marhoul, 2019 preview at Phoenix Cinema (02 FEB 19:30):

  • UK Jewish Film presents: “Separated from his parents, a nameless Jewish boy wanders through war-ravaged Eastern Europe, unfalteringly looking for a glimmer of hope in a world of extreme brutality. Based on the 1965 novel by Jerzy Kosiñski, THE PAINTED BIRD is a nightmarish experience, but, shot in 35mm monochrome, also ravishingly beautiful.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

  • SHOAH d. Claude Lanzmann, 1985 for Holocaust Memorial Day at Close-Up (02 FEB – First Era, Part 1 11:00-13:35 / First Era, Part 2 14:05-16:05 / Second Era, Part 1 16:20-19:00 / Second Era, Part 2 19:45-22:00).
  • A HIDDEN LIFE d. Terrence Malick, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (02 FEB 18:40). A HIDDEN LIFE d. Terrence Malick, 2019 at Genesis Cinema (02 FEB 19:40). AMANDA d. Mikhaël Hers, 2019 at Genesis Cinema (02 FEB 12:25). ANNE FRANK: PARALLEL STORIES d. Sabina Fedeli & Anna Migotto, 2020 at JW3 (02 FEB 15:30). BRIGHTBURN d. David Yarovesky, 2019 at Whirled Cinema (02 FEB 18:00). BUTTERFLY at DocHouse (02 FEB 14:00). CYRANO DE BERGERAC d. Jean-Paul Rappeneau, 1990 at Ciné Lumière (02 FEB 16:00). GROUNDHOG DAY d. Harold Ramis, 1993 on Groundhog Day at The Prince Charles (02 FEB 13:15 & 15:40). IÇERDEKILER aka Insiders d. Hüseyin Karabey, 2018 + Q&A with the director presented by Balik Arts at Rio Cinema (02 FEB 15:15). IF ONE THING MATTERS: A FILM ABOUT WOLFGANG TILLMANS d. Heiko Kalmbach, 2008 presented by Deeper Into Movies at SET (02 FEB 14:00). THE KINGMAKER d. Lauren Greenfield, 2019 at DocHouse (02 FEB 20:00). PRESENT. PERFECT d. Zhu Shengze, 2019 at ICA (02 FEB 12:10). UNCUT GEMS d. Benny Safdie & Josh Safdie, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (02 FEB 17:30).

MON 03

Films in London this week: PARASITE at ArtHouse Crouch End + various venues (03 FEB).
Films in London this week: PARASITE at ArtHouse Crouch End + various venues (03 FEB).

BAIT d Mark Jenkin, 2019 + Short: TRAVELOGUE (1920s Archival Footage) + Intro by the director at BFI Southbank (03 FEB 18:20):

  • “Martin (Edward Rowe) is a fisherman without a boat since his brother repurposed their father’s vessel for tourist trips. As he struggles to buy his own boat he must also cope with family rivalry and the influx of London money, stag parties and holiday homes in his picturesque Cornish harbour village. Summer brings simmering tensions to a head, with tragic consequences.”
  • Followed by: THE LIGHTHOUSE d. Robert Eggers, 2019 + Intro by BAIT director Mark Jenkin at BFI (03 FEB 20:40).

JOJO RABBIT d. Taika Waititi, 2019 + Q&A with the director, actor Roman Griffin Davis & crew members at Picturehouse Central (03 FEB 18:30):

  • “Writer-director Taika Waititi (THOR: RAGNAROK, HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE) channels his signature style of humour and pathos into a provocative anti-hate satire that was one of the most talked-about films on the autumn festival circuit.”

