British actor Benedict Cumberbatch poses for photographers during the photo call of the film The Imitation Game, at the Corinthia Hotel in central London, which will open the London Film Festival, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2014. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP)
LONDON (AP) --
Keira Knightley says it's exciting to be opening the London Film Festival with World War II code-breaking story "The Imitation Game."
The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as computer pioneer Alan Turing, who helped win the war but was later prosecuted for homosexuality.
Knightley, who plays fellow code-breaker Joan Clarke, said Wednesday that "it's lovely to be the first" of the 248 features screened at the 12-day festival.
"The Imitation Game" won the audience award at the Toronto Film Festival, often a precursor to Oscar success.
Director Morten Tyldum said playing the London festival was "like coming home" for the movie, which was shot in the British capital and at the nearby Bletchley Park code center.
The festival opens Wednesday and closes Oct. 19 with the Brad Pitt war saga, "Fury."
Indian film directors Shyam Benegal, right, is seen during a discussion on Indian Cinema in Hyderabad, India, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A, File)
Shyam Benegal, a renowned Indian filmmaker known for pioneering a new wave cinema movement that tackled social issues in the 1970s, has died after suffering from chronic kidney disease. He was 90.
His contribution to cinema was recognized as a director, editor and screenwriter. He was also credited with a new genre of filmmaking.
Benegal passed away on Monday at Mumbai's Wockhardt Hospital, and his cremation will take place on Tuesday, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, citing his daughter Piya.
"Benegal had been suffering from chronic kidney disease for several years but it had gotten very bad. That's the reason for his death," Piya said.
Many paid tribute to the legendary filmmaker on social media platform X.
Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt wrote that Benegal told stories without pretense. "They were raw and real, about the struggles of ordinary people. His films had craft and conviction."
"Deeply saddened by the passing of Shyam Benegal, whose storytelling had a profound impact on Indian cinema. His works will continue to be admired by people from different walks of life," India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.
He was a mentor to top Indian actors, including Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, and Om Puri who made their mark in Bollywood's popular cinema as well.
"I have lost my foster father, a man to whom I owe more than I can say," posted Naseeruddin Shah.
"Shyam Benegal was not just a legend; he was a visionary who redefined storytelling and inspired generations," said actor Manoj Bajpayee.
Benegal came into the limelight in the 1970s, with a series of films that challenged mainstream Bollywood. His films Ankur (1974), Nishant (1975), Manthan (1976), and Bhumika (1977)... Read More
