London Film Festival programme announced: La La Land, The Birth Of A Nation and Lion all lined up

It's been known for some time now that Amma Asante's rom-dram biopic A United Kingdom – featuring Rosamund Pike and David Oyelowo – will be screening at the opening night gala while Ben Wheatley's 1970's set crime-thriller Free Fire – starring Cillian Murphy, Armie Hammer and Brie Larson – would be closing the London Film Festival, but what about everything in between?

Well now, BFI have revealed the complete programme of films set to be shown at the event next month and it certainly looks to be a great year...

Films that will officially be in competition include Brimstone – a mystery thriller which sees Dakota Fanning play a frontier woman, wronged for a crime she didn't commit – and Una, starring Ben Mendelsohn and Rooney Mara, which retells the story of David Harrower's acclaimed play Blackbird.

Certain Women, starring Michelle Williams, Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart is also on the roster, as is Egyptian drama film Clash and thriller Elle.

French romance Frantz is in the running too, going up against crime film Goldstone, Moonlight starring Naomie Harris and biopic Neruda with Gael García Bernal. A Quiet Passion starring Jennifer Ehle, Your Name and Layla M finish off the listings in the competition category.

Making up the Headline Gala, movie-lovers can also purchase limited tickets to see Nate Parker's Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner The Birth Of A Nation, which presents the true story of Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher from the South who organised an uprising in the early 1800's. Manchester By The Sea starring Casey Affleck and Kyle Chandler will also be screened as will Nocturnal Animals with Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhall and Snowden featuring Joseph Gordon Levitt.

It seems safe to say though that one of the most popular screenings over the festival will be for Damien Chazelle's upcoming romance musical, La La Land, starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Having released two trailers so far, the film has been receiving lots of buzz, with positive reviews of it emerging from Venice Film Festival only strengthening the basis for excitement.

Lone Scherfig's Their Finest, J. A Bayona's A Monster Calls, Garth Davis' Lion, Denis Villeneuve's Arrival, Mira Nair's Queen of Katwe, Olivier Assayas' Personal Shopper and children's animation Trolls will also be shown across the event.

Special presentations include American Honey, The 13th (complete with a Q&A with director Ava Duvernay), Ascent and Xavier Dolan's It's Only The End Of The World.

Over the course of the proceedings, the BFI Fellowship is set to be presented to 12 Years A Slave director Steve McQueen. The BFI London Film Festival runs from the 5 to 16 October 2016. For full details of the line-up, head to www.bfi.org.uk/lff

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