London Film Festival announce opening gala

The Times BFI London Film Festival hits the big five-o this year and the powers-that-be have announced that their gala opening night will feature the European premiere of The Last King Of Scotland.

Helmed by Oscar nabbing documentary director Kevin Macdonald (One Day In September), the flick is based on the novel by Giles Foden and follows the murky tale of entanglement between a Scottish medic (James McAvoy) and a Ugandan dictator (Forest Whitaker).

“The Last King Of Scotland is a perfect Opening Night film for us,” said festival artistic director Sandra Hebron. “It’s a compellingly original British feature from an imaginative and talented young director. Kevin Macdonald and his cast and crew must be congratulated for balancing historical fact with psychological insight in such a lively, accessible and thought-provoking way.”

Macdonald is pretty darn chuffed that his first fictional feature will be used as the curtain-raiser for the prestigious flick fest. “It would be an honour to be chosen any year to open The Times BFI London Film Festival - but it’s particularly great to be kicking off the 50th edition. I'm so pleased to be having the European premiere of the film in my home city and at a Festival where I myself have discovered so many wonderful movies over the years.”

The full programme for The Times BFI 50th London Film Festival will be revealed on 14 September. This year's festival runs from Wednesday 18 October to Thursday 2 November.

For more information on the BFI, click here .