Battle of the Year (3D)

Drama about a group of  American dancers who try to wrest back the title of best international dance act as the states haven’t won in 15 years. Starring Josh Holloway and Laz Alonso, this will be showing at key cities only and the official website is here.

The Butler

Highly regarded stateside, Forrest Whittaker stars in what looks like a romanticised view of the Oval office and race relations. He is the butler (to seven US Presidents over three decades) of the title and whose own tenure sees in and out the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam war and more. Amongst those in the top job, Robin Williams as Dwight Eisenhower, James Marsden as John F Kennedy and Alan Rickman as Ronald Regan. Lee Daniels (Precious) directs and the film will be playing just about everywhere. See the official site here.

The Counsellor

Michael Fassbender stars in this Ridley Scott directed version of the Cormac McCarthy thriller about a lawyer (Fassbender) whose deal with drug lord Brad Pitt spirals out of control. The official website is here and the film will be playing all over.

Dom Hemingway

Jude Law’s sweary ex-con sets out to collect what he is owed after keeping quiet and taking the rap for his boss (Demian Bechir). Accompanying him is his best pal Dicky (Richard E. Grant). Stylish looking crime thriller and Law has had great reviews for this role. The official Fox Searchlight film is here; the film will show across most UK cinemas.

Don John

That talented young actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt-Gordon-Levitt-Levitt has only gone and directed his first film! As one would expect, he has also written the script about a young porn-obsessed lothario loved by many a girl but falling in love with Scarlett Johansson. So who better to cast in that role, than the man himself! Good reception and box office so far in what looks like a charming relationship fable. The official Facebook UK page is here; the film will touch most UK screens.

Future My Love

A wide, WIDE (!) ranging documentary from the Swedish director Maja Borg who meets the American futurist Jacque Fresco and looks at his ideas on his social designs, creating a fairer world less reliant on money and debt. Well regarded by esteemed critic Mark Cousins, the official Independent Cinema Office website is here; Borg’s more detailed site contains screenings (internationally!) here.

In Fear

British horror starring Iain de Caestecker and Alice Englert. Scant details online, but the official Studio Canal page is here and the film will be showing across most of the UK.

Pandora’s Promise

Here’s an enviro-doc with a difference, as director Andrew Stone looks at various people who have gone form being anti to very much pro-nuclear power for a variety of reasons. The official website is here and the film will be showing at key cities only (see listings here).

Utopia

John Pilger, one of the world’s most respected journalist, directs this journey into the titular region of Australia, home to the oldest presence of humans on Earth and looks at the history of Aboriginal oppression. The film will be shown at the Ritzy in Brixton and screened across other cinema following a Q&A with Pilger. Information on Pilger’s official site is here.

And on Thursday 21 November…

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) are on a tour after winning the ‘Hunger Games’, a Krypton Factor to the death for teenagers in a future world where they fight to appease the totalitarian regime that lords it over their poorer home communities. Katniss senses a rebellion is simmering, not a good idea when the President (Donald Sutherland) is in full control and that the last time this happened, the rebelling community was wiped out. The Lionsgate Films site is here, there is also a massive fan community network called The Hunger Games Explorer here and the film will, naturally saturate UK cinema screens.