PARASITE d. Bong Joon-ho, 2020 + Satellite Q&A with the director at Arthouse Crouch End (03 FEB 18:00):

  • “The Kims are living a marginal life when their son fakes his way into becoming the English tutor for the ultra-wealthy Park family. Soon all four of the family members have roles in their hyper-stylish modern home, having used every dirty trick in the book. But the house hides secrets that are way outside the Kim’s scheme.”
  • Also at: Curzon Aldgate (03 FEB 18:00 + 18:00 HOH – Other Curzons available); Everyman Crystal Palace (03 FEB 18:00 – Other Everymans available); Phoenix Cinema (03 FEB 18:00); Picturehouse Bromley (03 FEB 18:00 – Other Picturehouses available!); Rich Mix (03 FEB 18:00); Rio Cinema (03 FEB 18:00).

More films in London today (A – Z):

  • FILM: THE MOVIE d. Raffaello Degruttola, 2014 + Q&A with the director & cast presented by Contro Vento Film at Close-Up (03 FEB 18:30). THE HOLY MOUNTAIN d. Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1973 presented by Truman’s at Genesis Cinema (03 FEB 21:00 – With a FREE pint of something Truman’s). THE KINGMAKER d. Lauren Greenfield, 2019 at DocHouse (03 FEB 16:30). LOOKING FOR LEIA d. Dr Annalise Ophelian + Skype Q&A with the director at Goldsmiths University (03 FEB 18:00 – FREE!). New Writings: Of Mud & Flame: THE PENDA’S FEN Source Book at BFI (03 FEB 18:30). PARASITE d. Bong Joon-ho, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (03 FEB 18:30). QUEEN & SLIM d. Melina Matsoukas, 2019 at The Prince Charles (02 FEB 15:20 – FREE!/Tickets from box office only). TOIVON TUOLLA PUOLEN aka The Other Side Of Hope d. Aki Kaurismäki, 2017 part of Nordic Film Nights at Deptford Cinema (03 FEB 19:30). WALK THE LINE d. James Mangold, 2005 at TT Liquor (03 FEB 18:30). WEATHERING WITH YOU aka Tenki no ko d. Makoto Shinkai, 2019 at The Prince Charles (03 FEB 12:45).

TUE 04

Films in London this week: PATHER PANCHALI at Barbican (04 FEB).
Films in London this week: PATHER PANCHALI at Barbican (04 FEB).

British Animation Awards Public Choice 1 at Regent Street Cinema (04 FEB 18:30):

  • “A chance for the public to vote on their favourite British short animation film and animated music video. Three BAA Public Choice programmes consist of a selection of outstanding short films and music videos from the entries to the British Animation Awards 2020. Also: Public Choice 2 (11 FEB 18:30); Public Choice 3 (12 FEB 20:50).”

PATHER PANCHALI d. Satyajit Ray, 1957 + Talk by Professor Sunetra Gupta at Barbican (04 FEB 18:05):

  • Science On Screen presents: “Nominated for a BAFTA and the Palme D’Or at Cannes Film Festival, PATHER PANCHALI paints a powerful portrait of a father who dreams of a better life for his family and his son Apu who grows up in gut-wrenching hardship. Sunetra Gupta explores whether globalization has been a force for good or whether it has driven out the hope that internationalism brought with it in the 1950s.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

  • A HIDDEN LIFE d. Terrence Malick, 2020 at Phoenix Cinema (04 FEB 16:30). A HIDDEN LIFE d. Terrence Malick, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (04 FEB 18:15). ANNE FRANK: PARALLEL STORIES d. Sabina Fedeli & Anna Migotto, 2020 at JW3 (04 FEB 16:15). CORPUS CHRISTI d. Jan Komasa, 2019 at Polish Social & Cultural Association (04 FEB 19:30). FOXTROT d. Samuel Maoz, 2017 presented by Richmond Film Society at The Exchange (04 FEB 20:00). IL PIOMBO E LA NEVE aka Lead & Snow, 2017 at UCL Pearson Building (04 FEB 18:30 – FREE!). THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU d. Wes Anderson, 2004 presented by Deeper Into Movies at Peckham Levels (04 FEB 19:30 – FREE!). LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT d. Bi Gan, 2018 at ICA (04 FEB 12:30). NOTHING BUT A MAN d. Michael Roemer, 1964 screened in memory of member Leslie Brent by Tufnell Park Film Club at The Lord Palmerston (04 FEB 20:00). PRESENT. PERFECT d. Zhu Shengze, 2019 at ICA (04 FEB 13:30). SORRY WE MISSED YOU d. Ken Loach, 2019 at Regent Street Cinema (04 FEB 20:50). TURTLE ROCK d. Xiao Xiao, 2017 at DocHouse (04 FEB 18:30). VICTORIA d. Sebastian Schipper, 2015 presented by Westminster Film Society at Harrow Campus (04 FEB 18:00 – FREE!). WHEN TOMATOES MET WAGNER d. Marianna Economou, 2019 at DocHouse (04 FEB 16:30).

