Capital performance: The London Film Festival

The London Film Festival just gets better. In a year when Cannes and Venice disappointed, the BFI is offering us Bond, Bush, the best of British, and a choice selection of documentary and world cinema. The London Film Festival, which runs from 15 to 30 October, is framed by celebration and commiseration this year. The 2008 event marks the 75th anniversary of the BFI, which organises the festival, but it's also the year in which its greatest champion, Anthony Minghella, passed away. The international line-up of films is a fitting memorial to Minghella's enthusiasm, especially in a season when the world's other major film festivals are said to have been disappointments. One of the London event's great strengths is its non-competitive nature, which allows the organisers to select movies that might otherwise not qualify for... [read full story]