London Film Festival 2016: 9 films to look out for from La La Land to Paterson

The best films showing at this year's festival from play adaptation Una to German comedy Toni Erdmann

Step aside, Sundance, Cannes and Berlinale - it's the turn of London to welcome the cream of cinema's crop for its annual film festival, now in its 60th year.

Over the course of the next 16 days, London will be welcoming filmmakers from country's far and wide who are presenting the most-talked about films from this year's festival circuit.

Whittling down the extensive programme is no mean feat, but we've done just that: below are just nine flms you should attempt to seek out over the next fortnight.

La La Land

Damien Chazelle loves the classics: that's the overarching thought you'll acknowledge leaving the cinema having seen La La Land. That you'll be doing so with a large smile etched onto your face is a testament to his ambition. This is Chazelle's first film since the impeccable Whiplash and it pits aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) opposite Ryan Gosling's jazz enthusiast; it's a film that won't make you nostalgic for the past so much as glad you're in the present.

Manchester by the Sea

Kenneth Lonergan's first film since 2011's Margaret - and his third in 16 years - is a sobering tale centred on grief (unsurprising - this is Lonergan, after all). Casey Affleck plays Lee Chandler, an inhibited soul who returns home following his father's death. The unhurried direction, snowcapped Bostonian landscape and Affleck's showstopping performance all make this a must-see.

Toni Erdmann

It may not have won the top prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival, but that hasn't prevented German comedy Toni Erdmann from becoming the film on everybody's lips. A simple tale following a father attempting to reconnect with his wayward daughter, it's doubtful any other film this year will make you laugh as hard. If Toni Erdmann serves as anything, it's a note that writer-director Maren Ade is one to watch.

Paterson

Jim Jarmusch - the filmmaker behind such delights as Broken Flowers and Only Lovers Left Alive - returns with what could well be his masterpiece. A tale about the banality of routine, Paterson stars Adam Driver as Paterson, a bus driver based in the city of Paterson. The film unfolds at its own leisure, split up into days of the week, and is set apart by the way it depicts the protagonist's struggles to be set apart.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe

Troll Hunter director André Øvredal is back with a high-concept chamber piece following father-and-son coroners (Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch) who, while conducting an autopsy on a homicide victim, are fed secrets relating to her murder. The Autopsy of Jane Doe is predestined for 'cult classic' status.

Elle

If Isabelle Huppert's name isn't mentioned come awards season, be surprised. Elle has been receiving plenty of positive talk since its unveiling at this year's festival circuit, and rightly so. From director Paul Verhoeven, Huppert stars as the eponymous character who gets caught pup in a game of cat and mouse as she attempts to track down the man who raped her.

Una

An adaptation of David Harrower's 2005 play Blackbird, this drama places Rooney Mara and Ben Mendelsohn front and centre as two people with a history that needs confronting; to say anything more would be to detract from the story's ambiguity. An assured debut from Benedict Andrews - Una signals strong things to come.

The Wailing

Don't let its amalgamation of genres or epic running time (2 hours 36 minutes) deter you - The Wailing has been touted as a secular cinemagoing experience. The plot of this Korean chiller is simple: a stranger arrives in a small village and, soon after, a mysterious sickness begins to spread. Destined to be much-discussed.

Free Fire

Ben Wheatley films are being released in as blisteringly a manner as the events of his films. If you thought High-Rise as his highest-profile film to date, think again - the British director is back with Free Fire, an American-set caper cut from the same cloth as Martin Scorsese (he produces). Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy and Jack Reynor are just three of an impressive ensemble who look like they're having the time of their lives under Wheatley's tutelage.

The BFI London Film Festival starts today and runs until Sunday 16 October. To check ticket availability, visit here.