61st BFI London Film Festival To Close with UK Premiere of Martin McDonagh’s THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

The 61st BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express® is delighted to announce that this year’s Closing Night gala will be Martin McDonagh’s THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. The film will receive its UK premiere on Sunday 15 October at the Odeon Leicester Square and acclaimed screenwriter, director and playwright McDonagh is expected to attend along with Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and other filmmakers and cast.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI is a darkly comic drama from Academy Award® winner Martin McDonagh. After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter’s murder case, Mildred Hayes (Academy Award® winner Frances McDormand) makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby (Academy Award® nominee Woody Harrelson), the town's revered chief of police. When his second-in-command Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell), an immature mother’s boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing's law enforcement is only exacerbated.

Written and directed by Academy Award® winning director Martin McDonagh, THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI stars Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Abbie Cornish, Lucas Hedges, Zeljko Ivanek, Caleb Landry Jones, Clarke Peters, Samara Weaving with John Hawkes and Peter Dinklage.

Fox Searchlight Pictures and Film 4 present a Blueprint Pictures production produced by Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, and Martin McDonagh, the team behind In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, with executive producers Bergen Swanson, Diarmuid McKeown, Rose Garnett, David Kosse and Daniel Battsek and co-producer Ben Knight. The filmmaking team includes director of photography Ben Davis, BSC, production designer Inbal Weinberg, film editor Jon Gregory, ACE, costume designer Melissa Toth, music by Carter Burwell and casting by Sarah Halley Finn, CSA.

BFI London Film Festival Director, Clare Stewart says “We are thrilled to be closing the 61st BFI London Film Festival with Martin McDonagh’s THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. By turns riotously funny and deeply sobering, this all-too-relevant film confronts division and conflict in small-town America and is driven by a blistering performance from Frances McDormand.”

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI Director Martin McDonagh says "I'm excited to bring this film back to my home town for its UK premiere. I'm more than proud of it and if there are any fans of In Bruges still out there, I don't think they'll be disappointed."

Twentieth Century Fox will release the film across the UK and Ireland on 12 January, 2018.

The 61st BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express® takes place from Wednesday 4 October-Sunday 15 October 2017. The full Festival programme will be announced on Thursday 31 August 2017.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Film Page

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI HITS CINEMAS ON JANUARY 12

Festival Information & Ticket Booking
BFI Members’ priority booking opens 10.00am, 7 September - join here
Amex priority booking opens at 10.00am, 12 September
Public booking opens 10.00am, 14 September
Telephone Bookings: 020 7928 3232 between 10:00 – 20:30
Online | In person: BFI Southbank Office: 10:00 – 20:30

About the BFI
The BFI is the lead organisation for film in the UK with the ambition to create a flourishing film environment in which innovation, opportunity and creativity can thrive by:

Connecting audiences to the widest choice of British and World cinema

Preserving and restoring the most significant film collection in the world for today and future generations

Championing emerging and world class film makers in the UK - investing in creative, distinctive and entertaining work

Promoting British film and talent to the world

Growing the next generation of film makers and audiences

The BFI is a Government arm’s-length body and distributor of Lottery funds for film. The BFI serves a public role which covers the cultural, creative and economic aspects of film in the UK. It delivers this role:

As the UK-wide organisation for film, a charity core funded by Government

By providing Lottery and Government funds for film across the UK

By working with partners to advance the position of film in the UK.

Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter.

The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Josh Berger.

The BFI London Film Festival
BFI London Film Festival is Britain's leading film event and one of the world's best film festivals. It introduces the finest new British and international films to an expanding London and UK-wide audience and attracts significant international film industry participation. LFF is a compelling combination of diverse films, red carpet glamour, friendly audiences and vibrant exchange. LFF provides an essential profiling opportunity for films seeking global success; promotes the careers of British and international filmmakers through its industry and awards programmes and positions London as the world’s leading creative city.

Clare Stewart Biography
Clare Stewart’s 21 year programming career has encompassed leadership roles as Festival Director, Sydney Film Festival (2006-2011) and the inaugural Head of Film Programs at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne (2002-2006) as well as various roles at the Australian Film Institute (1996-2001), including Exhibition Manager, and programmer and Committee Member of the Melbourne Cinémathèque (1995-2002). She has been BFI Head of Festivals and BFI London Film Festival Director since October 2011.

About American Express® Company
American Express is a diversified worldwide travel, financial and network services company founded in 1850. It is a leader in charge and credit cards, Travellers Cheques, travel and insurance products.

Through American Express Invites, Cardmembers have access to enriched experiences at some of the UK’s most sought after entertainment events, including best seats, exclusive offers and early-on-sale tickets. The company has multi - year partnerships with a range of entertainment institutions including AEG, Live Nation, Ticketmaster, Somerset House, The British Film Institute and National Theatre.

For more detail on the enriched service American Express offers its Cardmembers, please visit AMEX or connect with AmericanExpressUK on Facebook or Twitter @AmexUK