Today's news: UK on top with My Brother The Devil and Alan Bennett...

Five years in the writing, its director is firstly a woman, and secondly, non-film school educated, yet her debut, a portrayal of urban life for a group of young British men, has been praised for its visual beauty.

Welsh/ Egyptian Londoner, Sally El Hosaini studied politics and Middle Eastern Studies and has worked in features production and documentaries. Sundance reported she ‘wanted to make a film that was true to the real British Arab experience', and she told Indiewire ‘I've spent the last 5 years getting to know boys in Hackney, Highbury and Brixton gangs' in order to do it.

Aside from the LFF gong, the film claimed Best European Film at the 2012 Berlin Film Festival, and the World Cinema Cinematography Award at Sundance 2012.

Alan Bennett's new play, People was inspired by misgivings he had about the National Trust's activities (e.g. being encouraged to act reverentially inside their historic buildings, and listen to Jeffery Archer), but also takes a wider swipe at contemporary society, as is his wont of late.

The National Trust did have some things to say about the swipe at them, but the critics seem to be enjoying the play, directed by Nicholas Hytner, chiefly, it seems, because its writer can still make ‘em laugh...