Most of the films to be screened at this year's festival were created by young film directors, and explore themes such as love, religion, ethnic tension, and terrorism.
The week-long event will open with "Ae Fond Kiss," Ken Loach's new multicultural interpretation of the Romeo-and-Juliet theme. It will also feature Kevin Macdonald's "Touching the Void," Antonia Bird's "The Hamburg Cell," Roger Michell's "Enduring Love," Marc Evans's "Trauma," Kenny Glenaan's "Yasmin," Matthew Vaughn's "Layer Cake," Saul Dibb's "Bullet Boy," Juliet McCoen's "Frozen," and Shane Meadows' "Dead Man's Shoes."
The New British Film Festival is an annual event, being held in Russia for the sixth time this year. It traditionally starts in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and then makes a tour of the Russian provinces.
This year's British film festival in Samara will be running concurrently with the London Film Festival. According to Artistic Director Sandra Hebron, more than 150 features, documentaries, and animated films from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas will take part in this high-profile international festival, opening Wednesday night, to last till November 3.
Russian cinema will be represented at the London forum by Alexei Uchitel's nostalgic feature "Dreaming of Space," set in 1957, the year the Soviet Union launched its first satellite. This film won first prize at the 2005 Moscow International Film Festival.
