Rentals

Discoveries

Your place for a chance meeting with new talent and the persistently brilliant.

It is casual encounter, rather than formula, which leads you to find a good film. The London Film Festival is a place for serendipity, where a last-minute ticket can spark a lifelong devotion. This international selection, many with accompanying interviews, shows some of the best discoveries of recent years.

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Rent for £3.50

CustodyCustody

Drama201694 minsDirector: Xavier Legrand

Myriam (Drucker) has recently left husband Antoine (Ménochet). She doesn’t want her youngest, Julien (Gioria), to see a father she claims is violent. But the judge rules otherwise, and the boy becomes a pawn in a bitter parental conflict…

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NancyNancy

Drama201886 minsDirector: Christina Choe

Andrea Riseborough is extraordinary in this disquieting drama about a woman convinced that she was kidnapped as a child and might have found her real parents.

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A Woman's LifeA Woman's Life

Drama2016119 minsDirector: Stéphane Brizé

Judith Chemla shines in this Guy de Maupassant adaptation, a tale spanning 20 years of a woman’s life.

Rent for £3.50

JourneymanJourneyman

Drama201892 minsDirector: Paddy Considine

Paddy Considine directs and stars with Jodie Whittaker in this emotional knockout - the story of a boxer rebuilding his life after a near-fatal injury.

Rent for £3.50

Reinventing MarvinReinventing Marvin

Drama2017114 minsDirector: Anne Fontaine

A young gay man (Finnegan Oldfield ) flourishes under the tutelage of Isabelle Huppert's drama teacher, in this stirring drama from director Anne Fontaine (The Innocents).

Rent for £3.50

A Spell to Ward Off the DarknessA Spell to Ward Off the Darkness

Animation & Artists Moving Image201398 minsDirector: Ben Rivers and Ben Russell

Visual artists Ben Rivers and Ben Russell’s mesmerising film follows an unnamed character through three phases of alternative existence, from rural commune to a black metal rock concert.

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Bros: After the Screaming StopsBros: After the Screaming Stops

Documentary201897 minsDirector: David Soutar

Matt and Luke Goss take on the big screen – and each other – in this candid documentary charting the reunion of 80s pop sensations Bros; an affectionate portrait that generates more than a touch of Spinal Tap-esque hilarity.

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VS.VS.

Drama201899 minsDirector: Ed Lilly

A foster teen channels his rage into rap in Ed Lilly’s urgent freestyling drama.

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GirlGirl

Drama2018106 minsDirector: Lukas Dhont

Lukas Dhont's breathtaking debut feature encompasses the heartache, courage, and punishing training of a ballerina transitioning in her teenage years.

Rent for £3.50

Utøya – July 22 Utøya – July 22

Drama201897 minsDirector: Erik Poppe

Unfolding in real time in a single, devastating 72-minute take, Erik Poppe delivers a harrowing reconstruction of the massacre of 69 young people by Anders Behring Breivik.

Rent for £3.50

SauvageSauvage

Drama201899 minsDirector: Camille Vidal-Naquet

The daily misfortunes of a lonesome rent boy are laid bare in this tough but tender portrait of life on the fringes of society.

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Anchor and HopeAnchor and Hope

Comedy2018113 minsDirector: Carlos Marques-Marcet

Sweetly swaying houseboat comedy about a couple whose river-bound existence is upended by the arrival of an old friend.

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Sicilian Ghost StorySicilian Ghost Story

Drama2017119 minsDirector: Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza

A gripping real-life story of a Mafia kidnapping in Italy is enthrallingly re-imagined as supernatural fantasy by the directors of the acclaimed Salvo.

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Racer and the JailbirdRacer and the Jailbird

Thriller2017130 minsDirector: Michaël R. Roskam

Adèle Exarchopoulos (Blue is the Warmest Colour) and Matthias Schoenaerts (A Bigger Splash) are lovers entangled in a world of crime in this tough, twisty thriller-romance

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The Nile Hilton IncidentThe Nile Hilton Incident

Crime2017111 minsDirector: Tarik Saleh

A murder investigation is mired by bureaucratic corruption in this dark Egyptian thriller, where everyone is on the make.

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A Fantastic WomanA Fantastic Woman

Drama2017104 minsDirector: Sebastián Lelio

This invigorating and inspiring Chilean drama from Sebastián Lelio (Gloria) follows a trans woman’s quest for a little respect. Winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film 2018.

