Steve McQueen’s Blitz, starring Saoirse Ronan, has been announced as the opening night gala at this year’s BFI London Film Festival.
We’re still months away from the next edition of the BFI London Film Festival, but the organisers have just teased us with its first programme announcement.
Steve McQueen’s highly anticipated Blitz is set to open the festival on 9th October. The gala screening, which will take place at the Royal Festival Hall, will also act as the film’s world premiere. Blitz is the third film by McQueen to open the festival, following Widows in 2018 and Mangrove in 2020.
Thankfully, you don’t need to trek down to London to be part of the festivities. BFI London Film Festival are doing simultaneous screenings of Blitz in cinemas around the UK at the same time as its world premiere is getting underway in London.
Here’s the synopsis: BLITZ follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to Rita and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, ensues on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.
The film’s large cast includes ā deep breath now ā Saoirse Ronan, Elliott Heffernan, Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller, Stephen Graham, Leigh Gill, Mica Ricketts, CJ Beckford, Alex Jennings, Joshua McGuire, Hayley Squires, Erin Kellyman, and Sally Messham.
McQueen said: “BLITZ is a movie about Londoners. It honours the spirit of what and how Londoners endured during the blitz, but also explores the true representation of people in London, while at its core is the story of a working-class family desperate to be reunited during times of war. I could not be more thrilled that the BFI London Film Festival have invited us to open this year’s festival, and to celebrate the World Premiere of ‘Blitz’ in my hometown.”
Festival director Kristy Matheson said: “BLITZ is a film of incredible scale. Steve McQueen infuses the film with nuance at every turn; the depth of character and texture of the city are all peerless and make this subject feel completely new. Itās an astounding production that will leave audiences in awe of the director, his cast, and creative collaborators. We are honoured to share this film with audiences in London and across the UK and can think of no better way to open the 2024 BFI London Film Festival.”
After its glitzy London premiere, Blitz will be in selected cinemas from 1st November before streaming on AppleTV+ from 22nd November.