Another year, another round of Britain’s finest and Britshiest (not a word, but for the purposes of this article let’s just roll with it) cinematic offerings. With only a week to go until the festival is over, this preview comes a little late. Sorry guys.

But even when the 2018 festival is over, find a way to seek out these five gems. Because festival promotion or not, they come highly recommended from Kim Petalas, the veteran Programming Director at Palace Cinemas.

Here are five films from the 2018 British Film Festival to keep an eye out for.

1. Colette

Kira Knightley in an inspirational true story biopic? Yes please. Here, Knightley is portraying French author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, who agrees to write a semi-autobiographical novel for her husband. And it’s successful. So successful, in fact, that her fight for creative ownership over the novel becomes the story of one woman reclaiming her identity as an artist.

2. The Children Act

Featuring the one-two punch of Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci, The Children Act is something to see on its cast alone. Fortunately the plot is quite interesting on its own as well. Based on the novel by Ian McEwan, The Children Act follows a High Court judge in the midst of a martial crisis, and she must decide whether to let order a blood transfusion for a teenager with cancer despite the family’s refusal to allow that for religious reasons. This one’s dripping with juicy drama, eh?

3. King of Thieves

Ay! Charlie Cox, aka Matt Murdock in Daredevil, is in a feature film with Michael Caine. Well, it’s about time…for this thing I didn’t know I wanted until I heard about it. A crew of retired crooks pull of a jewellery heist in London, but it naturally becomes a horrible nightmare when greed sets in. Mean and jaunty in equal measure, this one sounds like a winner.

4. Stan and Ollie

Friendship and comedy make for awkward, hilarious, and ultimately touching bedfellows in Stan and Ollie. This one follows the beloved comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy, on their comedy tour. Long simmering tensions boil over and their legendary friendship/partnership is put to the test. John C. Reilly kills, as usual.

5. My Generation

Michael Caine reminisces over his early career, during the time London went from a Dreary Damp Sinkhole to Coolest Place on Earth. Gently witty and full of heretofore unseen archival footage, My Generation is well worth a look. This look into a cultural revolution also features Sandy Shaw, Twiggy, and Paul McCartney.