Virginia Woolf’s Night & Day is the opening film for SXSW London’s Screen Program – with cast members including Jack Whitehall and Lily Allen

A lineup to rival Glasto

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a production image from the film showing two fo the leads – Katharine Hilbery and William Rodney on a sofa
(Image credit: Annabel Moeller - © Woolf Comedy Productions)

SXSW is back for 2026, and bringing with it a whole host of fabulous speakers, including Sharon Horgan, Russell T Davies, and Sophia Bush, to name a few. Its inaugural outing last year saw films like Deep Cover and The Life of Chuck making their London debut, so anticipation has been building to see what 2026 is cooking up.

Tina Gharavi’s Virginia Woolf’s Night and Day is set to have its world premiere at 2026 SXSW London, and will be opening the event with the director and cast making an appearance.

Although it will be the opening film, its announcement comes as part of the second wave of feature films announced this week for SXSW’s Screen Programme alongside the Music Festival and Visual Arts. The screening will be part of the stacked week of programming and events, which will be taking place across London from June 1st until 6th.

The opening film is adapted by Gharavi, with screenwriter Justine Waddell, from Virginia Woolf’s 1919 novel revolving around the life of Katharine Hilbery, a high-born young woman who challenges the patriarchal society of the time to pursue her love of astronomy and life on her own terms. Hilbery is one of the leading headstrong protagonists from Edwardian literature, who rejects traditional ideas of marriage and love, making her an icon for Queer English literature students for decades.

It’s a pretty stacked cast, with Haley Bennett in a leading role as Hilbery, joined by Jack Whitehall, Jennifer Saunders, Lily Allen, Sally Phillips, and Misia Butler. It’s being produced by Christopher Figg, Julie Link, and Philipp G Steffens. Lily Allen will be playing Mary Datchet, the daughter of the country vicar, with Jack Whitehall playing Katherine’s initial love interest, William Rodney.

It was also revealed that Savage House, starring Richard E Grant, Claire Foy, Bel Powley and Jack Farthing, will be on the lineup, as well as a first look screening of Get Jiro – the animated series based on the bestselling DC/Vertigo graphic novel.

SXSW London has also unveiled six films selected for this year’s Official Competition section. The comprise Tawfik Sabouni’s The Other Side Of The Sun, Juan Pablo Sallato’s The Red Hangar, Mahnaz Mohammadi’s Roya, Vladlena Sandu’s Memory, Ross McElwee’s Remake and Danielle Arbid’s Only Rebels Win.

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Hermione Blandford
Hermione Blandford
Content Editor

Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.

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