The film tells the story of Jamal Malik, an 18-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who finds himself just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?.
Arrested on suspicion of cheating, Jamal tells the police the incredible story of his life on the streets, and of the girl he loved and lost. But what is a kid with no interest in money doing on the show? And how does he know all the answers? When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the police and 60 million viewers are about to find out...
Dev Patel (from E4's Skins) stars alongside an all-Indian cast including Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Madhur Mittal and Freida Pinto in this uplifting drama set and shot in India.
The film was adapted for the screen by Oscar®-winning writer Simon Beaufoy (The Full Monty) from the bestselling novel Q and A by Vikas Swarup. It has been produced by Christian Colson and Executive Producers Tessa Ross and Paul Smith, with cinematography from Boyle’s regular collaborator Anthony Dod Mantle (28 Days Later).
Pathé Distribution will release the Film4 funded film in the UK in early 2009 and Pathé International is handling international sales. In addition to bringing the Festival’s 16-day celebration of cinema to a close, Danny Boyle will give a career interview as part of the Tiscali Screen Talks series.
Sandra Hebron, the Festival’s Artistic Director comments: "We're thrilled to be closing our Festival with this latest film from one of the UK's most talented and versatile directors.
"Pulling together a wealth of talent from two continents to tell this moving and truly contemporary tale, Slumdog Millionaire will bring this year's Festival to a vibrant and cheering close."
Danny Boyle said: "I am delighted that the film will receive its European premiere at the London Film Festival. I hope that Londoners will respond to this story about another great megatropolis - Mumbai, 'the Maximum City'."
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