WED 05

Films in London this week: IMPERIAL BLUE at Rio Cinema (05 FEB).
Films in London this week: IMPERIAL BLUE at Rio Cinema (05 FEB).

IMPERIAL BLUE d. Dan Moss, 2019 + Q&A with the director & cinematographer Ezequiel Romero at Rio Cinema (05 FEB 18:30):

  • “The future is not for sale. With stunning cinematography and a highly-original narrative that spans three continents director Dan Moss’s IMPERIAL BLUE is a fantasy-thriller tale of greed, betrayal, and self-fulfilling prophecies – and a triumph of ambitious independent filmmaking.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

  • A HIDDEN LIFE d. Terrence Malick, 2020 at Phoenix Cinema (05 FEB 19:30). THE APOLLO OF GAZA d. Nicolas Wadimoff, 2018 + Talk/Q&A with the director at SOAS (05 FEB 18:45). BAIT d. Mark Jenkin, 2018 at ICA (05 FEB 16:30). BAIT + Short: THE MAN WHO NEEDED A TRAFFIC LIGHT  d. Mark Jenkin, 2019 presented by Screen25 Cinema at Harris Academy South Norwood (05 FEB 19:45). BLITHE SPIRIT d. David Lean, 1945 presented by Twickenham Film Club at The Exchange (05 FEB 19:30). BLOOD RAIN d. Jorge Navas, 2009 part of Latin America Cinema Night at Deptford Cinema (05 FEB 20:00). BUTTERFLY at DocHouse (05 FEB 14:00). DARKNESS VISIBLE d. Neil Biswas, 2019 + Q&A presented by Tongues On Fire at Harrow Arts Centre (05 FEB 19:00). JOKER d. Todd Phillips, 2019 at Regent Street Cinema (05 FEB 20:50).  JUDY d. Rupert Goold, 2019 at Regent Street Cinema (05 FEB 18:30). THE KINGMAKER d. Lauren Greenfield, 2019 at DocHouse (05 FEB 20:30). THE MOUNTAIN d. Edward Dmytryk, 1956 at Regent Street Cinema (05 FEB 12:00 & 15:30). THE TWO LIVES OF LI ERMAO d. Jia Yuchuan, 2019 + Q&A with Dr Yu and Dr Libby Saxton (05 FEB 15:15 – FREE!). XY CHELSEA d. Tim Travers Hawkins, 2019 at Frontline Club (05 FEB 19:00).

THU 06

Films in London this week: BEYOND: THERE'S ALWAYS A BLACK ISSUE DEAR at The Front Room (06 FEB).
Films in London this week: BEYOND: THERE’S ALWAYS A BLACK ISSUE DEAR at The Front Room (06 FEB).

7/11 – Black Queer Short Films & Performances at The Front Room (06 FEB 19:00):

  • The Batty Mama presents: “A monthly short film and open mic night, providing a space to showcase Black Queer Art and an opportunity for artists to try out new material. The first event will be an LGBT History Month Special “Did it! Done it! Doing it well!”, where we look back at British Black Queer life and legacy and screen the inspiring BEYOND: THERE’S ALWAYS A BLACK ISSUE DEAR d. Claire Lawrie, 2018 + Q&A with cast & crew.”

