Home / Arts and Entertainment / Rian Johnson's Knives Out Trilogy Kicks Off 69th London Film Festival
Rian Johnson's Knives Out Trilogy Kicks Off 69th London Film Festival
8 Oct
Summary
- Rian Johnson's third Knives Out film, Wake Up Dead Man, opens the 69th BFI London Film Festival
- Festival lineup features diverse filmmakers and styles, including debut and lesser-known titles
- BFI Festivals Director Kristy Matheson aims to showcase filmmakers "moving the art form in a different or new direction"
The 69th BFI London Film Festival is set to begin tonight, with Rian Johnson's third installment in the Knives Out franchise, Wake Up Dead Man, opening the event at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall. Johnson is a familiar face at the festival, having previously screened his two earlier Knives Out films as galas.
However, the wider lineup for this year's LFF, curated by BFI Festivals Director Kristy Matheson, is anything but predictable. Matheson and her programming team have embraced a diverse array of filmmakers and filmmaking styles, with the headline gala screenings featuring both high-profile titles like Yorgos Lanthimos's Bugonia and Chloé Zhao's Hamnet, as well as the debut feature Pillion from the relatively unknown British filmmaker Harry Lighton.
Matheson's approach to programming the festival is centered on showcasing filmmakers who are "moving the art form in a different or new direction." This ethos is evident in the Special Presentations section, which includes Afterlives, the latest project by writer and filmmaker Kevin B. Lee, alongside the Tilda Swinton-starring Broken English.
Other notable titles in the 2025 LFF lineup include the world premiere of Moss & Freud, a dramatized account of supermodel Kate Moss sitting for famed British artist Lucian Freud, and the documentary BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions by Kahlil Joseph.
