London Film Festival: A quarter of films directed by women
Female directors account for a quarter of the films that will be shown at this year's London Film Festival.
A total of 242 feature films will be shown during the 12-day event, with 60 of those coming from women film-makers.
"Strong women is obviously still a key focus for us," said Festival Director Clare Stewart.
The announcement comes a day after the start of the Venice Film Festival, which has been criticised for a lack of work from women in the film industry.
Movies being showcased in London that come from female film-makers include the Billie Jean King drama Battle of the Sexes, which has been co-directed by Valerie Faris and stars Oscar winner Emma Stone as the tennis star.
Other films being shown include thriller You Were Never Really Here, which has been written and directed by Lynne Ramsay, and writer/director Sally Potter's political satire The Party.
Films with compelling female characters also feature strongly in this year's event.
The festival will open on 4 October with Andy Serkis's directorial debut Breathe.
It tells the true story of Robin Cavendish, played by Andrew Garfield, a man who refused to accept spending the rest of his life in a hospital bed after being paralysed by polio.
Other film highlights include the social satire Downsizing, starring Matt Damon as a man who agrees to be shrunk in order to live in a Government luxury resort, and Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool which stars Annette Bening as fading film star Gloria Grahame.
Mudbound, directed by Dee Rees, which explores racial division in America's Deep South, will also be shown.
The festival will close with the comic drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri starring Oscar winner Frances McDormand.
There will be also be talks from Ian McEwan whose adaptation of his book On Chesil Beach will be screened during the festival. And from David Fincher who will discuss Mindhunter his latest TV series for streaming service Netflix.
The London Film Festival runs from 4 -15 October.