It is rare to see a coming of age drama that is both brutal in its honesty and powerful in it’s positivity so getting to sit down to watch ‘Pariah’ was an honor, for this film to focus on Afro-American teenage lesbians, inspiring. The film has a cast who breathe honesty into their characters that you feel your living with and writer/director Dee Rees debut explodes on the screen and is a near masterclass in how to produce a powerful, thought-provoking film.

We Have a Pope was one of Italy’s most popular film entries at the 2011 Festival de Cannes. Heartwarming, funny, and at times surreal the film tells the story of a papal election which sees the French Pope-elect, played stunningly by Michel Piccoli, enter into a crisis of conscience.

The BFI London Film Festival is less than a day away and the film screenings keep getting bigger and better. Today’s line up has been a choice selection proving that the festival has much more up its sleeves but where some have proved to be hits one that might leave a bitter taste.

Shown as part of 2010′s LFF Renaud Barret and Florent de la Tullaye world music odyssey was one of the highlights of the whole festival. Heading to Kinshasa to film their documentary they came upon a street band, many of them disabled through Polio, called Staff Benda Bilili, headed by Ricky. The film follows the band as they try to record their first album amidst the daily turmoil of what life is really like for those living in the Congolese slums.