The Deep Blue Sea to close the 55th BFI London Film Festival

30 August 2011

The 55th BFI London Film Festival, in partnership with American Express, is proud to announce that this year's Festival will close on Thursday 27 October with the UK premiere of The Deep Blue Sea, adapted and directed by Terence Davies (Distant Voices, Still Lives) marking his return to fiction feature making following his much loved documentary Of Time and the City. The Deep Blue Sea stars Rachel Weisz, Tom Hiddleston and Simon Russell Beale.

Hester Collyer (Academy Award ® winner Rachel Weisz) leads a privileged life in 1950s London as the beautiful wife of high court judge Sir William Collyer (Simon Russell Beale). To the shock of those around her, she walks out on her marriage to move in with young ex-RAF pilot, Freddie Page (Tom Hiddleston), with whom she has fallen passionately in love.

Set in post-war Britain, this deeply moving story is an adaptation of Terence Rattigan's classic play, The Deep Blue Sea. It is a study of forbidden love, suppressed desire, and the fear of loneliness. Stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea, what - or whom - should Hester choose?

Sandra Hebron, the Festival's Artistic Director comments: "It's a great pleasure to be able to close the Festival with this exquisite new feature from one of our most cherished directors. Terence Davies is a film maker who the BFI has supported from the very beginnings of his career, and in Terence Rattigan's centenary year, this beautifully directed and acted film is the perfect closing night film."

On having the film's UK premiere at the Festival, producers Sean O'Connor and Kate Ogborn comment: "We are deeply honoured and hugely thrilled for The Deep Blue Sea to be screened as the Closing Night Gala at this year's BFI London Film Festival. It's very much a London-based film, so it feels just right for the film's first UK outing to be at this wonderful festival. It's a particular pleasure for us to introduce a new film by Terence Davis - returning to the period and themes of his most celebrated work. All in all, for many reasons, it feels like coming home."

Director Terence Davies adds: ""As a British filmmaker, to get into the BFI London Film Festival at all is bliss - to get a Closing Night film is sheer heaven! The Festival is now, rightly, seen as one of the major European and World Film Festivals; championing not only British but World cinema."

The Deep Blue Sea opens in UK cinemas on 25th November.

UK Film Council and Film4 in association with Protagonist Pictures, Lip Sync Productions and Artificial Eye present a Camberwell/ Fly Film Production.

Produced by Sean O'Connor and Kate Ogborn. Executive produced by Katherine Butler, Lisa Marie Russo, Peter Hampden and Norman Merry.

The full programme for The 55th BFI London Film Festival will be announced at the Press Launch on Wednesday 7th September. RSVP for more information lffrsvp@premierpr.com.

The Festival runs from 12-27 October 2011.