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The 68th BFI London Film Festival (9-20 October) in partnership with American Express is thrilled to announce that this year’s Closing Night Gala will feature the UK Premiere of Piece by Piece, with director Morgan Neville and Pharrell Williams both set to attend. Piece by Piece offers a unique cinematic experience, inviting audiences on a vibrant journey through the life of cultural icon Pharrell Williams, all depicted through the innovative medium of LEGO® animation.
Directed by Academy Award® winning documentarian Morgan Neville, Piece by Piece stands out as an inventive animated biopic. The film explores the life and work of Williams, with LEGO® animation serving as a metaphor for his groundbreaking and deeply creative vision of the world. This unique storytelling method was suggested by Williams himself during early conversations with Neville.
The film features a star-studded cast rendered in LEGO®, including Jay-Z, Missy Elliot, Gwen Stefani, Busta Rhymes, and Snoop Dogg. Piece by Piece charts the cultural phenomenon that is Williams, from his humble beginnings in Virginia Beach and early career as a producer in The Neptunes and performer in N.E.R.D., to his current status as one of the most prolific and successful artists in the industry.
Director Neville expressed his excitement: “The BFI London Film Festival has been supportive of my career for a long time, with my first screening there being over twenty years ago. Bringing Piece by Piece to the LFF means the world to me, and getting to be the closing night gala is the cherry on top of this huge honour. I’m thrilled to celebrate this film with the London audience.”
Kristy Matheson, BFI London Film Festival Director, added: “Piece by Piece is a film of enormous joy and invention. In telling the story of Pharrell Williams, entirely in LEGO®, acclaimed documentarian Morgan Neville brings a sense of wonder to this story that matches the creativity and verve of his subject. This is a must for fans and will charm the uninitiated alike, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Piece by Piece to close this year’s BFI London Film Festival.”
Piece by Piece will close the BFI London Film Festival on Sunday, 20 October, at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, with simultaneous screenings at the Festival’s 9 UK-wide partner venues. The film will be released in UK cinemas on November 8th.
The 68th edition of the BFI London Film Festival will take place at multiple venues
The Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall returns as the gala venue, while BFI Southbank will host the competition programme, Screen Talks, and LFF for Free events.
BFI IMAX will feature LFF screenings, and the LFF Expanded exhibition of immersive storytelling will be held at Bargehouse and additional venues across London.
Five partner cinemas in London’s West End—Curzon Mayfair, Curzon Soho, Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), Prince Charles Cinema, and Vue West End—will also participate.
Festival venues across the UK include Broadway Cinema in Nottingham, Chapter in Cardiff, Glasgow Film Theatre, HOME in Manchester, MAC in Birmingham, Queen’s Film Theatre in Belfast, Showroom Cinema in Sheffield, Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle, and Watershed in Bristol. Press and industry screenings will take place at Picturehouse Central.
In addition to UK-wide screenings at Festival venues, audiences will be able to explore LFF programs past and present with a special collection of films on BFI Player. The 68th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express runs from Wednesday, 9 October to Sunday, 20 October, 2024. The full festival programme will be revealed on Wednesday, 4 September, 2024, with tickets on sale from Tuesday, 17 September (BFI Members book early and American Express® Cardmembers).
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