This is a film still from TROUBLE EVERY DAY, screening at The Prince Charles from 35mm (20 OCT 2021).

OCTOBER 2021: What’s on in London this month

Explore what’s on in London this month with our regular epic roundup of repertory film seasons & festivals.

By RADIANT CIRCUS // Twitter @radiantcircus / Instagram @radiantcircus

There are plenty of reasons to be excited this month, with the mother of all film festivals – the 65th BFI London Film Festival – making a blazing return to venues across London (and the UK!) from 06 to 17 OCT. That’s followed later in the month by that unruliest of indie kids, Raindance Film Festival (27 OCT to 06 NOV). Genre fans should also delight with the return of both Sci-Fi-London (19 to 24 OCT) and FrightFest, doubling up on their August festival with a special Halloween programme (29 to 30 OCT). We also like the look of Wimbledon International Short Film Festival (09 OCT), part of the brilliant Wimbledon Film Club. Check back for updates as we will inevitably spot more festivals as the month unfolds…

In seasons, it’s both Black History Month and Halloween, both inspiring distinctive seasons and pop-up events across London that we’ll be tracking in their own dedicated screen guides (coming soon!).

For Black History Month, Genesis Cinema takes us on a tour of LONDON THROUGHOUT THE DECADES, Black Femme Films takeover Picturehouse Cinemas with their MOVIES THAT MADE US, and BFI shows all of Steve McQueen’s SMALL AXE including personal appearances by the director and various cast, crew and collaborators.

In scary movies, NFTS student Geoffrey Badger’s season LOST VAMPIRES did so well with a screening of Michael Almereyda’s vampire film NADJA 35mm that the ICA has scheduled 4 more screenings (see our SCREEN GUIDE for details). LOST VAMPIRES continues this month at The Prince Charles where it’s joined by classmate Sophie Determan’s THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES IS MORE DEADLY THAN THE MALE as part of the venue’s hardy annual, HORROCTOBER. Catford Mews also joins the seasonal horror show with a wonderful season TWISTED FOLK: THE BEST FOLK HORROR FILMS FROM THE LAST DECADE (read our guide to that here).

Elsewhere, the epic JAPAN 2021 season finally gets an in-venue outing at BFI Southbank, having been prepared for last year’s postponed Tokyo Olympics and screening online during shutdown. The programme comes packed with a bunch of 35mm and 4k projections so will be a serious cinematic treat. The BFI also awards significant screen estate to two directors to project some of their own choices this month: MIKE LEIGH’S CHOICES is designed to accompany the complete season of his own works, and EDGAR WRIGHT’S LONDON AFTER DARK shares some of his inspiration for his forthcoming release, LAST NIGHT IN SOHO.

Finally, Ciné Lumière launches their ‘à la minute’ tour of espionage with new seasons EYES ON SPIES, joining their ongoing 100 YEARS: SIMONE SIGNORET, THE POLITICAL STAR and JEAN-PAUL BELMONDO LE MAGNIFIQUE. You can also enjoy A TRIBUTE TO JEAN-PAUL BELMONDO at Close-Up after a brief run of Polanski films to conclude their ESSENTIAL CINEMA programme.

Our Featured Attraction of the Month is HORROCTOBER at The Prince Charles, because we simply love the opportunity to expand our horror-heads with a daily dose of classics. We’ll be partnering with our twisted sister website TOKEN HOMO / @tokenhomo to blog about London’s horror offerings throughout the scary season.

See you in the darkness,

Richard // RADIANT CIRCUS

Main featured image: TROUBLE EVERY DAY 35mm d. Claire Denis, 2001 (20 OCT 18:00) / Part of LOST VAMPIRES / HORROCTOBER at The Prince Charles.

35MM PRESENTATIONS at The Prince Charles

70MM PRESENTATIONS at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY 70mm d. Stanley Kubrick, 1968 ‘unrestored version’ (04 OCT 20:15 / 14 OCT 14:45 / 29 OCT 20:20).

100 YEARS: SIMONE SIGNORET, THE POLITICAL STAR – PART I at Ciné Lumière

ANNIVERSARY SCREENINGS at The Prince Charles

A PRYOR ENGAGEMENT at BFI Southbank

ARNIE CLASSICS at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): PREDATOR 35mm d. John McTiernan, 1987 (02 OCT 20:45); THE RUNNING MAN d. Paul Michael Glaser, 1987 (21 OCT 18:25); END OF DAYS d. Peter Hyams, 1999 (26 OCT 18:10).