HITLER, STALIN AND MR. JONES d. George Carey, 2012 + Q&A with the director & producer Teresa Cherfas at Regent Street Cinema (06 FEB 18:30):

  • “In August 1935, a brilliant young Welshman called Gareth Jones was murdered by bandits on the remote Mongolian steppe. In three short years as a rookie journalist, he had infuriated the Soviet Union, hobnobbed with Hitler and Goebbels, been threatened by the Japanese military and disowned by his one time benefactor, David Lloyd George. Was his death bad luck or the work of secret agents?”

NO FATHERS IN KASHMIR d. Ashvin Kumar, 2019 + Q&A with the director at Genesis Cinema (06 FEB 21:00):

  • “A teenage British Kashmiri, Noor, retraces her roots. She is joined by Majid, a local Kashmiri boy who is more smitten by her exotic foreignness than her obsession to unravel the mysteries of their disappeared fathers.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

  • A HIDDEN LIFE d. Terrence Malick, 2020 at Phoenix Cinema (06 FEB 14:00 HOH). AMERICAN: THE BILL HICKS STORY d. Matt Harlock & Paul Thomas, 2009 presented by Whirled Docs at Whirled Cinema (06 FEB 20:00). BAIT d. Mark Jenkin, 2019 at Regent Street Cinema (06 FEB 20:45). CAROL d. Todd Haynes, 2015 presented by Older & Prouder Elders Voice at The Lexi (06 FEB 15:00). JOKER d. Todd Phillips, 2019 at Genesis Cinema (06 FEB 18:10). LES 400 COUPS aka The 400 Blows d. François Truffaut, 1959 at Ciné Lumière (06 FEB 18:30). ONCE UPON A TIME IN… HOLLYWOOD 35mm d. Quentin Tarrantino, 2019 at Genesis Cinema (06 FEB 20:35). ORDINARY LOVE d. Lisa Barros D’sa & Glenn Leyburn, 2019 at The David Lean (06 FEB 14:30 & 19:30). PARASITE d. Bong Joon-ho, 2019 at ICA (06 FEB 18:10). PRESENT. PERFECT d. Zhu Shengze, 2019 at ICA (06 FEB 14:10). SOLIDARITY d. Lucy Parker, 2019 + Q&A with the director & guests from the film at DocHouse (06 FEB 18:30). SO LONG, MY SON d. Xiaoshuai Wang, 2019 at Watermans (06 FEB 19:30). THE STATE AGAINST MANDELA AND THE OTHERS aka L’État contre Mandela et les autres d. Nicolas Champeaux & Gilles Porte, 2018 at Ciné Lumière (06 FEB 20:30).

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MUSEUM SHOWS PART 1

SEASONS (by event/venue)

Films in London this week: A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE, part of JOHN CASSAVETES IN 35MM at The Prince Charles (02 FEB).
Films in London this week: A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE, part of JOHN CASSAVETES IN 35MM at The Prince Charles (02 FEB).

70mm PRESENTATIONS at The Prince Charles (ongoing):

  • JOKER 70mm d. Todd Phillips, 2019 (01 FEB 20:45 / 06 FEB 20:45).

1950s HITCHCOCK at The Prince Charles (JAN to APR):

1999 – 2019: EXPLORING 20 YEARS OF SCI-FI at The Prince Charles (2020):

  • OKJA d. Bong Joon Ho, 2017 (03 FEB 18:05).

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:

  • DIABOLIQUE d. Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1955 (02 FEB 14:30).

ALEJANDRO JODOROWSKY at The Prince Charles (JAN to FEB):

  • THE HOLY MOUNTAIN d. Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1973 (03 FEB 13:25 / 05 FEB 21:05 / 06 FEB 13:20).

AMERICAN NEW WAVE at The Prince Charles (2020):

“We’re going to be runnin this strand throughout the year so keep checking back, as there is a lot more still to come!” Includes:

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

  • LES 400 COUPS aka The 400 Blows d. François Truffaut, 1959 (02 FEB 14:00 / 06 FEB 18:30).

