Black comedy Three Billboards to close London Film Festival

This year’s London Film Festival is set to come to a foul-mouthed conclusion with the star-studded Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, the latest film from In Bruges director Martin McDonagh. The film stars the great Frances McDormand (Fargo, Moonrise Kingdom), who’s expected to attend the UK premiere on Sunday 15 October, along with co-star Sam Rockwell and McDonagh.

“We are thrilled to be closing the 61st BFI London Film Festival with Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” said Clare Stewart, director of LFF. “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.”

McDormand plays a mother seeking justice following her daughter's unsolved murder. Dissatisfied by the work done by the local police – who count Rockwell and Woody Harrelson among their number – McDormand’s character rents space on the three billboards of the title to leave messages showing her disapproval at the authorities’ lack of progress. Abbie Cornish, Lucas Hedges, Zeljko Ivanek, Caleb Landry Jones, Clarke Peters, Samara Weaving, John Hawkes and Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage round out the cast.

Londoner McDonagh said he’s excited to be bringing the film to his hometown. “I'm more than proud of it,” he said, “and if there are any fans of In Bruges still out there, I don't think they'll be disappointed."

---

The 61st BFI London Film Festival runs 4-15 Oct. The full Festival programme will be announced on Thu 31 Aug