THN have received the official news that CAPTAIN PHILLIPS will be opening the auspicious BFI London Film Festival 2013, or the 57th to be specific, will be opening the wonderful celebration of up and coming big-screen features on Wednesday 9th October at the Odeon Leicester Square.
This year’s LFF is in partnership with American Express and it’s also set to be the European Premiere of Sony Pictures’ CAPTAIN PHILLIPS by acclaimed director Paul Greengrass (UNITED 93, THE BOURNE SUPREMACY) and stars the tremendous talent of Tom Hanks, with both expected to attend the Festival. Yes, THN are just as excited of the prospect of meeting the great BIG man as well! You can watch the trailer by clicking along here.
Clare Stewart, BFI Head of Exhibition and Festival Director had this to say:
“We are thrilled to be opening the BFI London Film Festival by welcoming Paul Greengrass – one of the great supporters of the BFI and British film – back to London for the European premiere of CAPTAIN PHILLIPS. Our Festival audiences will be captivated by Greengrass’s virtuoso filmmaking; CAPTAIN PHILLIPS is an intense, high-stakes drama, focusing on two men forced onto a collision course by global political forces much larger than themselves. Featuring spellbinding performances by Tom Hanks and four Somali-American actors (Barkhad Abdi, Faysal Ahmed, Barkhad Abdirahman and Mahat M. Ali), we are excited to be presenting this film as our Opening Night Gala.”
Here’s an official synopsis:
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS is director Paul Greengrass’s multi-layered examination of the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates. It is – through Greengrass’s distinctive lens – simultaneously a pulse-pounding thriller and a complex portrait of the myriad effects of globalization. The film focuses on the relationship between the Alabama’s commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks), and his Somali counterpart, Muse (Barkhad Abdi).
The 57th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express runs from Wednesday 9th October-Sunday 20th October. The full programme for the Festival will be announced on Wednesday 4th September and we’ll be there once again to bring you all the best coverage!
