Rentals
BFI London Film Festival Presents
A place to meet the world's top films and their creators, the BFI London Film Festival represents global cinema at its deep, diverse best.
Discovery is central to the BFI London Film Festival: finding talent, revealing rarities and chancing upon documentaries, shorts, classics or restorations. This Collection, taken from the last five years of premieres, shows the depth of excellence in cinema. It also features candid, exclusive interviews with writers, directors and others who discuss their contributions to the art of filmmaking.
In partnership with
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The Wild Pear TreeThe Wild Pear Tree
Drama 2018 189 minsDirector: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Nuri Bilge Ceylanβs follow-up to his Palme dβOr-winning Winter Sleep is a persuasive portrait of a young writer at odds with his hometown and family.
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NancyNancy
Drama 2018 86 minsDirector: Christina Choe
Andrea Riseborough is extraordinary in this disquieting drama about a woman convinced that she was kidnapped as a child and might have found her real parents.
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LuckyLucky
Comedy 2016 88 minsDirector: John Carroll Lynch
Harry Dean Stanton gives the performance of a lifetime as an irascible nonagenarian maverick grappling with his mortality.
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The RiderrThe Riderr
Drama 2017 103 minsDirector: ChloΓ© Zhao
ChloΓ© Zhao's luminous and enthralling study of a young South Dakotan cowboyβs struggle following a rodeo injury.
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MandyMandy
Horror 2018 121 minsDirector: Panos Cosmatos
Nicolas Cage wreaks revenge at the fiery gates of hell in Panos Cosmatosβ follow-up to Beyond the Black Rainbow.
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Bros: After the Screaming StopsBros: After the Screaming Stops
Documentary 2018 97 minsDirector: David Soutar
Matt and Luke Goss take on the big screen β and each other β in this candid documentary charting the reunion of 80s pop sensations Bros; an affectionate portrait that generates more than a touch of Spinal Tap-esque hilarity.
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LovelessLoveless
Drama 2017 127 minsDirector: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Andrey Zvyagintsev (Elena, Leviathan) delivers a masterpiece in this caustic look at contemporary Russian society, a failed marriage and the disappearance of a child. A major prize winner at both Cannes and BFI London Film Festival.
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The WoundThe Wound
Drama 2017 88 minsDirector: John Trengove
A traditional rite of passage ritual forms the backdrop for this tough and complex tale of closeted sexuality in South Africa.
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WajibWajib
Drama 2018 93 minsDirector: Annemarie Jacir
An estranged father-son relationship in the vibrant city of Nazareth makes for an immensely entertaining drama by Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir (When I Saw You).
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The Florida ProjectThe Florida Project
Drama 2017 112 minsDirector: Sean Baker
Tangerine director Sean Baker presents another visionary take on the wild ups and dangerous downs of life in Americaβs underbelly, featuring an Oscar-nominated turn from Willem Dafoe.
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TidesTides
Drama 2018 100 minsDirector: Tupaq Felber
Four thirtysomethings find some much-needed time to reconnect in this beautifully observed and subtly insightful debut.
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JourneymanJourneyman
Drama 2018 92 minsDirector: Paddy Considine
Paddy Considine directs and stars with Jodie Whittaker in this emotional knockout - the story of a boxer rebuilding his life after a near-fatal injury.
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You Were Never Really HereYou Were Never Really Here
Thriller 2017 90 minsDirector: Lynne Ramsay
Lynne Ramsay journeys with Joaquin Phoenix into the mind of an ex-soldier gun-for-hire whose own demons are as brutal as the actions of his adversaries.
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Summer 1993Summer 1993
Drama 2017 98 minsDirector: Carla SimΓ³n
An outstanding debut feature charting the emotional journey of a six-year old girl in the aftermath of her motherβs death in early 1990s Spain.
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CustodyCustody
Drama 2016 94 minsDirector: Xavier Legrand
Myriam (Drucker) has recently left husband Antoine (MΓ©nochet). She doesnβt want her youngest, Julien (Gioria), to see a father she claims is violent. But the judge rules otherwise, and the boy becomes a pawn in a bitter parental conflictβ¦
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BeastBeast
Drama 2018 106 minsDirector: Michael Pearce
The hunt for a Jersey serial killer sparks a dangerous awakening in a young woman (Jessie Buckley, in her feature debut) in this astonishing psycho-sexual thriller, which sets all the senses aflame.
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The Man from Mo'WaxThe Man from Mo'Wax
Documentary 2018 116 minsDirector: Matthew Jones
The exhilarating, no holds-barred story of Mo'Wax records founder James Lavelle, one of the most enigmatic yet influential figures in British music culture.
