BFI London Film Festival turns 70 with 251 titles

The BFI London Film Festival begins its 70th edition on Wednesday 7 October 2026, bringing 251 films, shorts, television projects and immersive works from 88 countries to London and venues around the UK. The festival runs for 12 days until Sunday 18 October, with world premieres, major international films and new British work spread across the programme.

This year's anniversary programme includes 33 world premieres alongside European and UK premieres. Screenings will take place at BFI Southbank, the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall and other central London cinemas, while selected films will also reach partner venues elsewhere in the UK.

Elsinore opens the festival

The European premiere of Elsinore opens the festival on 7 October at the Royal Festival Hall. Directed by Simon Stone, the film tells the true story of actor Ian Charleson as he prepared to perform Hamlet at London's National Theatre while facing serious illness.

The festival closes on 18 October with Jesse Eisenberg's The Debut. Between those dates, audiences can choose from films spanning drama, documentary, animation, shorts, television and immersive storytelling.

Danny Boyle's Ink has also been selected as the Mayor of London Gala. The wider programme includes new work from filmmakers across 88 countries, making the anniversary edition one of the festival's broadest international line-ups.

Ten films compete for the top prize

Ten films have been selected for the Official Competition, with the Best Film winner announced on Sunday 18 October. The competition includes work from filmmakers representing countries including the UK, Ireland, Japan, Brazil, France, Germany and Italy.

Other awards will recognise documentaries, first features and short films. Audience Awards also return, allowing festival-goers to support favourites outside the main jury prizes.

Additional highlights include screen talks with filmmakers and actors, while late programme additions brought new films from Luca Guadagnino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Chris Rock and others into the schedule.

Tickets are already on general sale, although availability varies heavily between screenings. Anyone planning to attend between 7 and 18 October 2026 should check individual film times and venues before travelling because the festival is spread across multiple London cinemas and UK partner locations.