Among the stellar lineup poised to enchant audiences with their insights at this year's BFI London Film Festival's Screen Talks program are Daniel Day-Lewis, Richard Linklater, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Tessa Thompson. Joining them are acclaimed filmmakers Jafar Panahi, Lynne Ramsay, and Chloé Zhao, all set to grace the sessions at the festival, which kicks off on October 8 with Rian Johnson's gripping mystery, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
Daniel Day-Lewis, an unparalleled triple Oscar-winner for Best Actor, is renowned for his iconic roles that have etched themselves into cinematic history. His portfolio spans an array of diverse films, from the groundbreaking My Beautiful Laundrette and The Unbearable Lightness of Being, to the Oscar-winning My Left Foot, The Age of Innocence, There Will Be Blood, Lincoln, and Phantom Thread. Now, moviegoers eagerly await his return to the silver screen in Anemone, a film that marks the directorial debut of his son, Ronan.
Yorgos Lanthimos has cemented his status as one of the most esteemed directors of the 21st century, with frequent collaborations featuring Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone, who shone in the recently premiered Venice feature, Bugonia. His storied career boasts films like Poor Things, The Favourite, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and Dogtooth, each leaving an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape.
Richard Linklater will charm festival-goers with a retrospective of his illustrious filmography, ranging from the nostalgia-tinged Dazed and Confused and Me and Orson Welles, to the exuberant Everybody Wants Some, and the humorous School of Rock, Bad News Bears, and Hit Man. His latest cinematic offering, Nouvelle Vague, premiered at Cannes and delves into the making of Jean-Luc Godard's seminal Breathless, a film that heralded the experimental wave of French cinema.
Jafar Panahi, whose work has courageously critiqued Iranian society and faced real-world repercussions, will enchant audiences with a discussion on his timeless classics such as The White Balloon, The Circle, and Offside, alongside more recent endeavors like Taxi, No Bears, and Closed Curtain.
Since her feature debut in 1999 with Ratcatcher, Lynne Ramsay has captivated viewers with Morvern Caller, We Need to Talk About Kevin, and You Were Never Really Here. Her latest film, Die, My Love, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival to great acclaim.
Tessa Thompson, beloved for her portrayal in the MCU, particularly in Thor: Ragnarok, will also be in attendance. Her impressive resume includes roles in Veronica Mars, Westworld, and Sorry to Bother You, and she received a BAFTA nomination for her standout performance in Passing. She will regale festival-goers with tales from her versatile career during the LFF event in October.
Chloé Zhao, an Oscar-winner for her directorial masterpiece Nomadland starring Frances McDormand, will share her journey so far, including her work on Marvel's Eternals. She recently premiered Hamnet, featuring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley at TIFF, which was hailed by The Hollywood Reporter as "a tremendously acted heartbreaker."
The BFI London Film Festival 2025 will draw to a close with the Emma Corrin and Charli XCX-starring 100 Nights of Hero, promising a fitting and memorable finale to an event filled with cinematic excellence.
