At The London Film Festival This Week

Screen Talk With Mark Romanek

Why You Should See it: Since the Opening Night Gala, sci-fi fable Never Let Me Go , sold out ages ago, here's the next best thing: a masterclass with the film's director.

When And Where You Can See It: Thurs 14th, 21:00, NFT 1 - online booking here

Better Than: Listening to some random loon at Speaker's Corner.

Let Me In

Why You Should See it: With Opening Night sold out, here's your earliest chance to catch a likely hit of the Festival.

Tabloid

Why You Should See it: Errol Morris is arguably the greatest documentary maker of his generation, winning an Oscar for Fog of War , his film about the origins of the Vietnam War, and even getting an innocent man released from death row thanks to crime expose The Thin Blue Line .

Everything Must Go

Why You Should See it: Having reclaimed his comedy crown at the box office with The Other Guys , here's a reminder that Will Ferrell is a decent dramatic actor, too.

Chongqing Blues

Why You Should See it: The LFF traditionally offers the UK premiere of the best in World Cinema, especially those that wowed the world's critics at Cannes.

Another Year

Why You Should See it: Already one of the hits of Cannes, Mike Leigh's latest is a dependably bittersweet dramedy revolving around the quiet lives of married couple Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen, and their defiantly not-quiet friend Lesley Manville.

Carlos

Why You Should See It: A handful of tickets are still available for this biopic of legendary 70s terrorist Carlos the Jackal. At five-and-a-half hours long, it's the best value you can find for your movie pound.

The Bridge Over The River Kwai

Why You Should See It: Chances are, given its seven Oscars, one of the most whistled theme tunes in movie history and the fact it's always on telly, you've probably seen this one already.

Leap Year

Why You Should See It: Winner of this year's Camera D'Or - the award for Best First Feature - at Cannes, this is a chance to see a possible future great at the beginning of his career.

The Peddler

Why You Should See It: Daniel Burmeister might well be the best director you've never heard of. Perhaps because his no-budget epics are short in sleepy Argentinian villages using amateur casts and crews from the neighbourhood.

Conviction

Why You Should See it: All three screenings this week are sold out, but if you're quick you might bag a seat for the final showing next Monday (18th).

Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields

Why You Should See It: The first of a suprising number of music documentaries playing during the festival, alongside films about Lemmy, Creation Records and even Mott The Hoope (Wikipedia 'em, kids).

Amigo

Why You Should See It: John Sayles is a maverick even amongst American independent directors, content to push beyond his comfort zone where others are content to stick to the same template.

Self Made

Why You Should See It: Pick of the New British Cinema strand this week for which tickets are still available, artist Gillian Wearing's debut blurs boundaries between fiction and documentary.

Pandora's Box

Why You Should See It: to remind yourself that James Cameron was not cinema's first visitor to Pandora.