Got the January blues? The London Comedy Film Festival is here to help.
The inaugural London Comedy Film Festival (LoCo) takes place at the BFI on Southbank over four fun-packed days, celebrating one of cinema's most underrated genres. There'll be film previews, old classics, masterclasses and special guests.
The festival kicks off in style, with a preview of the much-anticipated new Muppets movie, and French festival favourite, quirky romantic comedy, The Fairy. In addition, there's a double bill of Shaun of the Dead and Mike Leigh's Life is Sweet introduced by writer-director Edgar Wright in the LoCo Hero slot, followed by an onstage conversation with special guests.
The closing galas are a 50th anniversary showing of the rarely screened Brit classic Go To Blazes, and the world premiere of The Day Off, a legendary lost film of British cinema, written for Tony Hancock by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. Hancock turned the film down, and the film was filed, until now… You can see a unique reading of The Day Off with a full cast, followed by an onstage interview.
In between, the festival offers double bills; the LoCo Discovery screening, showing brand new talent; a filmmakers' brunch; a School of Slapstick for kids; post-screening parties; and a two-day course for young filmmakers wanting to kickstart their comedy career.
Go along, have a chuckle; comedy's good for the soul.
The London Comedy Film Festival is at the BFI Southbank, South Bank, Waterloo, London, SE1 from 26 to 29 January. Visit locofilmfestival.com to find out more.