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Dark RiverDark River

Drama201889 minsDirector: Clio Barnard

Clio Barnard follows The Selfish Giant and The Arbor with this searing and eloquent Yorkshire-set drama exploring the fragility of familial relationships.

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My Journey through French CinemaMy Journey through French Cinema

Documentary2016193 minsDirector: Bertrand Tavernier

Director Bertrand Tavernier guides us on a fascinating voyage through French film history, from the 1930s through to the '70s.

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The EndlessThe Endless

Horror2017112 minsDirector: Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson

Two brothers who escaped a cult are drawn back in by a mysterious message… Acclaimed directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Spring) return with another hybrid piece of raging intensity.

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The CuredThe Cured

Horror201895 minsDirector: David Freyne

Elliot Page stars in this inventive and surprising post-zombie film from Ireland, in which the rehabilitated undead are transitioned back into society.

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Song of GraniteSong of Granite

Biopic201797 minsDirector: Pat Collins

A formally audacious account of the life and times of traditional Irish folk singer Joe Heaney, combining ‘fictional’ drama, documentary footage and musical sequence

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ZoologyZoology

Drama201687 minsDirector: Ivan I. Tverdovsky

Middle-aged Natasha grows a tail and falls in love in Ivan Tverdovsky’s absurd tale of contemporary Russia.

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My Life As a CourgetteMy Life As a Courgette

Animation & Artists Moving Image201667 minsDirector: Claude Barras

Both young and adult audiences will enjoy this funny and touching animated feature about an orphan named Courgette, written by Céline Sciamma (Girlhood).

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Stockholm My LoveStockholm My Love

Drama201684 minsDirector: Mark Cousins

Neneh Cherry, director Mark Cousins and cinematographer Christopher Doyle's exquisite love song to the Swedish city.

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UnaUna

Drama201794 minsDirector: Benedict Andrews

Rooney Mara and Ben Mendelsohn star in a brilliantly unsettling exploration of a dark and deeply destructive relationship.

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The OrnithologistThe Ornithologist

Drama2016118 minsDirector: João Pedro Rodrigues

A lone scientist in Portugal’s Douro region embarks on an unexpected transcendental journey. Beautiful, erotic and baffling.

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DancerDancer

Documentary201785 minsDirector: David Lachapelle and Steven Cantor

The rise, fall and rise again of the bad boy of ballet, Ukrainian prodigy Sergei Polunin is captured in this swirling doc with a rocking soundtrack.

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The Eagle HuntressThe Eagle Huntress

Documentary201688 mins

Daisy Ridley narrates this inspiring documentary about a girl who causes a stir in her tribe in Mongolia by embracing the traditionally male role of Eagle Hunter.

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SpaceshipSpaceship

Comedy201790 minsDirector: Alex Taylor

British teen cinema gets an injection of hallucinogenic imagination, plus a few unicorns and aliens, in Alex Taylor’s unclassifiable debut feature.

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On the RoadOn the Road

Drama-documentary2017121 minsDirector: Michael Winterbottom

Michael Winterbottom’s sexy and idiosyncratic tour film follows 2018 Mercury Prize winners Wolf Alice, merging thrilling live footage with a fictional backstage romance.

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ClashClash

Thriller201694 minsDirector: Mohamed Diab

Mohamed Diab’s Clash is an unforgettable portrait of Egypt on the brink as rival protesters find themselves locked up in a police van. Un Certain Regard official selection at Cannes 2016.

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TaekwondoTaekwondo

Drama2016108 minsDirector: Marco Berger and Martin Farina

A gorgeously photographed, teasingly libidinous exercise in latent homoeroticism set over a long hot summer in Buenos Aires.

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I Am Not a Serial KillerI Am Not a Serial Killer

Thriller2016103 minsDirector: Billy O'Brien

A teenage sociopath comes face to face with an evil force in this chilling and darkly humorous adaptation of Dan Wells’ acclaimed cult novel.

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Land of MineLand of Mine

War2015101 minsDirector: Martin Zandvliet

The brutal and morally complex story of young German POWs faced with the deadly task of landmine clearance in postwar Denmark.

