The BFI London Film Festival announced today that it is hosting the European premiere of Sam Mendes’ Empire of Light. Written, directed, and produced by Mendes, Empire of Light is one of the biggest promises of this festival season.
Set in the early 1980s, Empire of Light promises to explore the magic of cinema while telling a beautiful love story. Unfortunately, details about the movie are still being kept under wraps. Still, for Empire of Light, Mendes was able to gather an all-star cast including Olivia Colman (The Favourite), Micheal Ward (Blue Story), Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), Tom Brooke, Hannah Onslow, Toby Jones, Crystal Clarke, and Tanya Moodie. On top of that, Empire of Light is also Mendes’ first feature since 1917, a 2019 war drama that got an impressive ten nominations at that year’s Academy Awards ceremony and took home the prizes for Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects. So, we all have plenty of reasons to be excited about watching the film.
The European premiere of Empire of Light will take place at the American Express Gala on Wednesday, October 12, at the Southbank Centre in the Royal Festival Hall. Besides having the opportunity to watch Mendes’ film months before its official release, BFI London Film Festival attendees will also have the chance to see the cast and crew of Empire of Light up close. That’s because the premiere counts with the presence of director Mendes, producer Pippa Harris, and key cast members including Colman, Ward, Firth, Jones, Moodie, Brooke, and Clarke.
Commenting on the Empire of Light European premiere at the 66th BFI London Film Festival, Mendes said:
“I’m absolutely delighted to be included in this year’s BFI London Film Festival as the AMEX Gala screening. ‘Empire of Light’ is a very personal movie for me, and I can’t wait to show it in my home town”.
Tricia Tuttle, BFI London Film Festival Director, also added:
“When I read that Sam Mendes’ next project was centred around a cinema, I was so excited about the possibility of being able to present it in the BFI London Film Festival. Mendes is a masterful storyteller and here vividly captures a sense of the South coast of England, in the 1980s. ‘Empire of Light’ explores the importance of community, the power of storytelling and of the movies, specifically the thrill of watching a film in a dark cinema, and the tactile pleasures of celluloid. And these are themes so close to our hearts at the BFI. The entire ensemble cast is truly exceptional, with Olivia Colman and Micheal Ward offering stunning central performances. We are so looking forward to presenting the European Premiere of ‘Empire of Light’ as the American Express Gala at the 66th BFI London Film Festival”.
The 66th BFI London Film Festival takes place from Wednesday, October 5, to Sunday, October 16. Empire of Light comes to theaters on December 9. While we wait for our opportunity to watch the movie ourselves, check out Collider’s interview with Mendes about 1917 and his unique filmmaking mastery: