In one of the most surreal nights we’ve ever witnessed, Monday 8th August was also be one of the saddest. Looting in London and other parts of the UK escalated to uncontrollable levels as the trigger behind the riots (the death of Mark Duggan) became merely a footnote. Read the full story

Pedro Almodovar is undoubtedly Spain’s best-known and most important contemporary filmmaker, and has been described as “the cultural symbol par excellence of the restoration of democracy in Spain” (Steven Marsh, Senses of Cinema). It is no surprise then that the recent BFI season Good Morning Freedom! Spanish Cinema After Franco, which looked at the adventurous, alternative and eclectic movement that sprang up within Spanish culture after the demise of the country’s dictator in 1975, should include half a dozen of his films amongst the 13 titles in the selection. Of these Dark Habits (Entre Las Tineblas, 1983) is his third. Read the full story

With the world’s best new films soon to be arriving at the festival in October, and always a good bet for catching some South American titles (with the likes of Gigante, Sightseeing, Plan B and The Wind Journeys in 2009), the BFI London Film Festival is offering you chance to be there when it all begins…

Read the full story