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Embrace of the SerpentEmbrace of the Serpent

Action and Adventure2015124 minsDirector: Ciro Guerra

The spirit of Werner Herzog and Apocalypse Now imbue this majestic Oscar-nominated odyssey through the heart of the Amazon.

Rent for £3.50

Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own WordsIngrid Bergman: In Her Own Words

Documentary2015114 minsDirector: Stig Björkman

An illuminating portrait of the pioneering actress, crafted from her unique personal archive of home-movie footage, letters and diary extracts.

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The Possibilities Are EndlessThe Possibilities Are Endless

Documentary201483 minsDirector: Edward Lovelace and James Hall

A moving and haunting account of singer Edwyn Collins’s long and difficult recovery from a stroke.

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James WhiteJames White

Drama201687 minsDirector: Josh Mond

Reality bites for a hedonistic young New Yorker who suddenly has to grow up quickly, in a brilliantly acted drama from the team behind Martha Marcy May Marlene.

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Dior and IDior and I

Documentary201490 minsDirector: Frederic Tcheng

An astonishing behind-the-scenes documentary following the famed fashion house’s new artistic director as he prepares his first collection.

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Half of a Yellow SunHalf of a Yellow Sun

Drama2014111 minsDirector: Biyi Bandele-Thomas

Thandie Newton and Chiwetel Ejiofor star in the acclaimed adaption of the Orange Prize-winning novel.

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A Date For Mad MaryA Date For Mad Mary

201683 minsDirector: Darren Thornton

Dry, sarcastic, maddening Mary must find a date for her best friend’s wedding in this Irish feel-good hit for misfits everywhere.

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TowerTower

Documentary201682 minsDirector: Keith Maitland

An emotionally gripping and visually stunning account of the first American mass school shooting, in Texas in 1966, blending archive, animation and contemporary interviews.

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Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story)Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story)

Drama201594 minsDirector: Eva Husson

High-school students start a private orgy society in Eva Husson’s dazzlingly shot, no-holds-barred drama.

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The Hard StopThe Hard Stop

Documentary201686 minsDirector: George Amponsah

The story of Mark Duggan, who was shot and killed in Tottenham in 2011, is brought to the screen in this humane, thought-provoking and topical documentary.

Rent for £3.50

Elstree 1976Elstree 1976

Documentary2015101 minsDirector: Jon Spira

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, ten actors landed small roles in a mysterious project called Star Wars. This is the story of how their lives changed forever.

Rent for £3.50

Dreams of a LifeDreams of a Life

Documentary201191 minsDirector: Carol Morley

The power of kinship is explored in Carol Morley’s drama-documentary, drawn from real life and resonant with the way we live now.

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The Keeping RoomThe Keeping Room

Western201695 mins

On the American frontier a young woman is forced to go to any means to defend her kin from the ravages of the barbaric outside world.

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The Here AfterThe Here After

Drama2015102 minsDirector: Magnus von Horn

A teenager attempts to integrate back into society following a spell in prison, but the community is unwilling to forgive him.

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Into the Abyss A Tale of Death, a Tale of LifeInto the Abyss A Tale of Death, a Tale of Life

Documentary2011103 minsDirector: Werner Herzog

Werner Herzog’s documentary about an unrepentant young murderer on death row is a cool, compassionate study of the dark side of the human condition

Rent for £3.50

Hitchcock/TruffautHitchcock/Truffaut

Documentary201580 minsDirector: Kent Jones

Kent Jones’ excellent documentary about a historic encounter between two cinema greats.

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Aferim!Aferim!

Drama2015106 minsDirector: Radu Jude

A policeman searches for a runaway gypsy in Radu Jude’s hilarious and magnificently shot Wallachian western.

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The Sky Trembles and the Earth Is Afraid and the Two Eyes Are Not BrothersThe Sky Trembles and the Earth Is Afraid and the Two Eyes Are Not Brothers

Animation & Artists Moving Image201695 minsDirector: Ben Rivers

Britain’s brilliant experimental filmmaker Ben Rivers (Two Years at Sea) presents this haunting desert parable which follows a filmmaker’s abduction and ritual humiliation.

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Light YearsLight Years

Drama201689 minsDirector: Esther May Campbell

Beth Orton stars in a fragile and subtly nuanced drama that explores the toll of physical and mental illness on a fractured family.

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White Bird in a BlizzardWhite Bird in a Blizzard

Drama201491 minsDirector: Gregg Araki

Shailene Woodley and Eva Green star in Gregg Araki’s lyrical and impressionistic adaptation of Laura Kasischke’s novel.

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Something Must BreakSomething Must Break

Drama201485 minsDirector: Ester Martin Bergsmark

A striking 21st-century love story about the passionate relationship between a transgendered teen and a straight man.

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An Episode in the Life of Iron PickerAn Episode in the Life of Iron Picker

Drama201271 minsDirector: Danis Tanovic

Oscar-winning director Danis Tanovic recreates a politically explosive true story from Bosnia in innovative style, casting a real-life family to relive their desperate struggle to secure life-saving medical treatment.

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The CongressThe Congress

Drama2013123 minsDirector: Ari Folman

Ari Folman’s follow up to Waltz with Bashir is a hallucinatory fable about an actress whose digital image is controlled by a Hollywood studio.

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TheebTheeb

Drama2015100 minsDirector: Naji Abu Nowar

In 1916, a British soldier and two Bedouin boys embark on a treacherous journey across the desert, in this stunningly shot Arabian western.

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A Girl at My DoorA Girl at My Door

Drama2014119 minsDirector: July Jung

Lee Chang-dong (Poetry) produces this offbeat drama about a policewoman who becomes protector of an abused teen in a town riven by corruption and alcoholism.

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The Strange Colour of Your Body's TearsThe Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears

Horror2013102 minsDirector: Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani

Another giallo-inspired exercise in operatic violence from Belgian duo Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani, directors of the acclaimed Amer.

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Gente de bienGente de bien

Drama201486 minsDirector: Franco Lolli

A ten-year-old is packed off to live with his down-at-heel father in this touching, exquisitely observed Colombian drama.

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SpringSpring

Horror2015110 minsDirector: Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson

An American tourist in Italy falls for a stunning local woman with a dangerous secret, in this startling horror-romance.

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Monsters: Dark ContinentMonsters: Dark Continent

Science Fiction2015119 minsDirector: Tom Green

The pyrotechnic sequel to Gareth Edwards’ cult sci-fi follows US soldiers attempting to police alien-infested zones while also battling human insurgents.

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PiPi

Science Fiction199784 minsDirector: Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky’s magisterial monochrome mystery concerns a mathematician whose discovery of a powerful number leads to the dark side.

Rent for £1.00

AssessmentAssessment

Drama201012 minsDirector: Mark Gutteridge

Award-winning short film about the chance encounter between a ballerina and a local schoolboy.

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LourdesLourdes

Drama200995 minsDirector: Jessica Hausner

Jessica Hausner’s cool, compassionate exploration of religious faith follows various believers and non-believers hoping for miracle cures in Lourdes

Rent for £2.50

The World UnseenThe World Unseen

Drama200990 minsDirector: Shamim Sarif

Sweeping romantic drama about two Indian women who fall for each other in the hostile environment of apartheid South Africa.

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Mid-August LunchMid-August Lunch

Drama200872 minsDirector: Gianni Di Gregorio

Di Gregorio stars as a bibulous loafer trying to reduce his debts by looking after his friends’ elderly mothers during the holidays. Warm and witty

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ArmadilloArmadillo

Documentary2010101 minsDirector: Janus Metz

Balanced, insightful and compassionate documentary about troops and civilians in and around a Danish-British base in Helmand Province, Afghanistan

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Women Without MenWomen Without Men

Drama200996 minsDirector: Shirin Neshat

Artist Shirin Neshat’s version of a banned novel depicts the experiences of four Iranian women in 1953, when the Shah was reinstated after a coup d’état

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AltmanAltman

Documentary201496 minsDirector: Ron Mann

An illuminating documentary about American cinema’s maverick genius Robert Altman, featuring unseen home movies and extensive interviews.

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Self MadeSelf Made

Documentary201184 minsDirector: Gillian Wearing

Artist Gillian Wearing’s ‘documentary’ observes seven people creating (fantasy?) identities in collaboration with a drama teacher. Raw and revealing.

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Tony ManeroTony Manero

Drama200893 minsDirector: Pablo Larraín

Pablo Larrain's drama about a dancer obsessed by Travolta's character in Saturday Night Fever is a darkly witty take on life in Pinochet's Chile