BFI London Film Festival 2026 Highlights Announced

The BFI London Film Festival will run for 12 days from October 7 to 18, 2026, screening a total of 258 titles. According to a preview list from Dazed, the event will feature new films from notable directors including Jonathan Glazer, Luca Guadagnino, and Paul Thomas Anderson.

Tickets are currently on sale, with additional seats being released sporadically and a final batch due on October 1. The festival offers tickets for £6 for anyone under the age of 25. Many screenings will include introductions and question-and-answer sessions with directors and actors.

Featured Films and Series

The source highlights eleven specific titles from the festival's extensive program. These range from concert documentaries to coming-of-age dramas and archival projects.

Jonathan Glazer's documentary Joy of Joys features artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Arctic Monkeys, and Damon Albarn recording a charity album at Abbey Road. The project, devised with composer Mica Levi, also includes footage filmed by children in conflict zones including Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and Yemen. Levi describes it as "by kids, for kids."

Luca Guadagnino's film Artificial dramatizes the temporary ousting of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, played by Andrew Garfield. Rumors suggest the portrayal could be quite damaging to Altman. The film was reportedly dropped by Amazon shortly after the company signed a deal with OpenAI but was rescued for distribution by Neon.

Music and Performance

Paul Thomas Anderson co-directed Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall, a concert film shot on 16mm and 35mm. It documents a solo piano performance by the Geese frontman from late last year, commemorating the one-year anniversary of his album Heavy Metal.

Carol Morley's semi-autobiographical film 7 Miles Out follows a teenager in Stockport who turns to music and the punk scene after a family tragedy. The director previously gave Florence Pugh her first acting role.

Rafiki Fariala's Congo Boy is an autobiographical drama about a 17-year-old Congolese refugee raising his siblings while pursuing a rap career in the Central African Republic. Fariala claims some scenes, including one where shots are fired at the protagonist, are true to his childhood.

Comedy and Coming-of-Age

The festival will also screen the first three episodes of a new TV sitcom, It Gets Worse. Created by and starring 28-year-old comedian Leo Reich, the series follows three friends in London facing eviction and a post-university job search.

Several coming-of-age stories are featured. Harvey Zielinski stars in Sweet Milk Lake as identical twins, one trans and one cisgender, who switch identities. Marine Atlan's directorial debut La Gradiva, praised at Cannes, follows French teenagers on a school trip to Italy. Rafael Manuel's dark comedy Filipiñana explores class and colonialism through a young tee-girl at a Manila golf club.

Documentaries and Archival Work

John Wilson applies his signature documentary style to the subject of concrete in The History of Concrete, produced in the manner of a Hallmark movie. Theo Rollason's archival documentary Queer Edward II uses behind-the-scenes footage to explore Derek Jarman's 1991 film and its context in Thatcher's Britain.

The festival takes place at venues in London and across the UK. While some high-profile galas with red carpets are easier to access due to last-minute ticket releases, the source encourages attendees to seek out lesser-known films that may not secure theatrical distribution afterwards.