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Anchor and Hopee234 zenAnchor and Hopee234 zen
Comedy 2018 113 minsDirector: Carlos Marques-Marcet
Sweetly swaying houseboat comedy about a couple whose river-bound existence is upended by the arrival of an old friend.
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Sicilian Ghost StorySicilian Ghost Story
Drama 2017 119 minsDirector: Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza
A gripping real-life story of a Mafia kidnapping in Italy is enthrallingly re-imagined as supernatural fantasy by the directors of the acclaimed Salvo.
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Film Stars Don't Die in LiverpoolFilm Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
Biopic 2017 106 minsDirector: Paul McGuigan
Annette Bening and Jamie Bell bring to life the true story of the love affair between Gloria Grahame and young, Liverpudlian actor Peter Turner.
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ApostasyApostasy
Drama 2018 95 minsDirector: Dan Kokotajlo
A deeply religious family must decide whether to stick by their relation or abandon her, in this striking debut from Daniel Kokotajlo - a prizewinner at BFI London Film Festival 2017.
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ColumbusColumbus
Drama 2016 104 minsDirector: kogonada
A young librarian with a thing for Modernist architecture expands her horizons when a Korean lawyer (John Cho) comes to town, in this impeccable debut from acclaimed video artist kogonada.
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Ghost StoriesGhost Stories
Horror 2018 98 minsDirector: Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman
Being scared has never been this much fun, as Martin Freeman, Andy Nyman and Paul Whitehouse bring the chilling London stage play to the screen.
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Funny CowFunny Cow
Comedy 2018 102 minsDirector: Adrian Shergold
Maxine Peake plays a woman who rises above abusive relationships and crass sexist audiences of the 1970s to become a female stand-up comedian.
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On Chesil Beach testOn Chesil Beach test
Drama 2018 110 minsDirector: Dominic Cooke
Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle play a young, married couple struggling to physically connect in this sensitive adaptation of Ian McEwanβs acclaimed novel.
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The Nile Hilton IncidentThe Nile Hilton Incident
Crime 2017 111 minsDirector: Tarik Saleh
A murder investigation is mired by bureaucratic corruption in this dark Egyptian thriller, where everyone is on the make.
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ZamaZama
Drama 2017 115 minsDirector: Lucrecia Martel
Argentinian director Lucrecia Martel returns with a fine adaptation of Antonio Di Benedettoβs existential novel. In her first feature since 2008βs The Headless Woman, Martel creates a richly layered exploration of personal malaise.
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MindhornMindhorn
Comedy 2017 88 minsDirector: Sean Foley
Julian Barratt is hilarious as the washed-up actor forced to reprise his 80s TV role as a sleuth with a robotic truth-telling eye, to help catch a deranged killer.
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Reinventing MarvinReinventing Marvin
Drama 2017 114 minsDirector: Anne Fontaine
A young gay man (Finnegan Oldfield ) flourishes under the tutelage of Isabelle Huppert's drama teacher, in this stirring drama from director Anne Fontaine (The Innocents).
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RedoubtableRedoubtable
Biopic 2017 108 minsDirector: Michel Hazanavicius
From the Oscar-winning director of The Artist, a brilliantly realised portrait of Franceβs maestro director Jean-Luc Godard spiralling into philosophical and romantic crisis.
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Their FinestTheir Finest
Comedy 2017 117 minsDirector: Lone Scherfig
Gemma Arterton sparkles in this witty drama set in the world of propaganda filmmaking during WWII, from director Lone Scherfig (The Riot Club, An Education).
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Lean on PeteLean on Pete
Drama 2018 122 minsDirector: Andrew Haigh
The ravishing fourth feature from Andrew Haigh (45 Years, Weekend) sees a boy and a horse embark on a Huckleberry Finn-esque journey across America in search of home.
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WonderstruckWonderstruck
Drama 2017 116 minsDirector: Todd Haynes
Julianne Moore stars in Todd Haynes' playful adaptation of Brian Selznickβs acclaimed young adult novel, which follows two children from different eras as they set out to find people from their pasts.
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Dark RiverDark River
Drama 2018 89 minsDirector: Clio Barnard
Clio Barnard follows The Selfish Giant and The Arbor with this searing and eloquent Yorkshire-set drama exploring the fragility of familial relationships.
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The PartyThe Party
Comedy 2017 71 minsDirector: Sally Potter
Following some unexpected revelations, a celebration quickly takes a turn for the worse in Sally Potter's razor-sharp comedy.
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Ex Libris: The New York Public LibraryEx Libris: The New York Public Library
Documentary 2017 206 minsDirector: Frederick Wiseman
An immersive journey into the New York Public Library with great documentarian Frederick Wiseman.
