London Film Festival Unveils Competition Lineup With 50 Percent Female Directors

'Room' director Lenny Abrahamson has also been named jury president.


The BFI London Film Festival has revealed the lineup for its official competition, with 50 percent of the films coming from a female director or co-director.


While most of the titles have either had their first bow at other international festivals or will be having them in the coming weeks, the latest feature from Ben Wheatley, Happy New Year, Colin Burstead, is set to get its world premiere in London. Other films include the Robert Redford-starring The Old Man & The Gun, crime thriller Destroyer, starring Nicole Kidman, and Laszlo Nemes' follow up to his Oscar-winning Son of Saul.


The 62nd edition of the event has also announced that Oscar-nominated Room director Lenny Abrahamson will be jury president.


The 10 films in the official competition are:
Birds of Passage, Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra
Destroyer, Karyn Kusama
Happy as Lazzaro, Alice Rohrwacher
Happy New Year, Colin Burstead, Ben Wheatley
In Fabric, Peter Strickland
Joy, Sudabeh Mortezai
The Old Man & the Gun, David Lowery
Shadow, Zhang Yimou
Sunset, Laszlo Nemes
Too Late to Die Young, Dominga Sotomayer


As previously announced, the London Film Festival will open on Oct. 10 with Steve McQueen's crime thriller Widows and close with the world premiere of the Steve Coogan-starring Stan & Ollie. Peter Jackson's WWI documentary will also be having its first-ever public screening at the festival.