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:

BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: GETTING TOGETHER at BFI Southbank (JAN):

“Landmark movies exploring the dynamics of the group, be it family, friends, colleagues or simply people brought together by accident.” Includes:

  • ARMY OF SHADOWS L’armée Des Ombres d. Jean-Pierre Melville, 1969 (31 JAN 20:15).

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:

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

“We celebrate a bright, shining star of the silver screen with a selection of her best films, from the ‘origins’ of screwball to dazzlingly delightful romcoms.” Includes:

DAVID LYNCH at Deptford Cinema (FEB to JUN):

“A retrospective of one of, if not the most challenging and groundbreaking director of our generation.” Includes:

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. The current programme particularly focusses on fairytales, folklore, ghost stories and the uncanny.” Includes:

  • CRÍA CUERVOS d. Carlos Saura, 1976 (31 JAN 20:15); 8½ d. Federico Fellini, 1963 (01 FEB 20:00); and, LA STRADA d. Federico Fellini, 1954 (05 FEB 20:15).

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:

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

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:

FIRST FILMS at Classic Cinema Club – Ealing (JAN to FEB):

“We begin the new year and decade with some important firsts in cinema: promising debuts; first-time collaborators; and the first motions of major film movements.” 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:

  • AND YOUR BIRD CAN SING aka Kimi No Tori Wa Utaeru d. Sho Miyake, 2018 (31 JAN 18:20); OUR MEAL FOR TOMORROW aka Bokura no gohan wa ashita de matteru d. Ichii Masahide, 2017 (01 FEB 13:15); ORGAN aka Ano Hi No Orugan d. Hiramatsu Emiko, 2019 (01 FEB 15:30); A BANANA? AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT? aka Konna Yofuke Ni Banana Kayo: Itoshiki Jitsuwa d. Maeda Tetsu, 2018 (01 FEB 18:00); TEN DARK WOMEN aka Kuroi juunin no onna d. Ichikawa Kon, 1961 (01 FEB 20:30); LITTLE NIGHTS, LITTLE LOVE aka Eine Kleine Nachtmusik d. Imaizumi Rikiya, 2019 (02 FEB 13:20); HER SKETCHBOOK aka Sekai wa kyo kara kimi no mono d. Ozaki Masaya, 2017 + Q&A with the director (02 FEB 15:40); SHADOWFALL aka Kagefumi d. Shinohara Tetsuo, 2019 (02 FEB 18:20); MY LOVE STORY!! aka Ore Monogatari!! d. Kawai Hayato, 2015 (04 FEB 18:20); SEA OF REVIVAL aka Nagi machi d. Shiraishi Kazuya, 2019 (04 FEB 20:30); KAKEGURUI – COMPULSIVE GAMBLER aka Eiga: Kakegurui d. Hanabusa Tsutomu, 2019 (05 FEB 18:20); THE ACTOR aka Haiyu kameoka takuji d. Yokohama Satoko, 2015 (05 FEB 20:40); and, JESUS aka Boku wa Iesu-sama ga kirai d. Okuyama Hiroshi, 2018 (06 FEB 20:40).

HAPPY B-DAY JIM! at House Of Vans (16 JAN to 02 FEB – FREE!/No booking required):

“It’s January, the month of the new year’s resolutions and, of course, the birthday of the king of comedy: Jim Carrey.” Includes:

IN FOCUS: KAZUO HARA at ICA (31 JAN to 04 FEB):

“A programme of four feature films from one of Japan’s most renowned documentary filmmakers, presented in partnership with Second Run.” Includes:

IN HARM’S WAY: THE FILMS OF MAJED NEISI at Close-Up (18 JAN & 14 MAR):

“Born in Southwest Iran, Majed Neisi has dedicated himself to examining the pathology of war in a succession of Middle Eastern battlegrounds.” Includes:

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

  • MALINA d. Werner Schroeter, 1990 (06 FEB 19:00 – FREE!).

