The 67th BFI London Film Festival is set to open with the highly anticipated thriller, Saltburn, directed by Academy Award-winning British filmmaker Emerald Fennell.
With a star-studded cast including Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe, and Carey Mulligan, Saltburn will have its world premiere on 4th October at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall.
This year marks the first festival for Kristy Matheson as the BFI Festivals Director, who expressed her excitement about the film’s release.
Matheson said: “As soon as the credits rolled on Saltburn, it was clear we’d met our opening night film.
“Emerald Fennell returns with an expertly crafted and exhilarating thrill ride of a film that showcases an enormous depth of UK talents in front of and behind the camera.
“With its exceptional performances, delicious plot twists, and a soundtrack of early 21st-century pop bangers, this hugely ambitious film immediately stole our hearts and we can’t wait to share it with audiences in London and across the UK this October.”
Set in the mid-2000s, the gay thriller tells the story of Oliver Quick (Keoghan), a student struggling to find his place at Oxford University.
Oliver’s life takes an unexpected turn when he is introduced to Felix Catton (Elordi), a charming and aristocratic figure who invites him to Saltburn, the eccentric estate of the Catton family.
A summer filled with unforgettable experiences follows, as Oliver navigates a world of privilege and desire.
Keoghan received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor and won a BAFTA for his performance as Dominic Kearney in the comedy-drama The Banshees of Inisherin, while Elordi, best known for playing the villain Nate Jacobs in HBO’s hit Euphoria, is set to star as Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla later this year.
Fennell, the writer, director, and producer of Saltburn, previously won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for her film Promising Young Woman and was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director.
She expressed her honour at having Saltburn chosen as the opening film for the BFI London Film Festival.
Fennell said: “It is a festival that inspired me so much growing up, one that I followed excitedly from my bedroom on the other side of London.
“It feels extra-special that Saltburn, this very British tale of excess, is able to make its international debut at the wonderful BFI.”
Saltburn is a collaboration between Amazon Studios, MGM, MRC, and LuckyChap Entertainment.
The film will exclusively release in cinemas on 24th November.
The BFI Festival has scheduled its press launch for 31st August, where they will reveal the full details of this year’s program.
Featured image credit: Matt Brown via Flickr under CC BY 2.0 licence
