‘Priscilla‘ Image courtesy of MUBI.

First up is festival favourite Priscilla, on our screens from Tue 2 Jan. The biographical drama from Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation, The Virgin Suicides) is based on Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir Elvis and Me, and offers an in depth look at The King through the lens of their relationship. Jacob Elordi (Euphoria, Saltburn) takes the reins from Austin Butler as Elvis, with Cailee Spaeny (Mare of Easttown, Bad Times at the El Royale) picking up Venice’s Volpi Cup and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress for her performance in the titular role. Check out Variety’s review, and watch the trailer!

 

‘Poor Things‘ Image courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.

Following Priscilla we welcome the highly anticipated Poor Things, screening from Fri 12 Jan. Taking home the top prize at the 2023 Venice Film Festival and nominated for seven Golden Globes, Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite, The Lobster) masterfully directs this genre-bending black comedy adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel Poor Things: Episodes from the Early Life of Archibald McCandless M.D., Scottish Public Health. Catch a special members’ preview of Poor Things on Thu 11 Jan.

Emma Stone (La La Land, Cruella) stars as Bella Baxter, a young Victorian woman who, after being crudely resurrected by a scientist following her suicide, runs off with a debauched lawyer – embarking on an odyssey of self-discovery and sexual liberation. Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers, Spotlight), Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse, Spider-Man) and more round out an all-star supporting cast.

 Check out The Guardian’s five-star review , and watch the fantastical trailer.

 

‘The Holdovers‘ Image courtesy of Universal Pictures.

Going from strength to strength, from Fri 19 Jan it’s time for The Holdovers, the wholesome comedy-drama from Alexander Payne (Election, Downsizing). Paul Giamatti (Sideways, Man on the Moon) stars as a bad-mannered history teacher forced to chaperone a handful of students with nowhere to go over the Christmas break. Also staying behind are mourning cafeteria administrator Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph – Dolomite is my Name, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish) and the angsty teenager Angus Tully, portrayed by first-timer Dominic Sessa. Sessa was discovered by the film’s casting director, who offered Deerfield Academy students a chance to audition as the film was using the academy as a shooting location – and impressed so much that he was offered the part!

Read Empire’s glowing review – and don’t miss the trailer.

 

 

Feature films aside, we are thrilled to host London Short Film Festival once again, now in its 21st year, with a constellation of new films, new curators, and new talent to ring in 2024 with the best in short-form cinema. Promising radical, multifaceted filmmaking from across the world, beat the cold, see something exciting and find community at LSFF 2024.

 

‘All of us Strangers‘ Image courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.

 

From Fri 26 Jan we welcome seven-time BIFA winner (including Best British Independent Film) All of Us Strangers, from director Andrew Haigh (Weekend, 45 Years). Andrew Scott (Fleabag, Sherlock) gives a career-best performance as Adam, living alone in a London tower block and haunted by a mysterious past; his view of the city is muddied and almost indistinct, providing one of the most compelling accounts of urban loneliness on film. Paul Mescal (Normal People, Aftersun) supports in a compelling, beautifully shot queer story that’s received critical acclaim across the board. Have a read of The Guardian’s five-star review, and check out the gorgeous trailer.

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