251 titles. 88 countries. Twelve days of discovery. Here’s why London’s festival deserves a place on your film radar.
BFI Southbank, August 2025. Archive venue photograph. Photo: Ewan Munro / CC BY-SA 4.0. Display crop; resized. Image remains available under its original license.
Festivals · Running 7–18 October 2026 · Programme announced 2 September
The 70th BFI London Film Festival is underway. Its programme spans 251 titles from 88 countries, including features, shorts, series and immersive work. Simon Stone’s Elsinore opens the festival, while Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut is the closing film.
The programme also includes a restoration of Powell and Pressburger’s Gone to Earth and Ava DuVernay’s documentary 14th. That mix is part of the attraction: new discoveries sit alongside films worth seeing again.
For your watchlist: festival selections can be a useful route beyond the biggest releases. Check the official programme for screening details; a festival appearance does not establish a wider release date in India or elsewhere.
