Chloé Zhao’s Film Wins Audience Award at London Film Festival

London, England — Chloé Zhao‘s latest feature film, an adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell‘s work, has won the Audience Award at the London Film Festival. The announcement was made this week by the British Film Institute (BFI).

The film screened during the Mayor of London Gala, with Zhao attending alongside lead actors Jesse Buckley and Paul Mescal, as well as producers including Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes.

In a separate category, Yemi Bamiro‘s film, Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story, won the Audience Award for Best British Discovery. This film is described as a “touching tribute to the forgotten photographer, freedom fighter and activist, who helped popularize the transformative Black is Beautiful movement.”

This year’s London Film Festival showcased 252 films from 79 countries, marking a significant event for UK audiences. Among these, there were 28 world premieres, 11 international premieres, and 20 European premieres.

The BFI reported that the festival attracted 235,853 attendees, setting a new record for the event. Kristy Matheson, BFI London Film Festival Director, expressed gratitude to the participating artists, stating, “Our biggest thanks go to the artists who generously shared their unique views of the world with us this year.”

Matheson added, “It was a delight to see industry and audiences engage with each other and this program, proving once again the joy and comfort we all find in screen culture.”