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Sheikh Jackson is a 2017 Egyptian drama directed by Amr Salama. It screened at TIFF this year. It was also selected as the Egyptian entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards. It tells the story of an Islamic cleric who loves Michael Jackson and what he does after the pop star's death. The trailer shows a mix of drama, comedy, and romance while referencing some of Michael Jackson's most iconic looks.

#sheikh jackson #amrsalama #michael jackson #tiff 2017

61st BFI London Film Festival - All 25 picks

My family can agree that last year was exhausting - 30 films in two weeks was too much to bear and ridiculously pricey. So to make things cheaper and less exhausting, I’m going to trim my festival experence down five screenings less. Sure helps that the first Friday doesn’t look quite as remarkable as last year’s, but it doesn’t have to be - the nostalgic ident makes it clear this isn’t a diamond jubilee any longer. And my selections for now include:

Have a Nice Day

...assuming China doesn’t ban this screening at the last minute.

Wonderstruck

Right, let’s see if Todd Haynes’ new ambitious doohickey impersonating a work of art’s all it’s cracked up to be.

Lean on Pete

The fact that King Jack is going places and the director of 45 Years is guiding him is enough to sell me.

The Meyerowitz Stories

Me? Seeing Adam Sandler in at least one film, three years in a row? And four Netflix films at the cinema in one year rather than at home like I’m apparently supposed to? Oh, absolutely. And I’m going to see Hotel Transylvania 3 next year even know I know I won’t end up being as riveted by its script.

Ivan Tsarevitch and the Changing Princess

Okay, BFI, but you’re doing a disservice to aspirers and auteurs in the animation community by screening both a collection of rare Halas & Batchelors and Joanna Quinns at your cinema and a new feature film by Michel Ocelot further away at Ciné Lumière around the same time. This may not be an animation festival by design, and I know you already have strands titled “THRILL” and “LAUGH”, but at least be careful with your schedule if you want to appease this one particular taste with such rare opportunities.

Liyana

About time independent America followed in the footsteps of Adama.

Beast

The clip I saw at the festival preview featured Jessie Buckley storming out of a party after spouting a sarcastic remark, picking up a golf club and preparing to beat the crap out of whoever. It was at that moment I knew I had to see this.

Loveless

Altitude moved The Florida Project up from its January release to November, which is a good thing. However, that cost them the initial release of this, pushing it even further to February. And you know what that means...

Big Fish & Begonia

Last year, the LFF screened the cutesy Chinese-American toon Rock Dog. Now they’re screening its aesthetically and financially superior Korean-animated competition at last. Yes, I can see this being a much wilder ride.

Mutafukaz

Now THIS is the marriage of French and Japanese insanity I’m most stoked for.

Last Flag Flying

Steve Carell is Colin Farrell in The Lobster in The Last Detail 2. Looks good.

Lucky

As someone who still has yet to watch Twin Peaks, how could I possibly miss a film with Harry Dean Stanton and David Lynch?

Thoroughbreds

Well, just look at this publicity still and tell me this doesn’t capture your curiosity. But what if I told you this was poor Anton Yelchin’s final performance?

A Fantastic Woman

Curzon initially tried to get this released a week before the LFF programme was announced, but in came The Square. However, Östlund decided it had to be tweaked for our comprehension or something, despite leaving a couple of special preview screenings intact, neither of which I could attend, and now both of these films are coming March. I wouldn’t mind waiting until March to see The Square (unless I can rent it before it hits UK cinemas). This, on the other hand...

The Shape of Water

UK audiences will be relieved to know that at least some of us will be seeing one of 2017’s most hyped films sooner than next Valentine’s week after all.

The Breadwinner

This was the hardest to plan out, as the premiere inconveniently clashed with the only chance we’d get to see Big Fish, as if the Southbank/Lumière clash wasn’t insulting enough. But after some careful switcheroos, I can confirm that yes, I will be seeing Nora Twomey’s latest beauty.

Sheikh Jackson

Upon discovering I can watch Brawl in Cell Block 99 at home in peace the same week it premieres at this festival, with more detail than Empire’s Haymarket screen can capture no less, I was almost going to replace it with Dark River. However, I know what Mum likes, and I’m curious. So I chose this instead.

The Rider

Tricia Tuttle had me at “God’s Own Country” and “autistic”.

Journeyman

Another generally respected British actor exploring the side of boxing Hollywood so often neglects in this age. If that wasn’t enough of a selling point, Paddy Considine also wrote-directed Tyrannosaur.

Downsizing

Her it won’t be, but a huge step forward in Payne’s career it must be!

Lu Over the Wall

This previews in December, but in case the all-animation festival is able to (try and) surprise me once more, or the Showcase staff won’t respond to my email about the terrible location shift for their anime screenings, I’m going to the BFI screening instead. I’m game for two weeks of Masaaki madness (Night is Short previews on the first day of the festival, when they don’t offer anything (as) special (as they think it is)).

You Were Never Really Here

I mean, Joaquin Phoenix with a fucking beard. Go on.

Surprise Film

Bearing in mind how close these surprises must be to 11pm, it’s obviously going to be Darkest Hour. Even better case scenario is that it could also be The Disaster Artist! It just can’t be any less rewarding than last year’s. (Note the exclusion of last year’s Sully among the “great films” in the blurb)

The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales

Delighted to see that Ben Renner’s finally put his sketchier art style to filmic use.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The 57th festival opened with Tom Hanks surrounded by furious Somali pirates and closed with Tom Hanks surrounded by family-friendly creative differences. However, the 58th opened with Benedict Cumberbatch Oscar-acting his heart out as a homosexual cryptanalytic genius and ended with Brad Pitt stabbing the living shit out of Nazis. The 59th opened with a Pathé-friendly biopic about the suffragette race and closed with Steve Jobs being put under frustration by how his colleagues handle his ego. The 60th opened with interracial schmaltz and ended with a bunch of idiots shooting bullets and words at each other. This one will open with polio love and close on, well, this. Anyone else seeing a pattern?

If you’re reading this and you’re already planning on attending, I also recommend some festival picks I’ve already rented via American digital import: Person to Person, a likably (well, just see what you think) quirky social satire with a painfully relatable Michael Cera, and A24′s The Lovers, an earnest and humorously bleak generational blend. And, if you ever wanted to see Cate Blanchett as 13 different people while nailing every single one of them, try her striking dissection of art conception, Manifesto.