The 48th London Film Festival has selected Mike Leigh’s VERA DRAKE as its Opening Night Gala, and David O. Russell’s I HEART HUCKABEES as Closing Night Gala.

The Opening Night Gala, on Wednesday 20th October, will be the UK Premiere of Mike Leigh’s VERA DRAKE starring Imelda Staunton and Phil Davis, it will be released in the United Kingdom by Momentum Pictures early in the New Year.

The Closing Night Gala, on Thursday 4th November, will showcase the International Premiere of I HEART HUCKABEES directed by David O. Russell, the film stars Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law, Mark Wahlberg, Naomi Watts, Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman and will be released in the United Kingdom by Twentieth Century Fox.

Commenting on the selection, the Festival’s Artistic Director, Sandra Hebron, said “I’m delighted at the quality of both our Opening and Closing Night films, and with how they chime with the rest of the Festival’s programme. On the surface VERA DRAKE and I HEART HUCKABEES couldn’t be less alike, but what Mike Leigh and David O. Russell share, apart from their complete understanding of the art and craft of film-making, is humanism, clarity of vision and a desire to make films which make us think about the way we live.”

The Times bfi London Film Festival is the UK’s leading international festival and regularly attracts record-breaking audiences to both its London and subsequent ‘on-tour’ events, as well as attracting major international stars and a wide range of established and emerging film-makers from around the world. The Festival will take place from October 20th to November 4th, 2004.