David Bowie ‘Let’s Dance’ documentary sells out in record time

The intimate behind-the-scenes short will premiere at the 59th BFI London Film Festival.

A startling new film about David Bowie is to have its UK premiere at the BFI Southbank, on October 10th, with a second screening on October 12th in Brixton, where Bowie was born.

In a rare short portrait, Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under explores for the first time the remarkable, forgotten story behind Let's Dance – and how the birth of MTV, and an unlikely journey deep into the Australian outback, led to its unprecedented success.

The film features never-before-seen archive with the man himself, plus exclusive, all-new interviews with key collaborators and noted cultural commentators.

The film introduces the forgotten stars of Bowie's groundbreaking 1983 videos, Joelene King and Geeling Ng, as well as award-winning filmmakers David Mallet and Julien Temple, former MTV host and Rolling Stone editor, Kurt Loder, acclaimed DJ and music historian, Norman Jay MBE, and renowned Aboriginal academic, Marcia Langton - all offer insight into this defining era in popular culture. Additional crew also open up for the first time about the historic 35mm shoot. Bowie himself reflects through rare and unseen archive.

The film premiered at the 65th Berlinale and went on to play at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, alongside the V&A's David Bowie Is touring exhibition, as part of the 64th Melbourne International Film Festival.

The team behind the project, journalists-turned-filmmakers Ed Gibbs and Rubika Shah, have uncovered a wealth of material during a three-year search. Their starting point: uncovering the untold story behind Bowie's landmark videos for Let's Dance, to coincide with the record's 30th anniversary in 2013.

"We are delighted to be bringing this story to audiences in London," the filmmakers said. "We can't wait to screen the film in Bowie's hometown – both at the BFI Southbank and at the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton, where Bowie grew up."

David Mallet, who directed the video for Let's Dance (and its follow-up, China Girl), is one of many collaborators the filmmakers have interviewed for the project. Bowie, Mallet notes, has an uncanny knack of knowing what he wants (and what will work), saying that, "Let's Dance was unlike any other video… MTV jumped on it, and played the hell out of it."

Let's Dance – which introduced contemporary Aboriginal Australians to a worldwide television audience – transformed Bowie from cult hero to global phenomenon. It remains his most popular release, with single and album sales in excess of 10 million copies worldwide.

Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under will have its UK premiere at the 59th BFI London Film Festival on Saturday, October 10th, at the BFI Southbank. It will also screen at Brixton's Ritzy Cinema on Monday, October 12th. Tickets are available via the festival's official site: www.bfi.org.uk/lff