Carey Mulligan drama to open London Film Festival

Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley star in Never Let Me Go

Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley's new film Never Let Me Go will launch this year's BFI London Film Festival on 13 October.

The drama, directed by Mark Romanek, tells the tale of former boarding school pupils who confront their sheltered pasts.

It co-stars new Spider-Man star Andrew Garfield and is based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro.

The full festival programme will be announced on 8 September.

Never Let Me Go was adapted for the screen by Alex Garland - previously known for his novels The Beach and The Tesseract, and his screenplays for Danny Boyle's films Sunshine and 28 Days Later.

Its main characters Kathy (Mulligan), Tommy (Garfield) and Ruth (Knightley) spend their childhood at Hailsham, a seemingly idyllic English boarding school, where they discover a dark secret about their future.

The stars of the film are expected to attend the opening night screening, which will be the film's European premiere.

Sandra Hebron, the festival's artistic director, said Never Let Me Go combined "impeccable film making, outstanding performances and a deeply moving story".

Director Mark Romanek added: "I think I can speak for the entire cast and crew when I say that we are deeply honoured and excited to have been selected to open this year's festival.

"For me personally, it seems the perfect way to celebrate the conclusion of an incredible filmmaking experience in the UK."

The film will be released in the UK on 14 January, 2011.

The London Film Festival runs from 13-28 October, 2010.