Tom Hanks-starrer “Saving Mr. Banks” closes BFI London Film Fest

PanARMENIAN.Net - The world premiere of John Lee Hancock's Saving Mr. Banks, starring Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell and Jason Schwartzman, brought the 57th edition of the BFI London Film Festival to an end Sunday, Oct. 20., The Hollywood Reporter said

The movie tells the tale of Walt Disney's battle to persuade PL Travers to bring her much-loved Mary Poppins tales to the big screen via his studio.

The modern day Walt Disney Company, which fully bankrolled the production of Saving Mr. Banks after BBC Films developed the script, "entrusted" the movie to the BFI LFF organizers to mark its world debut in the British capital.

Hanks, whose has bookended this year's shindig after the festival opened with Captain Phillips, again took to the red carpet to support a movie's debut on British soil. He was joined by fellow cast members Thompson, Farrell, Ruth Wilson and British screenwriter Kelly Marcel.

At the closing ceremony, which was beamed around the U.K. to 20 screens in the Odeon exhibition chain live from London's Odeon Leicester Square, autograph hunters gathered to cheer Hanks and the other attending celebs.

On Saturday night (Oct. 19), organizers garnered headlines and a coup of sorts with the surprise appearance of Johnny Depp at the event's standalone film awards ceremony to present Sir Christopher Lee with his BFI Fellowship, the highest honor the British Film Institute can bestow. The second Official Competition line-up designed to recognize "inspiring, inventive and distinctive filmmaking" saw the best film nod Saturday night go to U.K. based Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski's Ida.

The BFI London Film Festival, in partnership with American Express, drew over 500 guests for the 12 day event including more than 150 directors and over 110 actors for the 235 feature films plus screenings, masterclasses and events.