It's often said of movies that 'the city is the star'. But if London was actually a movie star, it would be a veteran trouper with a career as long as cinema itself, and a collection of scandalous stories to burn your ears off. True, it's had a lot of work done on it, but it still looks good for its age, and it sure is versatile.
One month it's a grimy den of Victorian iniquity in Sherlock Holmes, the next it's a hotbed of 21st-century paranoia in The Bourne Ultimatum. On one screen it's a haven for Russian mafioso in Eastern Promises, next door it's holding an 18th-century ball for Keira Knightley in The Duchess. The city has seen it all, darling, but it retains a dignified discretion. You could walk past 100 classic movie locations on the street and not recognise them, just as you could find yourself in the middle of London's movie world and not really know it. London doesn't wear its movie credentials on its sleeve, which means unless you want to retrace the footsteps of Hugh Grant in Notting Hill, it's often difficult to know where to look.
If London has a movie centre, it's Soho. It's here you'll find the offices of the production companies, the US studio headquarters, the world-beating post-production facilities and the official film organisations. And where the movie people go to meet, they go to eat, drink and play. During the London Film Festival, that's even more the case. The circus comes to town from 13-28 October, and Soho will be throbbing with activity – if you know where to look. So here's a guide for the festivalgoer who wants to be in the thick of it.
BFI Southbank
The nerve centre of the festival, and the one place the festival delegates are certain to pass through at some stage. The BFI is the magnet for cinephiles, critics, reporters, aspiring film-makers and other festival junkies. Being a shrine to the cinematic arts, though, it's a relaxed place where everyone can drop their guard a little. Since its 2007 renovation, it's become a much more comfortable place, too. The Benugo bar, with its homely sofas and booths, is a particularly cosy spot to lounge, refuel and write up your blog.
Leicester Square
No stranger to crowd barriers, flashbulbs and hordes of screaming fans, London's traditional premiere address will be working overtime hosting the festival's gala screenings. It's not just the fans who come out to play: London's celebrities get just as excited by a gala invitation, and rarely pass up the chance to dress up and bask in the spotlight – thus bringing even more fans into the square.
Hotel haunts
If you want to know where the stars are staying, just look where the paparazzi are lined up. However, there are more dignified ways to engineer a close encounter than camping outside the staff entrance. You're likely to see a steady stream of people-carriers ferrying actors and directors to and from the May Fair, for example, as it's the festival's official hotel. A cocktail in the swish bar is a worthwhile experience even if George Clooney doesn't sidle up and ask the barman for one of what you're having. Other hotel hotspots include the Sanderson (with its curtained Philippe Starck bar), the Soho Hotel (busy restaurant, private screening rooms downstairs), Claridges and the Dorchester (traditional haunts of the A-listers).
Members' clubs
If you're not a member of a private club, don't worry: find the right person to take you in as a guest and you can still breach the inner sanctum of London's film community. The two favoured establishments are Soho House, on Old Compton Street, and Century, on Shaftesbury Avenue, both of which appear to be ordinary townhouses on the outside but are warrens of bars, restaurants and private rooms inside. During the festival, there are often parties and events on every floor, though admission procedures are tight. Black's, on Dean Street, is the industry professionals' choice, or Bafta's facilities, on Piccadilly, offer a touch of class.
Cinemas
For those more interested in film itself than film stars, there are a few choice venues where you can meet like-minded people. The ICA, on The Mall, is where the festival's more avant garde fare traditionally plays, and its bar is the film students' regular hangout. Likewise the Curzon Soho, a permanent home to independent cinema with ample lounging space. For Francophiles, Kensington's Institut Français and its Ciné Lumière are a must, or for more multicultural vibes try Mile End's Rich Mix or Brixton's Ritzy.