A TRIBUTE TO JEAN-PAUL BELMONDO at Close-Up

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): PIERROT LE FOU d. Jean-Luc Godard, 1965 (16 OCT 20:15 / 24 OCT 20:15); LE DOULOS d. Jean-Pierre Melville, 1962 (17 OCT 18:00 / 30 OCT 18:00); BREATHLESS d. Jean-Luc Godard, 1959 (17 OCT 20:15 / 29 OCT 20:15); A WOMAN IS A WOMAN d. Jean-Luc Godard, 1961 (22 OCT 20:15 / 31 OCT 20:15); LÉON MORIN, PRIEST d. Jean-Pierre Melville, 1961 (23 OCT 16:00 / 31 OCT 18:00); SEVEN DAYS… SEVEN NIGHTS d. Peter Brook, 1960 (24 OCT 18:15 / 30 OCT 20:15).

BHM – LONDON THROUGHOUT THE DECADES at Genesis Cinema

BIG SCREEN CLASSICS at BFI Southbank

BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: WATCHING THE DETECTIVES at BFI Southbank

BLACK FEMME FILM PRESENTS: MOVIES THAT MADE US at Picturehouse Cinemas

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): MEAN GIRLS d. Mark Waters, 2004 + Intro (03 OCT 16:00 – Picturehouse Central); SET IT OFF d. F. Gary Gray, 1996 + Intro (08 OCT 21:00 – The Ritzy); THE TRUMAN SHOW d. Peter Weir, 1998 + Intro (16 OCT 20:30 – Hackney Picturehouse); MOONLIGHT d. Barry Jenkins, 2016 + Intro (24 OCT 17:30 – Picturehouse Finsbury Park); WAITING TO EXHALE d. Forest Whitaker, 1995 + Intro (29 OCT 20:45 – The Ritzy).

BRIAN DE PALMA at The Prince Charles 

CULTPIX SEASON at Everyman Cinemas

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): SHE FREAK d. Bryon Mabe & Donn Davison, 1967 + Intro by introduced by Karen Krizanovich (19 OCT 20:30 – Everyman Broadgate / 22 OCT 23:00 – Everyman Screen On the Green).

DARIO ARGENTO – NEW RESTORATIONS at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): DEEP RED d. Dario Argento, 1975 (09 OCT 21:00 / 12 OCT 15:30 / 14 OCT 18:00); THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE d. Dario Argento, 1970 (22 OCT 13:00 / 28 OCT 18:30).

DAVID CRONENBERG at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): SCANNERS d. David Cronenberg, 1981 (04 OCT 17:45); THE FLY d. David Cronenberg, 1986 (11 OCT 18:15); VIDEODROME d. David Cronenberg, 1983 (18 OCT 18:10); DEAD RINGERS 35mm d. David Cronenberg, 1988 (25 OCT 18:05); CRASH d. David Cronenberg, 1996 (01 NOV 20:45).

DENIS VILLENEUVE: THE PATH TO DUNE at BFI Southbank

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): ARRIVAL d. Denis Villeneuve, 2016 (02 OCT 17:30); BLADE RUNNER 2049 4k d. Denis Villeneuve, 2017 (03 OCT 17:30).

EDGAR WRIGHT’S LONDON AFTER DARK at BFI Southbank

ESSENTIAL CINEMA at Close-Up

EYES ON SPIES at Ciné Lumière

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): NO TIME TO DIE d. Cary Joji Fukunaga, 2020 (daily until 14 OCT); CASINO ROYALE 35mm d. John Huston, 1967 (28 OCT 20:10).

EXPERIENCE THE FLAVOURS OF JAPAN at Picturehouse Cinemas

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): SEVEN SAMURAI (17 OCT various).

FATAL FEMMES at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): UNDER THE SKIN d. Jonathan Glazer, 2013 (04 OCT 15:30 / 26 OCT 18:00); THE WITCH d. Robert Eggers, 2015 (07 OCT 13:30 / 16 OCT 15:15); RAW d. Julia Ducournau, 2016 (07 OCT 18:30 / 19 OCT 13:00); CARRIE d. Brian De Palma, 1976 (08 OCT 20:30 / 28 OCT 16:00); THE CRAFT d. Andrew Fleming, 1996 (12 OCT 15:45 / 30 OCT 17:45); A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT d. Ana Lily Amirpour, 2014 (13 OCT 18:10).

THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES IS MORE DEADLY THAN THE MALE at The Prince Charles 

FLUID REALITIES: THE CINEMA OF SALOMÉ LAMAS at ICA

  • Includes (check promoter for full listings): ENCOUNTERS_WITH_LANDSCAPE3x + LE BOUDIN + THEATRUM ORBIS TERRARUM d. Salomé Lamas, 2012, 2013 & 2014 (01 OCT 18:30); UBI SUNT + GOLDEN DAWN + IMPERIAL GIEL + A COMUNIDADE d. Salomé Lamas, 2017, 2011, 2012 & 2012 (02 OCT 14:40); HANGAR, METRO, TERMINAL + EXTINCTION d. Salomé Lamas, 2018 (03 OCT 14:40).

