360 Starring Rachel Weisz, Jude Law, Sir Anthony Hopkins To Open THE 55TH BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL

London –24 August: The 55th BFI London Film Festival, in partnership with American Express, is proud to announce that this year‟s Festival will open on Wednesday 12 October with the European premiere of 360, directed by Fernando Meirelles (CITY OF GOD, THE CONSTANT GARDENER, BLINDNESS) and with an original screenplay from the acclaimed writer Peter Morgan (THE QUEEN, FROST/ NIXON).

Meirelles is no stranger to the Festival after THE CONSTANT GARDENER (for which Rachel Weisz later won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar) opened it in 2005.

360 is a modern and stylish kaleidoscope of interconnected love and relationships linking characters from different cities and countries in a vivid, suspenseful and deeply moving tale of romantic life in the 21st century. Starting in Vienna, the film beautifully weaves through Paris, London, Bratislava, Rio, Denver and Phoenix into a single, mesmerising narrative.

From a simple decision made by one man – to remain faithful to his wife – springs a series of consequences. From uplifting, beautiful and romantic moments through to desperate, confused and conflicted interludes, each protagonist in 360 has their own vivid, entertaining, funny, tragic narrative as their stories entwine across the globe.

Sandra Hebron, the Festival‟s Artistic Director comments:

“’I’m delighted that 360 will be our opening night film, and very pleased to welcome back Fernando Meirelles and Peter Morgan to the Festival. With its impeccable film making credentials and intriguing premise, 360 combines masterful visual story telling with a modern and moving narrative, helped by strong performances from a terrific ensemble cast. It will be a pleasure to open this year’s Festival with such an accomplished film from one of international cinema’s finest film makers.”

On having the film’s European premiere at the Festival, producers Andrew Eaton and David Linde comment:

“It is a great honour to be invited to be the opening film of the BFI London Film Festival. It feels especially significant and poignant at Sandra Hebron’s last Festival as Director.”

Director Fernando Meirelles adds:

“In the past decade I’ve been to the BFI London Film Festival six times, some of them as a guest, and some as part of the audience. The BFI London Film Festival is one of the best festivals in the world due to its selection of films and the number of theatres the films are shown in. I am very honoured 360, an intimate film that talks about our options in life, has been chosen to open the Festival this year, and I want to thank Sandra Hebron for extending this prestigious invitation to me for a second time, following The Constant Gardener, which opened the Festival in 2005.”

360 is a Revolution/ Dor Film/ Fidelite production, in co-production with O2 Filme and in association with BBC Films, The UK Film Council, ORF, Unison Films, Gravity Pictures, Hero Entertainment, Prescience, EOS Pictures, Wild Bunch, Film Location Austria, Austrian Film Institute and Vienna Film Fund.

It is produced by Andrew Eaton and David Linde with Emanuel Michael, Danny Krausz, Chris Hanley.

The full programme for The 55th BFI London Film Festival will be announced at the Press Launch on Wednesday 7 September. The Festival runs from 12-27 October 2011.

Last year‟s Festival hosted 201 feature films and 112 short films from 68 countries including 34 world premieres. There were 629 filmmakers in attendance, drawing the highest ever audience attendance of over 132,000 filmgoers. The Festival opened with the European Premiere of NEVER LET ME GO and closed with the European Premiere of 127 HOURS.

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