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55th BFI London Film Festival (2011)

Videos: Watch Young Ambassadors interview the filmmakers behind some of the festival's biggest films

Profile: Every year, the best new films from Britain and around the world are showcased in the British capital as part of the BFI's London Film Festival. The 2011 festival included We Need To Talk About Kevin - which won the award for Best Film - plus 50/50, Junkhearts, The Deep Blue Sea, 360, The Ides of March, The Artist and many more.

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Watch our Young Ambassadors at the 2010 Festival

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A Close Encounter with 55th BFI London Film Festival (2011)

  • "It was like a vacation!" - FILMCLUB members talk to Roland Emmerich, Rhys Ifans and more at the BFI LFF premiere of Anonymous

    Roland Emmerich told ​Mia and Teegan that working on a different sort of film made every day fun when filming Anonymous - a film which suggests that Shakespeare didn't actually write his plays! They also interview Rhys Ifans, Edward Hogg and more. 

  • "Musical, funny, brilliant" - Young Ambassador Rebecca talks to Hunky Dory actor Minnie Driver at the BFI LFF premiere

    Rebecca headed to the BFI London Film Festival to talk to Hunky Dory director Marc Evans about filmmaking in Wales, plus the film's lead actor Minnie Driver. 

  • "If it's a great story, you know you're involved in something special" - Louise talks to legendary director ​David Cronenberg and more at the LFF Awards

    The BFI London Film Festival Awards took place towards the end of the festival, and Young Ambassador Louise was on hand to talk to ​David Cronenberg, Gillian Anderson, Anne-Marie Duff, Candese Reid and Terry Gilliam, who gave some practical advice about becoming a filmmaker. 

  • "I was inspired by my love of heist cinema" - Dan and Lucy talk to young British filmmakers at the BFI LFF

    Young Ambassadors Dan and Lucy learned a lot about making short films with up-and-coming filmmakers John Maclean, Chris Ranson and Geraldine O'Brien. 

  • "Beautiful, painful, love" - Laura interviews the filmmakers behind Deep Blue Sea, the film that closed the BFI London Film Festival

    Young Ambassador Laura headed to the closing gala of the BFI London Film Festival to talk to the stars of Deep Blue Sea, and asked the likes of Terry Gilliam, James Purefoy and the Festival's Artistic Director Sandra Hebron about the importance of the BFI LFF. 

  • "I love telling stories; one is not enough!" - Louise interviews director Michel Ocelot

    The director of the animated film Tales of the Night talks to Young Ambassador about his love of storytelling at the BFI London Film Festival

  • "My character is caught at a crossroads" - Naomi learns about Wild Bill at the BFI LFF premiere

    Dexter Fletcher is best known as an actor, but here he takes the director's chair for the first time. Naomi went to the premiere of his film Wild Bill to talk to actors Will Poulter, Jamie Winstone and more, as well as Fletcher himself. 

  • "The 1940s and 50s have an enormous emotional pull for me" - Young Ambassador Lucy talks to director Terence Davies

    Terence Davies is the renowned director of Distant Voices, Still Lives, and his latest film - Deep Blue Sea - was featured at the closing gala of the BFI London Film Festival. Lucy spoke to him about why he decided to make the film, and what it takes to do well in the film industry.

  • "Start at the bottom, pay attention and work hard" - Dexter Fletcher and George Richmond offer Connie some words of advice

    Connie headed to the BFI London Film Festival to talk to Wild Bill director Dexter Fletcher and cinematographer George Richmond - and got a few tips along the way. 

  • "I walked into the audition room in character" - the filmmakers behind We Need To Talk About Kevin talk to FILMCLUB

    FILMCLUB's Sarah talks to author Lionel Shriver, director Lynne Ramsay, actor Ezra Miller and producer Luc Roeg at the BFI LFF premiere. 

  • "Beautiful, happy and different" - The Artist's Berenice Bejo describes the film to Young Ambassador Luke

    Luke chats to the star of this black and white, almost silent film about the golden age of Hollywood at the BFI LFF premiere

  • "The emotional tangent drives the narrative" - Young Ambassador Rebecca at the premiere of The Awakening

    Rebecca speaks to actors Rebecca Hall and Isaac Hempstead Wright, and the director of this supernatural thriller, Nick Murphy, about the challenge of filming in multiple locations. 

  • "Olivier's Hamlet changed my life" - Emily speaks to writer John Logan, Ralph Fiennes and more at the Coriolanus premiere

    Coriolanus was one of the major films at this year's Festival, and Young Ambassador Emily was on hand to talk to director/actor Ralph Fiennes, actor Brian Cox, and broadcaster Jon Snow.

  • "Go out and tell stories" - Lily gets some tips from George Clooney at the premiere of The Ides of March

    George Clooney directs as well as stars in political drama The Ides of March, so Lily was glad she could fight her way through the media scrum for a few words!

  • "Coriolanus is about personal compromise" - Connie talks to the screenwriter behind Coriolanus

    Discover what it takes to adapt Shakespeare's words for the big screen, as Young Ambassador Connie talks to the screenwriter behind Coriolanus, John Logan

  • "It was exciting to try something different" - Young Ambassador Heva talks to the writer, director and stars of 360

    Heva interviewed the filmmakers involved in 360 at the opening gala of the BFI London Film Festival, including renowned writer Peter Morgan. The film explores how we are all connected and the consequences of our actions...

  • "This film talks from the heart" - Shaguftah talks to the filmmakers behind Terraferma

    Our Young Ambassador heads to the red carpet for the premiere of Terraferma - a film about relationships and immigration in Italy. 

  • "Short films take a narrative and condense it" - Leonardo chats to the director and composer of Ernesto

    Intrepid reporter Leonardo interviews the team behind Ernesto, a short film about a boy who feels left out at school because he's still got milk teeth. Leonardo is pleased to find that the director Corrine Ladinde is a fellow Hayao Miyazaki fan!

  • "I had to control three times as many egos within myself!" - Charlotte talks to director Alexander Payne, George Clooney and more

    Take a look at Charlotte's report from the premiere of The Descendants, where she spoke to George Clooney about his admiration for director Alexander Payne about being director, writer AND producer, and actor Shailene Woodley about her role in the film.