HORROCTOBER at The Prince Charles

JAPAN 2021 at BFI Southbank

JEAN-PAUL BELMONDO LE MAGNIFIQUE at Ciné Lumière

J-HORROR WEEKENDER at BFI Southbank

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): RING aka Ringu d. Hideo Nakata, 1998 (29 OCT 18:10); DARK WATER aka Honogurai mizu no soko kara d. Hideo Nakata, 2002 (29 OCT 20:30); CURE aka Kyua d. Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 1997 (30 OCT 18:00); PULSEaka Kairo d. Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2001 (30 OCT 20:40); AUDITION 35mm aka Ôdishon d. Takashi Miike, 1999 (31 OCT 15:20); ICHI THE KILLER aka Koroshiya 1 d. Takashi Miike, 2001 (31 OCT 18:00).
  • Part of: JAPAN 2021.

LOST VAMPIRES at The Prince Charles

MIKE LEIGH at BFI Southbank

  • Includes (check venue for listings): BLEAK MOMENTS d. Mike Leigh, 1971 (18 OCT 20:40 / 28 OCT 18:00); NUTS IN MAY d. Mike Leigh, 1976 (20 OCT 18:00); THE KISS OF DEATH d. Mike Leigh, 1977 (23 OCT 12:50); HARD LABOUR d. Mike Leigh, 1973 (23 OCT 15:10); HAPPY-GO-LUCKY 35mm d. Mike Leigh, 2008 + Q&A with the director, Alexis Zegerman and Kate O’Flynn (24 OCT 14:50); MEANTIME d. Mike Leigh, 1983 + Q&A with the director, Marion Bailey & Phil Daniels (24 OCT 18:00); SECRETS & LIES d. Mike Leigh, 1996 (25 OCT 14:30); LIFE IS SWEAT d. Mike Leigh, 1990 + Q&A with the director (26 OCT 17:50); ABIGAIL’S COMPANY d. Mike Leigh, 1977 (26 OCT 20:50); HIGH HOPES d. Mike Leigh, 1998 (28 OCT 14:30); Mike Leigh in Conversation (28 OCT 20:40); WHO’S WHO d. Mike Leigh, 1979 (30 OCT 14:00); GROWN-UPS d. Mike Leigh, 1980 + Q&A with the director (30 OCT 17:15); NUTS IN MAY d. Mike Leigh, 1976 + Q&A with the director, Alison Steadman, Roger Sloman, Anthony O’Donnell, Stephen Bill & Sheila Kelley (31 OCT 11:20).

MIKE LEIGH’S CHOICES at BFI Southbank

  • Includes (check venue for listings): TOKYO STORY 4k aka Tôkyô monogatari d. Yasujirô Ozu, 1953 (18 OCT 20:20 / 21 OCT 14:30); JULES ET JIM d. François Truffaut, 1962 (19 OCT 20:50); THE TREE OF WOODEN CLOGS aka L’Albero degli zoccoli d. Ermanno Olmi, 1978 (20 OCT 14:00 / 29 OCT 13:30); I AM CUBA aka Soy Cuba d. Mikhail Kalatozov, 1964 (20 OCT 14:30); RADIO DAYS 35mm d. Woody Allen, 1987 (23 OCT 13:20); H3 d. Les Blair, 2001 (24 OCT 20:50); H3 d. Les Blair, 2001 + Q&A with the director (25 OCT 18:00); A BLONDE IN LOVE (Loves of a Blonde) aka Lásky jedné plavovlásky d. Miloš Forman, 1965 (25 OCT 20:40).

MOVIE MARATHONS at The Prince Charles

NFTS AT 50 at BFI Southbank

  • Includes (check venue for listings): OF TIME & THE CITY d. Terence Davies, 2008 + Q&A with the director (02 OCT 14:15); ROCKS d. Sarah Gavron, 2019 + Q&A with the director (02 OCT 17:30).

ONE WORLD UNSPOKEN at Ciné Lumière & Genesis Cinema

  • Includes (check venue for listings): THE RED TURTLE d. Michaël Dudok de Wit, 2016 + Recorded Q&A with director at Ciné Lumière (17 OCT 13:30); AQUARELA d. Victor Kossakovsky, 2018 at Genesis Cinema (20 OCT 18:30); KOYAANISQATSI d. Godfrey Reggio, 1983 at Genesis Cinema (21 OCT 21:00); LATCHO DROM d. Tony Gatlif, 1992 + Intro by Garth Cartwright at Ciné Lumière (26 OCT 18:00).
  • Curated by Yvonne Wootton. Presented in partnership with the National Film & Television School.

