Daniel Kaluuya’s Debut ‘The Kitchen’ to Close London Film Festival

A movie called The Kitchen, set in London and featuring a futuristic and troubled world, will wrap up the 67th BFI London Film Festival. The film is directed by Kibwe Tavares and marks the directorial debut of Daniel Kaluuya for Netflix.

This movie is significant as it’s the first time Oscar-winning actor Kaluuya has directed a full-length film.

He also co-wrote it with Joe Murtagh, known for Calm With Horses. Tavares, who previously directed the Sundance-winning short “Robots of Brixton,” is also part of the directorial team.

Kristy Matheson, BFI London Film Festival Director spoke to Variety, “Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya have made a film that totally explodes our expectations of contemporary UK cinema. “The Kitchen offers such scope for audiences – the essential social politics and high-octane energy gel perfectly to create an electrifying big-screen experience. We could not be more excited to close the festival with this inventive film set in a near future London that showcases this incredibly talented team who call this city home.”

Tavares and Kaluuya added: “We both grew up in London, and The Kitchen is a love letter to our city, so it’s a true honor to premiere it here, in our hometown, on the closing night of BFI’s London Film Festival. Starting a decade ago as a workshop in a local Barbershop, the film’s journey from script to screen has been a continued collaboration between us, and the community of cast and crew that came to make up our “Kitchen,” including our two amazing leads Kane Robinson and Jedaiah Bannerman whose performances anchor the heart of our story. Together we have aimed to make something fresh, thoughtful and cinematic – an allegory and homage to the residents of ‘The Kitchen’ in every city in the world.”

According to Netflix UK & Ireland, “The Kitchen” will have its first screening on October 15 at the Royal Festival Hall in Southbank Centre, marking its World Premiere. Following this, it will be released in cinemas across the UK and then become available on Netflix.

The movie was created with the involvement of Film4, who assisted in its development, and it is produced by DMC Film and 59% Productions.

In the movie “The Kitchen,” the division between wealthy and impoverished has reached extreme levels. All types of affordable housing have disappeared, except for The Kitchen – a community determined to stay in the place they consider home.

The story revolves around Izi (Kane Robinson), who resides there out of necessity and is striving to escape, and 12-year-old Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman), who has lost his mother and is seeking a family.

Their efforts to build a connection take place in a system that’s heavily biased against them.

As mentioned before, Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn will also kick off the London Film Festival, and James Hawes’ One Life will be the gala presented by festival sponsor American Express.