We already knew that Captain Phillips** will open the BFI London Film Festival 2013, and that Saving Mr. Banks** will close it. But what's the filling in this Tom Hanks sandwich? Well, the full line-up has just been announced, and it looks awfully exciting.
Many of the films currently making waves at Venice and (soon) Toronto are on the list, including Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity, Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave, the Coen brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis, Stephen Frears' Philomena, Jason Reitman's Labor Day and Ralph Fiennes' The Invisible Woman.
Other galas include talked-about Palme d'Or winner Blue Is The Warmest Colour, Alexander Payne's Nebraska and Jim Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive (with current **Empire **cover star Tom Hiddleston as a vampire). **Empire will be hosting the gala for Joseph Gordon-Levitt's **directorial debut Don Jon, which is very exciting for us; Gordon-Levitt's expected to attend the Festival.
He's joined by a host of stars from Tom Hanks to Sandra Bullock, Emma Thompson, Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Ralph Fiennes and many more.
The 2013 BFI London Film Festival kicks off on October 9 and runs to October 20. Tickets will go on sale to the public on September 20 at www.bfi.org.uk/lff (the site also has the full Festival programme with all 234 films screening this year) so mark it in your diary now and start planning your October!