Film4 Takes Centre Stage at the London Film Festival.

Film4 is in celebratory mood today after the announcement that two of its films have secured both the prestigious Opening and Closing night Gala slots at this year’s 54th BFI London Film Festival.

Never Let Me Go, directed by Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo) and based on the acclaimed best selling novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, will have its European premiere as the Festival’s Opening Night Gala on Wednesday 13th October.

Meanwhile, Danny’s Boyles 127 Hours will have its European premiere as the Festival’s Closing Night Gala on Thursday 28th October, it was announced today.

Tessa Ross, Channel 4’s Controller of Film and Drama, said, “I cannot think of a more perfect way to premiere these two extraordinary films in the UK. The BFI, London Film Festival is a hugely prestigious event in the film industry calendar and I warmly congratulate the filmmakers and all our partners in both films on securing this great honour.”

Never Let Me Go stars Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Charlotte Rampling, Sally Hawkins, Andrea Riseborough and Domhnall Gleeson. The screenplay has been adapted by Alex Garland (28 days Later, Sunshine), and the film was directed by Mark Romanek and produced by Andrew McDonald at DNA Films. Shot on location in the UK, it is a poignant love story that follows three children who spend their childhood at a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. As they grow into young adults, they have to come to terms with the strength of the love they feel for each other, while preparing themselves for the haunting reality that awaits them. The film was co-financed by Film4 and Fox Searchlight Pictures and will be released nationwide in the UK on 14th January 2011.

127 Hours is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston’s remarkable adventure to save himself after a falling boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. Over the next five days Ralston examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, abseil a 65 foot rock face and hike over eight miles before he is finally rescued. A visceral thrilling story that will take an audience on a never before experienced journey and prove what we can do when we choose life.

127 Hours reunites the same team who made Slumdog Millionaire. It is directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, produced by Christian Colson, and co-financed and distributed in the UK by Pathe and in the US and ROW by Fox Searchlight, all of whom previously teamed up with Film4 to make Slumdog Millionaire. 127 Hours will be released in the UK shortly after its LFF premiere.

Press Contact: Taylor Herring PR