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WesternWestern
Drama 2017 121 minsDirector: Valeska Grisebach
Masculine tensions reaching boiling point in this sizzling, brilliantly observed neo-western, where migrant German construction workers are pitched against villagers in remotest Bulgaria.
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My GenerationMy Generation
Documentary 2018 86 minsDirector: David Batty
Michael Caine takes us back to swinging London in this engaging documentary on the 1960s cultural revolution, featuring over 50 interviews with the key players.
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Sweet CountrySweet Country
Period drama 2017 113 minsDirector: Warwick Thornton
Australian director Warwick Thornton (Samson and Delilah) brings a vital Indigenous perspective and great cinematic vision to this powerful, revisionist Western, with Sam Neill and Bryan Brown.
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Loving VincentLoving Vincent
Drama 2017 95 minsDirector: Hugh Welchman and Dorota Kobiela
The first ever fully painted feature film takes us through the last days of Vincent van Gogh.
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Beach RatsBeach Rats
Drama 2017 98 minsDirector: Eliza Hittman
Gripping account of repressed sexual desire in a hyper-masculine environment, with British newcomer Harris Dickinson as a virulently macho Brooklyn teen.
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A Woman's LifeA Woman's Life
Drama 2016 119 minsDirector: StΓ©phane BrizΓ©
Judith Chemla shines in this Guy de Maupassant adaptation, a tale spanning 20 years of a womanβs life.
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I Am Not a WitchI Am Not a Witch
Drama 2017 93 minsDirector: Rungano Nyoni
Welsh-raised, Zambian-born Rungano Nyoni delivers a dazzling debut with this darkly satirical fairy tale about a little girl accused of being a witch.
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A Monster CallsA Monster Calls
2016 108 minsDirector: J.A. Bayona
JA Bayona's visually inventive and deeply moving story about a boy who draws on his expansive imagination to come to terms with impending loss, adapted from Patrick Nessβ hugely popular book.
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ManifestoManifesto
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2015 94 minsDirector: Julian Rosefeldt
Cate Blanchett gives a tour-de-force performance in this kaleidoscopic trip through the art manifestos of the 20th century.
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The HandmaidenThe Handmaiden
Period drama 2016 146 minsDirector: Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, Stoker) channels Sarah Watersβ novel Fingersmith, to create a sumptuous twisty psychological thriller full of erotic intrigue.
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Blade of the ImmortalBlade of the Immortal
Action and Adventure 2017 141 minsDirector: Takashi Miike
Takashi Miike's epically blood-strewn swordplay saga follows a samurai cursed with immortal life, who teams up with a young girl to avenge the murder of her parents.
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Racer and the JailbirdRacer and the Jailbird
Thriller 2017 130 minsDirector: MichaΓ«l R. Roskam
Adèle Exarchopoulos (Blue is the Warmest Colour) and Matthias Schoenaerts (A Bigger Splash) are lovers entangled in a world of crime in this tough, twisty thriller-romance
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La La LanddLa La Landd
Comedy 2016 128 minsDirector: Damien Chazelle
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone channel old-school Hollywood glamour in this bright and playful romantic musical from director Damien Chazelle (Whiplash).
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NerudaNeruda
Biopic 2016 110 minsDirector: Pablo LarraΓn
Pablo LarraΓn's bold, inventive detective thriller offers an electrifying contemplation of the Chilean poet's life on the run in the late 1940s.
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My Journey through French CinemaMy Journey through French Cinema
Documentary 2016 193 minsDirector: Bertrand Tavernier
Director Bertrand Tavernier guides us on a fascinating voyage through French film history, from the 1930s through to the '70s.
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MoonlightMoonlight
Drama 2016 111 minsDirector: Barry Jenkins
Winner of the 2017 Oscar for Best Picture (eventually!), Barry Jenkinsβ intoxicating drama follows the furtive life of a gay black boy through 80s Miami.
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Manchester by the SeaManchester by the Sea
Drama 2016 137 minsDirector: Kenneth Lonergan
Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams shine in this devastating, Oscar-winning drama from Kenneth Lonergan about a manβs painful hometown return.
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The LevellingThe Levelling
Drama 2016 84 minsDirector: Hope Dickson Leach
Hope Dickson Leach's hugely impressive first feature about a middle class farming familyβs crisis, set against the backdrop of the Somerset floods.
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Free FireFree Fire
Action and Adventure 2017 90 minsDirector: Ben Wheatley
Ben Wheatleyβs (High-Rise, Sightseers) all-guns-blazing bullet opera, starring Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy and Armie Hammer.
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ElleElle
Drama 2015 131 minsDirector: Paul Verhoeven
Isabelle Huppert gives an unforgettable performance in Paul Verhoevenβs provocative thriller about one womanβs response to a violent attack.
