Lion is the latest film to join the BFI London Film Festival 2016 programme, where it will receive its UK premiere.
Lion
The movie will be the American Express Gala film at the festival this year on Wednesday 12th October.
Lion is a big screen adaptation of the non-fiction book A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley and has been adapted into a screenplay by Luke Davies.
The movie marks the feature film directorial debut of Garth Davis, who is best known for his television work on Top of the Lake and Love My Way.
Speaking about the addition of Lion to the London Film festival programme, the director said:"Whilst Lion traverses many continents, it has a very special home here at the BFI London Film Festival and we are honoured to be a part of it.
"Dev Patel gave us everything for this story, and this being his hometown, makes it deeply special."
Patel takes on the film's central role of Saroo Brierley and is joined on the cast list by Rooney Mara, Nicole Kidman, and David Wenham. Patel and Kidman are expected to attend the premiere at the festival.
Lion tells the true story of how a wrong train takes a five-year-old Indian boy hundreds of miles from home; he survives many challenges before being adopted by an Australian couple.
Twenty-five years later, haunted by memories of his childhood, he learns of a new technology called Google Earth, and sets out to find his lost family.
It has already been announced that A United Kingdom, directed by Amma Asante will open the festival, and Ben Wheatley's Free Fire will close it.
The 60th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express takes place from Wednesday 5 October-Sunday 16 October 2016. The full Festival programme will be announced on Thursday 1 September 2016.
Tagged in London Film Festival