The 69th edition of the BFI London Film Festival (LFF) concludes on Sunday evening with the UK premiere of Julia Jackman’s star-studded film 100 nights of heroes, following the unveiling of this year’s winners, led by Lucrecia Martel Landmarks (Our Earth), which received the prize for best film in official competition.
David Bingong Travelers (The Travelers) is winner of the Grierson Prize in the LFF documentary competition, while A woman, a bradirected by Vincho Nchogu, won the Sutherland Prize in the inaugural feature film competition. And Coyotesdirected by Said Zagha, received the Short Film Prize in the LFF short film competition.
Landmarks is the first feature-length documentary by Argentinian author Martel. THRThe magazine calls the chronicle of systemic theft of native lands a “burning chronicle of a crime in slow motion.”
The LFF jury praised the film as follows: “With deep empathy and extraordinary journalistic and cinematic rigor, director Lucrecia Martel delves deeply into the events surrounding the 2009 assassination of Chuschagasta leader Javier Chocobar in the Argentine province of Tucumán. By bringing current voices and neglected stories to the forefront, Martel emerges with a portrait of – and for – an indigenous community, and grants a measure of justice that the courts have long denied them. As part of a remarkably tough competition, our jury is proud to honor this singular achievement.
Kenyan filmmaker Nchogu’s A woman, a bra also explores the theme of the earth in a humorous tale of a woman’s fight to preserve her ancestral land. “We were incredibly impressed by his ability to confidently move between so many tones, while always holding the audience with care,” the jury emphasized in explaining why he deserved the first feature. “His film uses humor to moving effect. Vincho also elicited fantastic performances from its entire cast, complemented by stunning cinematography. The play is at once funny, invigorating and deeply moving; its emotional journey has stayed with us and will continue to do so.”
Travelersmeanwhile, focuses on the dangerous journey of a group of migrants from Cameroon to Europe. “Faced with the most inhumane circumstances – a dangerous sea crossing from Morocco to Spain – the camaraderie of young Cameroonian men is rendered with kinetic intensity,” noted the jury of the documentary competition. “David Bingong, himself a migrant among them, offers a deeply personal and touching perspective on the humanitarian crisis of African refugees and asylum seekers adrift in the Mediterranean Sea and the legal vacuum of the EU’s broken immigration system. »
The doc jury also gave special mention to Always, by director Deming Chen. His second feature film is “a lyrical portrait of a gifted young poet who grew up in rural China,” LFF noted.
Coyotes won the LFF short film prize with his story about a Palestinian doctor. “When Israeli soldiers interrupt her journey to return home, [she] is forced to follow a desolate path and her future is thrown into disarray,” according to a synopsis.
“Coyotes quietly opens the door to a psychological state of fear faced by people caught in the middle of conflict; a fear that cuts through the daily atrocities witnessed by those publicly watching from the outside,” said the LFF short film competition jury. “We chose the film for its subtle introduction of characters, obvious love of its craft, and confident command of viewer expectations.”
LFF 2025 ends Sunday evening with Jackman’s second feature film, 100 nights of heroesa fairy tale based on the graphic novel by Isabel Greenberg. It features an all-star cast, including Emma Corrin, Nicholas Galitzine, Maika Monroe, Amir El-Masry, Richard E Grant and Charli xcx.
