Watershed is delighted to once again partner with the BFI London Film Festival to bring film lovers across Bristol and the South West a unique and innovative Festival experience in 2021, allowing audiences to enjoy both cinema and virtual screenings across the Festival from tomorrow 6 to 17 October. 


The Festival has teamed up with Watershed and other cinemas across the UK to offer exclusive previews from the programme and Watershed will screen 14 titles across October giving audiences the chance to be the first to see new films starring Idris ElbaDenzel WashingtonKristen StewartTimothy SpallTilda Swinton, William DaFoe and Frances McDormand, from directors including Clio Barnard (The Selfish Giant), Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Fantastic Mr Fox), Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead), Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire), Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives), Pablo Larrain (Neruda) and more.

Watershed Cinema Curator Mark Cosgrove says, “We are thrilled to be working in partnership again with BFI London Film Festival to bring some of the most exciting new films to Bristol and South West audiences. After a long hard year – large parts of which were without access to social entertainment – this is a very welcome cinematic treat of exclusive previews of some of the finest films coming up over the next six months. Look forward to seeing you in the cinema at Watershed.

Full list of BFI London Film Festival previews at Watershed:


The Harder They Fall  | Dir: Jeymes Samuel | Cast: Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Jonathan Majors

Inspired by the real-life stories of African-American cowboys and featuring an all-star cast, director Jeymes Samuel’s feature debut is an explosive and stylish Western quite unlike any other.


Spencer | Dir: Pablo Larrain | Cast: Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spall, Jack Nielen

Sublime ‘fable from a true story’ imagines a Christmas weekend at Sandringham in the early 1990s, as an unhappy Princess Diana contemplates saying ‘no’.


The Souvenir: Part II | Dir: Joanna Hogg | Cast:Tilda Swinton, Richard Ayoade, Joe Alwyn

Joanna Hogg’s glorious follow up to The Souvenir sees Honor Swinton Byrne returning as Julie for this rich autofictional portrait of the birth of a filmmaker.


Drive My Car | Dir: Ryusuke Hamaguchi | Cast: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Tôko Miura, Reika Kirishima

Inspired by Haruki Murakami’s short story, director Ryusuke Hamaguchi takes us on an unpredictable and self-revelatory journey in this serene yet riveting drama.


Last Night in Soho | Dir: Edgar Wright | Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Thomasin McKenzie, Diana Rigg

A young woman is transported back to the 1960s in this endlessly inventive, time-travelling horror fantasy from the brilliant Edgar Wright.


Titane | Dir: Julia Ducournau | Cast: Vincent Lindon, Agathe Rousselle, Garance Marillier

Agathe Rousselle makes a ferocious debut as a killer on the run, in director Julia Ducournau’s electrifying techno-chiller, fresh from its triumph in Cannes.


The French Dispatch | Dir: Wes Anderson | Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Léa Seydoux, Willem Dafoe

Wes Anderson’s delightful, star-studded homage to journalism and literary magazines is a feast for the eyes and a whip-smart comic delight.


The Phantom of The OpenDir: Craig Roberts | Cast: Rhys Ifans, Mark Rylance, Sally Hawkins

Truth is funnier than fiction in this delightful and effortlessly charming tribute to Maurice Flitcroft, the ‘world’s worst golfer’.


Ali and Ava Dir: Clio Barnard | Cast: Adeel Akhtar, Claire Rushbrook, Ellora Torchia

Director Clio Barnard’s latest film charts an unlikely romance between two Bradford residents.


Paris 13th District | Dir. Jacques Audiard | Cast: Lucie Zhang, Makita Samba, Noémie Merlant

Jacques Audiard ventures into new territory with a vibrant take on love and Paris, as four characters cross amorous paths in the modern city.


Flee | Dir. Jona Poher Rasmussen | Cast: Rashid Aitouganov

Winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at Sundance Film Festival, Flee is a testament to friendship, family and acceptance.


Petite Maman | Dir. Céline Sciamma | Cast: Joséphine Sanz, Gabrielle Sanz, Nina Meuri

In this radiant tale, director Céline Sciamma crafts a mysterious and delicate exploration of childhood and grief.


Memoria | Dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul | Cast: Tilda Swinton, Elkin Díaz, Jeanne Balibar

Shot and set in Colombia, director Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s meditative rumination on memory and the human condition is anchored by Tilda Swinton’s enigmatic, otherworldly presence.


The Tragedy of Macbeth| Dir: Joel Coen| Cast: Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Brendan GleesonJoel Coen dazzlingly adapts this Scottish play for the screen with Frances McDormand and Denzel Washington mesmeric as the couple whose political ambitions proved their fatal downfall.


Full programme on sale HERE