"The 68th BFI London Film Festival (LFF) is concluding on Sunday night with the animated LEGO biopic of Pharrell Williams, titled Piece by Piece, directed by Morgan Neville (known for Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and 20 Feet From Stardom).
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| MEMOIR OF A SNAIL Arenamedia Pty Ltd |
This closing event follows the announcement of the festival's competition winners, led by Adam Elliot's claymation feature, Memoir of a Snail.
Set in 1970s Australia, Memoir of a Snail—which previously won at the Annecy Film Festival—features Succession star Sarah Snook as Grace Pudel, a shy girl born with a cleft palate, who grows up alongside her unpredictable and sometimes pyromaniac twin brother Gilbert, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee.
Grace eventually becomes a solitary hoarder of decorative snails, with her only companion being an eccentric elderly woman named Pinky (voiced by Jacki Weaver). The film also includes voice performances from Eric Bana, Dominique Pinon, and Nick Cave. IFC Films has set an October 25 release date in the U.S.
Memoir of a Snail was recognized as the best film in the 11-title official competition lineup at the LFF, with the jury describing it as “a remarkable accomplishment in filmmaking.” They praised its emotional depth and its bold approach to issues like bullying, loneliness, and grief, highlighting animation's unique ability to address such themes.
A special mention in the main competition was awarded to the Zambian family drama On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, directed by Rungano Nyoni, which premiered at Cannes.
The LFF Grierson Award for best documentary went to Mother Vera by Cécile Embleton and Alys Tomlinson. The film explores the journey of a young Orthodox nun confronting her past and facing an uncertain future.
In the documentary category, Eloise King's The Shadow Scholars received a special mention. This film delves into the global multi-billion-dollar industry of academic ghostwriting, where highly qualified but underemployed Kenyans produce essays for students worldwide.
The Sutherland Award for best first feature went to Laura Carreira's On Falling, a portrayal of a young Portuguese warehouse worker in Scotland. Tomás Pichardo Espaillat's Olivia & The Clouds received a special mention for its exploration of the boundary between memory and reality through various animation techniques.
The best short film award went to Vibrations From Gaza, a documentary by Rehab Nazzal about Palestinian Deaf children in Gaza. The special mention in the short film category was given to Dragfox by Lisa Ott, a stop-motion animation about a child grappling with identity and a fox learning to accept their differences.
Last year, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist won the main competition's top prize, while Mike Gustafson’s Paradise Is Burning received the Sutherland Award for first features. Lina Soualem’s Bye Bye Tiberias took the Grierson Award for documentaries, and Simisolaoluwa Akande’s The Archive: Queer Nigerians was named best short film.
The LFF faced a challenging start to the weekend as organizers withdrew Undercover: Exposing the Far Right, a documentary by Havana Marking, from the festival lineup due to concerns for the safety of staff, security, and attendees.
The LFF Audience Awards will be announced later in October, with viewers able to vote for their favorite works, including narrative features, documentaries, short films, and immersive experiences. Awards will be presented for best narrative feature, best documentary feature, and best short film.
This year's 68th LFF showcased more than 250 films, including highlights like Sean Baker’s Cannes winner Anora, Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez, Pablo Larraín’s Maria, Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch, Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice, and Edward Berger’s Conclave, alongside around 40 world premieres. The festival's Expanded program also incorporated video games into its immersive installations and experiences."