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StrongerStronger
Biopic 2017 119 minsDirector: David Gordon Green
Jake Gyllenhaal excels in a rousing story of strength and survival, from the acclaimed director of Prince Avalanche and George Washington.
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Toni ErdmannToni Erdmann
Comedy 2016 162 minsDirector: Maren Ade
A lonely prankster upends the life of his high-powered daughter in a riotous comedy, deep and sharp.
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A Quiet PassionA Quiet Passion
Biopic 2017 125 minsDirector: Terence Davies
Terence Davies' elegant and deeply moving biopic of poet Emily Dickinson, played with sensitivity and rebellious spirit by Cynthia Nixon.
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Trespass Against UsTrespass Against Us
Crime 2017 99 minsDirector: Adam Smith
Brendan Gleeson and Michael Fassbender are the father and son outlaws in this exhilarating crime drama with a Chemical Brothers soundtrack.
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ArrivalArrival
Science Fiction 2016 116 minsDirector: Denis Villeneuve
Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner star as the humans who make first contact with extra-terrestrial visitors in this richly textured sci-fi from director Denis Villeneuve.
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BrimstoneBrimstone
Western 2017 148 minsDirector: Martin Koolhoven
Guy Pearce, Dakota Fanning, Kit Harington star in a brutal revenge tale about a mute midwife in the old American west.
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Mountains May DepartMountains May Depart
Drama 2015 126 minsDirector: Jia Zhangke
Jia Zhangke delivers another ambitious, astute and humane drama, spanning the early days of Chinese capitalism to a vision of 2025.
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Journey's EndJourney's End
Drama 2018 108 minsDirector: Saul Dibb
Sam Claflin, Paul Bettany and Asa Butterfield bring R C Sherriffβs acclaimed First World War play to the screen, in this new adaptation from director Saul Dibb.
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My Life As a CourgetteMy Life As a Courgette
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2016 67 minsDirector: Claude Barras
Both young and adult audiences will enjoy this funny and touching animated feature about an orphan named Courgette, written by CΓ©line Sciamma (Girlhood).
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UnaUna
Drama 2017 94 minsDirector: Benedict Andrews
Rooney Mara and Ben Mendelsohn star in a brilliantly unsettling exploration of a dark and deeply destructive relationship.
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After the StormAfter the Storm
Drama 2016 118 minsDirector: Hirokazu Koreeda
As typhoons buffet Tokyo, Hirokazu Koreeda examines a broken family and the fatherβs dogged attempts to glue it back together.
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Lady MacbethLady Macbeth
Period drama 2017 89 minsDirector: William Oldroyd
Florence Pugh shines in this exceptional British debut of a young wife's need for freedom, whatever the cost.
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On the RoadOn the Road
Drama-documentary 2017 121 minsDirector: Michael Winterbottom
Michael Winterbottomβs sexy and idiosyncratic tour film follows 2018 Mercury Prize winners Wolf Alice, merging thrilling live footage with a fictional backstage romance.
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A Fantastic WomanA Fantastic Woman
Drama 2017 104 minsDirector: SebastiΓ‘n Lelio
This invigorating and inspiring Chilean drama from SebastiΓ‘n Lelio (Gloria) follows a trans womanβs quest for a little respect. Winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film 2018.
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120 BPM (Beats per Minute)120 BPM (Beats per Minute)
Drama 2017 143 minsDirector: Robin Campillo
Pulsating with life and pounding with urgency, Robin Campilloβs extraordinary account of 1990s AIDS activism is a rousing, sensual and heart-breaking celebration of personal and political resistance.
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Most Beautiful IslandMost Beautiful Island
Thriller 2017 79 minsDirector: Ana Asensio
A day in the life of an undocumented Spanish immigrant turns increasingly bizarre in this searing social drama with a bold genre twist. Winner of the 2017 SXSW Grand Jury Award.
Explore further
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Festival GALAS
Make the weather and spread the word. That's what our festival galas do.
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Festival Competition
Remarkable tales told with flair, these titles represent the elemental best of recent cinema.
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Festival Debuts
Talent needs company, and that's where the festival excels.
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Festival Archive Treasures
Film preservation and restoration is a vital part of our work. This collection represents moments in time, salvaged for a second chance to awe, enrich and entertain a new audience. They reflect human endeavour, on and off screen.
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Festival Favourites
Debuts, breakthroughs, winners and discoveries, courtesy of the London Film Festival.
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Discoveries
Your place for a chance meeting with new talent and the persistently brilliant.
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Festival documentaries
Edwyn Collins meets David Hockney here, a world of true human stories.
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More BFI London Film Festival films on our subscription collection.