JOHN CASSAVETES IN 35MM at The Prince Charles (JAN to MAR):

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:

  • OKJA d. Bong Joon Ho, 2017 (03 FEB 18:05); and, PARASITE d. Bong Joon Ho, 2019 (03 FEB 20:45).

MELODIA!: DISCOVERING MUSICALS FROM RUSSIA & THE CAUCASUS at Ciné Lumière (07 to 31 JAN):

“A thrilling season of classic and contemporary musicals from Russia and the Caucasus, Melodia! celebrates the diversity and complexity of the genre across Soviet, Russian and Caucasian cultures.” Includes:

  • LETO d. Kirill Serebrennikov, 2018 + Q&A with actor & musician Roman Bilyk (31 JAN 19:30).

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:

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

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

REEL TIME FOR BLACK LOVE at Johmard Centre (17 JAN to 29 FEB):

REMINISCENCES OF JONAS MEKAS at Close-Up (19 to 22 JAN):

“A year after his passing, the Lithuanian Embassy and Close-Up remember the great Jonas Mekas.” 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):

  • GOOD TIME d. Josh Safdie & Benny Safdie, 2017 (31 JAN 20:45); and UNCUT GEMS 35mm d. Josh Safdie & Benny Safdie, 2019 (until 06 FEB).

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:

TRIBUTE TO DELPHINE SEYRIG – ACTRESS, DIRECTOR AND ACTIVIST at Ciné Lumière (01 DEC 2019 to 04 FEB 2020):

“From being a film icon to supporting emerging women directors, Delphine Seyrig (1932-1990) increasingly got involved in the women’s rights and social struggles of her times.” Includes:

MUSEUM SHOWS PART 2

FILM FESTIVALS (by date/duration)

Films in London this week: A GIRL FROM MOGADISHU, part of Brigid's Day Festival at Regent Street Cinema (02 FEB).
Films in London this week: A GIRL FROM MOGADISHU, part of Brigid’s Day Film Festival at Regent Street Cinema (02 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: QUEEN & SLIM at Genesis Cinema (31 JAN to 06 FEB).
Films in London this week: QUEEN & SLIM at Genesis Cinema (31 JAN to 06 FEB).

BAIT d Mark Jenkin, 2019 + Short: TRAVELOGUE (1920s Archival Footage) at BFI Southbank (31 JAN to 06 FEB):

  • “Martin (Edward Rowe) is a fisherman without a boat since his brother repurposed their father’s vessel for tourist trips. As he struggles to buy his own boat he must also cope with family rivalry and the influx of London money, stag parties and holiday homes in his picturesque Cornish harbour village. Summer brings simmering tensions to a head, with tragic consequences.”
  • With Intro by the director (03 FEB 18:20).

THE LIGHTHOUSE d. Robert Eggers, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (31 JAN to 06 FEB):

  • “Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson play Victorian lightkeepers sticking out a four-week stint on a jagged windswept island. Thomas is the grizzled, demonic older man who is supposed to be training the younger Ephraim. Yet there is little guidance in their increasingly drunken meals or in Thomas’ flinty banter. As these sea dogs’ grog runs low and phantoms begin to beset the island, this deliciously gothic thriller becomes ever-more distinctive, compelling, and wild.”

QUEEN & SLIM d. Melina Matsoukas, 2019 at Genesis Cinema (31 JAN to 06 FEB):

  • “While on a forgettable first date together in Ohio, a black man and a black woman, are pulled over for a minor traffic infraction. The situation escalates, with sudden and tragic results, when the man kills the police officer in self-defence. Terrified and in fear for their lives, the man, a retail employee, and the woman, a criminal defence lawyer, are forced to go on the run. But the incident is captured on video and goes viral, and the couple unwittingly become a symbol of trauma, terror, grief and pain for people across the country.”

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

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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+.