ONLY the British Film Festival would have Russell Hobbs – a company who makes kettles – as their main sponsor.

The Brits do love a cuppa, so it all makes perfect sense, and as for tea bags, well let’s not go there.

The Festival opens with the historical drama THE CHORAL set in Yorkshire in 1916.

It stars Ralph Fiennes, who is box office gold after his fantastic performance in the Oscar-winning Conclave.

As World War I ravages the English countryside and strips small towns of their men, the local choral society faces near collapse. In a move borne of desperation, they turn to Dr Guthrie (Fiennes), a formal and exacting choir master recently returned from Germany, to rebuild their singing ranks by recruiting adolescents in place of grown men at war.

As Dr Guthrie pushes these young voices toward a performance of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, the teenagers wrestle with impending conscription, growing up in the shadow of loss, love and national tension.   

The movie features an original screenplay by Alan Bennett, his first new film script in decades, and also stars Roger Allam and Mark Addy.

“Anchored by Ralph Fiennes’ superbly pitched performance, The Choral is a warm, witty and deeply human portrait of resilience” said The Hollywood Reporter.

Fans of Daniel Day-Lewis, will be delighted to see him return to the silver screen after an eight year hiatus in ANEMONE.

Directed by Day-Lewis’ son Ronan, it was also co-written by the father and son team.

Set in the mist-shrouded woods of Northern England, Sean Bean (Jem) ventures from suburban life into the forested isolation of his estranged brother Ray (Day-Lewis) a man burdened by a traumatic past and lost to the world.

Their reunion ignites a delicate dance of accusation, remembrance and the fragile hope of redemption.

With painterly cinematography by Ben Fordesman, a taut and lyrical score by Bobby Krlic, and a supporting cast including Samantha Morton and Samuel Bottomley, Anemone is a boldly intimate, emotionally charged drama anchored by Day-Lewis and Bean’s mesmerising performances.

It was the official selection at the New York Film Festival 2025 and the BFI London Film Festival 2025.

“It’s a powerful, deeply felt return to form – Anemone shifts effortlessly between memory and emotion, anchored by Daniel Day-Lewis’s fierce, haunting presence,” said Variety.

Expansive

If documentaries and music are more your thing, you’ll probably enjoy BORROWED TIME: LENNON’S LAST DECADE.

With rare archival footage, candid first-hand accounts, and newly uncovered stories, the film portrays the humanity of Lennon: an artist rediscovering his voice, a dreamer who believed there was “nothing to get hung about,” and an activist urging the world to “give peace a chance.”

From the turbulence of his “Lost Weekend” to the serenity of family life in New York, from immigration battles to the optimism of his comeback with Double Fantasy, this documentary paints a vivid portrait of an icon on the cusp of renewal. 

Both intimate and expansive, it’s a moving reflection on love, legacy, and the passage of time—because, as Lennon once sang, “life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.”

Eclectic

Another musical highlight is CHRISTMAS KARMA, a musical reimagining of Charles Dickens’ timeless A Christmas Carol.

Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) transports the story into a vibrant, multicultural present-day London, fusing tradition with bold modernity.

Infused with bhangra beats, gospel harmonies, rap interludes and beloved carols, the film’s soundtrack is as eclectic and heartfelt as its message.

With a glittering cast that also includes Hugh Bonneville, Charithra Chandran, Pixie Lott, and Danny Dyer, Christmas Karma is a radiant celebration of identity, redemption and the power of community spirit.

Nobody does comedy like the Brits, and FACKHAM HALL is a gleefully irreverent spoof on the grandeur of period drama

In this riotous comedy of manners, lovable pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) insinuates himself into the storied Davenport estate, sparking a forbidden romance with Rose Davenport (Thomasin McKenzie).

But as family rivalries bubble and scandals erupt – including a disastrous wedding and a sudden murder – Eric finds himself framed, he and Rose’s future hanging in the balance.

This is Jimmy Carr’s screenwriting debut, and his love for the absurd infuses every line from high tea to low skulduggery. Fackham Hall will leave audiences chuckling behind their gloved hands and eager for another scandal at the manor.

Another genre the Brits do very well is horror.

RABBIT TRAP is an hypnotic fever dream set in 1976 Wales.

Married musicians Darcy (Dev Patel) and Daphne Davenport (Rosy McEwen) forsake London’s noise for a countryside retreat, hoping to channel nature’s hidden voices into their art.

When Darcy inadvertently steps into a fairy ring, they unlock a sound beyond comprehension and invite an otherworldly child (Jade Croot) into their home, whose presence may be as benevolent as it is menacing.

Darcy begins to descend into obsession, while Daphne unspools her own inner anxieties beneath a calm exterior.

Together they are pulled deeper into folklore’s murk, crossing a spectral line between innocence and something more uncanny.

Rabbit Trap was the official selection at the Sundance Film Festival 2025.

The British Film Festival 2025 is on at Luna SX in Fremantle and Luna Leederville from November 5-7.

For more details and full programme see britishfilmfestival.com.au.