BFI closes on admissions high note

LONDON -- The 55th BFI London Film Festival, the final edition for artistic director Sandra Hebron, set an admissions record with more than 133,000 tickets sold, up from last year's high of 132,000. The fest closed Thursday night with the U.K. premiere of Terence Davies' "The Deep Blue Sea." Some 207 features screened over the 16 days, with Lynne Ramsay's "We Need to Talk About Kevin" beating rival contenders including "Shame," "The Descendants" and "The Artist" to the best film award. The fest welcomed 557 filmmaker guests, including 245 from outside the U.K. There were 971 accredited industry delegates, who attended 43 industry screenings. "With weeks of outstanding films and live events, inspiring and insightful filmmakers, and enthusiastic audiences, we're delighted with the reception that this year's festival has received, and grateful to all our supporters," said Hebron, in her farewell after presiding over nine years of admissions growth. She joined the British Film Institute's festivals department in 1997, and took charge of the LFF in 2003. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com