Preview: London Film Festival 15th - 30th October

The 52nd London Film Festival kicks off this year will showcase new work by film makers including Steven Soderbergh, Michael Winterbottom, Haile Gerima, Arnaud Desplechin, Takeshi Kitano and Shyam Benegal.

Event will also include "Screen Talks" sessions with Danny Boyle, Michael Sheen and Robert Carlyle, and celebrities in attendance will include Benicio Del Toro, Gwyneth Paltrow, Omar Sharif, Liam Neeson, Penelope Cruz, Nanni Moretti and Rachel Weisz.

5 Movies to Look Out For at LFF

1. Che (Part 1 & Part 2) - Fascinating biopic of revolutionary hero Che Guevara by Steven Sodebergh, tracing his rise from obscurity to military leader. Worth it to see the ever-excellent Benicio Del Toro in the lead role (Parts 1 & 2 on 25 Oct, Part 1 on 27 Oct, Part 2 on 29 Oct).

2. Hunger - Disturbing and compelling depiction of the 1981 IRA Hungerstrike, a debut movie by Turner-Winning artist Steve McQueen, uncovering an important piece of recent British history (19 & 20 Oct).

3. Quantum Of Solace Daniel Craig returns in his second outing as the legendary secret agent. The first public screening of the movie, which premieres 2 days later (29 Oct).

4. Slumdog Millionaire - Trainspotting and 28 Days Later director Danny Boyle's touching story of the hard life young man from the ghettos of Mumbai who aces his way through India's Who Wants to Be a millionnaire . The film won the Cadillac People's Choice Award earlier this month at the Toronto International Film Festival(30 Oct).

5. W. - Oliver Stone's take on George W Bush and his story as he rises from alcoholic bum to leader of free world, with crumpet from Thandie Newton as Condonleeza Rice (23 Oct & 24 Oct).

In additional to a total of 189 feature films including these, and lots of interviews, events, and debates, the National Film and Television School will also hold screenwriting classes with Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovitch, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind) prior to showing his new film Synecdoche, New York which will be premiered for UK audiences after being first shown earlier this year at Cannes. Writer Peter Morgan (The Queen, The Last King Of Scotland) will also discuss the fine art of screenwriting prior to the prior to premiere of the hotly anticipated Frost/Nixon.