Two years ago, Steve McQueen opened the 2018 edition of the London Film Festival with his thriller Widows – and now, he’s back for more. The filmmaker and visual artist has a massive new project on the way, an anthology of five films under the banner Small Axe, and one of those films will kick off the BFI London Film Festival 2020.
McQueen’s Mangrove will be the film that marks the start of this year’s festival, which will include screenings in cities across the UK as well as virtual premieres. The film, which is set to open the festival on 7 October, tells the story of the ‘Mangrove 9’ – Black activists whose protest in Notting Hill in summer 1970 escalated into a clash with the police, leading to a trial that shone a light on racism in the Metropolitan Police force. The cast of the film includes Letitia Wright, Malachi Kirby and Shaun Parkes.
“I couldn’t be happier that Mangrove will open this year's BFI London Film Festival,” says McQueen. “Although the themes are universal, Mangrove is a London story. It may have happened fifty years ago, but it’s as relevant today as it was then.” Following its debut at the LFF, Mangrove and the rest of the Small Axe anthology of films will air on the BBC later this year, with an Amazon Prime Video release set for the US.
“This new series from Oscar-winning director and BFI Fellow Steve McQueen could not be more timely in the context of recent global protests around anti-Black racism and inequality, and McQueen has been a powerful voice in challenging the status quo and demanding inclusion within the British film industry,” says LFF Director Tricia Tuttle. “His Widows also opened the 62nd BFI London Film Festival in 2018 and we have never had the same filmmaker open the LFF twice in such a close time frame; that’s both a testament to the urgency of the film and potency of his filmmaking.”
The BFI London Film Festival 2020 will run from 7–18 October, with the full line-up due to be announced on 8 September. Stay tuned for more announcement and ticket details in the coming weeks.