The 66th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express has announced the contenders for the Best Film Award; this year’s Official Competition selection is presented in association with Sight and Sound.
The 2022 nominated films showcase a remarkable range of filmmaking talent from across the world with 13 countries represented across the selection. From a thrilling and uncompromising Argentinian political drama to a chilling British folk horror tale; and a breathtaking story of brotherly love to the poignancy of family displacement during the Syrian conflict in Damascus, the films selected for Official Competition celebrate passionate and inspired global filmmaking.
Established in 2009 and first won by Jacques Audiard for A Prophet, recent winners of the Best Film Award include Sudabeh Mortezai’s Joy, Alejandro Landes’ Monos and, in 2021, Panah Panahi’s Hit the Road.
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The 8 films in the Official Competition are:
ARGENTINA, 1985 (Argentina, dir-scr. Santiago Mitre)
BROTHER (Canada, dir-scr. Clement Virgo)
CORSAGE (Austria-Luxembourg-Germany-France, dir-scr. Marie Kreutzer)
LES DAMNES NE PLEURENT PAS (France-Belgium-Morocco, dir-scr. Fyzal Boulifa)
ENYS MEN (UK, dir-scr. Mark Jenkin)
GODLAND (Denmark-Iceland-France-Sweden, dir-scr. Hlynur Palmason)
NEZOUH (UK-Syria-France, dir-scr. Soudade Kaadan)
SAINT OMER (FRANCE, dir. Alice Diop)
BFI Southbank will be home to the Official Competition titles this year, as the 66th BFI London Film Festival celebrates the power of film in the heart of London.
The Official Competition Jury will choose the winner, the members of which will be announced in the coming weeks. The other competitive categories, the Grierson Award for Best Documentary, the Sutherland Award for Best First Feature, the Short Film Award and the Best Immersive Art and XR Award will be revealed at the full programme launch on 1st September. The ever-popular Audience Award will also return for 2022 – won last year by Mounia Akl’s ambitious debut feature Costa, Brava, Lebanon – while a new category the
Audience Award, Best Short Film, has also been introduced.
The winner of the Best Film Award will be announced at a special virtual LFF Awards Ceremony event on Sunday 16 October on BFI YouTube and social media.
The 66th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express takes place from Wednesday 5th October – Sunday 16th October 2022. The BFI LFF Programme Launch will take place on Thursday 1st September 2022.