SMALL AXE at BFI Southbank

  • Includes (check venue for listings): MANGROVE d. Steve McQueen, 2020 + Q&A with the director & consultant Paul Gilroy (22 OCT 17:30); LOVERS ROCK d. Steve McQueen, 2020 + Q&A with the director & actor Dennis Bovell (22 OCT 20:50); The Making of Small Axe with Steve McQueen, Tracey Scoffield, David Tanner and guests (23 OCT 16:00); RED, WHITE AND BLUE d. Steve McQueen, 2020 (23 OCT 18:30); ALEX WHEATLE d. Steve McQueen, 2020 (23 OCT 20:45); EDUCATION d. Steve McQueen, 2020 (24 OCT 18:10).

STEPHEN KING at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): THE SHINING [UK Version] 35mm d. Stanley Kubrick, 1980 (01 OCT 14:45 / 03 OCT 20:30 / 13 OCT 15:10 / 19 OCT 20:30 / 23 OCT 20:30 / 31 OCT 20:30); SALEM’S LOT 35mm d. Tobe Hooper, 1979 (06 OCT 18:10); CARRIE d. Brian De Palma, 1976 (08 OCT 20:30 / 28 OCT 16:00); MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE d. Stephen King, 1986 (12 NOV 21:00); MISERY d. Rob Reiner, 1990 (26 NOV 21:00).

TEEN MOVIES at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): MEAN GIRLS d. Mark Waters, 2003 (03 OCT 18:15).

THE TIME IS NEW: SELECTIONS FROM CONTEMPORARY ARAB CINEMA at BFI Southbank

TWISTED FOLK: THE BEST FOLK HORROR FILMS FROM THE LAST DECADE at Catford Mews

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): MIDSOMMAR d. Ari Aster, 2019 (02 OCT 20:30 / 04 OCT 20:30 / 06 OCT 20:30); KILL LIST d. Ben Wheatley, 2011 (09 OCT 20:30 / 11 OCT 20:30 / 13 OCT 20:30); THE OTHER LAMB d. Małgorzata Szumowska, 2019 (16 OCT 20:30 / 18 OCT 20:30 / 20 OCT 20:30); NOVEMBER d. Rainer Sarnet, 2017 (23 OCT 20:30 / 25 OCT 20:30 / 27 OCT 20:30); THE VVITCH d. Robert Eggers, 2015 (06 NOV 20:30 / 08 NOV 20:30 / 10 NOV 20:30).

WEREWOLF FILMS at The Prince Charles

WONG KAR WAI at BFI Southbank

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): CHUNGKING EXPRESS 4K aka Chung Hing sam lam d. Wong Kar Wai, 1994 (01 OCT 14:15 / 02 OCT 15:15 / 04 OCT 20:40); IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE 4K aka Fa yeung nin wah d. Wong Kar Wai, 2000 (01 OCT 18:15 / 02 OCT 18:10 / 03 OCT 12:20 / 05 OCT 14:40); 2046 4K d. Wong Kar Wai, 2004 (01 OCT 20:30 / 03 OCT 14:50); DAYS OF BEING WILD 4k aka Ah Fei jing juen d. Wong Kar Wai, 1990 (02 OCT 12:30 / 05 OCT 18:20); HAPPY TOGETHER 4k aka Chun gwong cha sit d. Wong Kar Wai, 1997 (02 OCT 20:40 / 04 OCT 14:45); FALLEN ANGELS 4k aka Do lok tin si d. Wong Kar Wai, 1995 (04 OCT 18:30 / 05 OCT 20:45).

RADIANT CIRCUS is powered by monthly subscribers. Get great rewards & help #ReviveTheDark. JOIN US!

*THE SMALL PRINT: Opinions author’s own. // As accurate as we could make it. Apologies for any errors. Updates & corrections will be made to the online version only. // Event dates/times/formats are subject to change by the venue/organiser. Events may already be sold out at the time of posting, so please click quickly. // We try to list as many original format screenings as we can (8 to 70MM), but sometimes formats change due to age of the print, availability, logistics etc, so please check ahead with your venue if the format is your thing. // All images are used in the spirit of fair use for reporting & review – no ownership is implied or intended / unless otherwise credited to RADIANT CIRCUS as the original rights holder. We will remove any images immediately upon request – just get in touch. // We don’t filter our listings by age/certification: all readers & subscribers should therefore be 18+. // Finally, we always try to follow The Carny Code by “not screwing up anyone else’s game”, but everyone can make mistakes… If something does go wrong, we will always do our best to put it right. //.