BFI London Film Festival 2025: A Celebration of Global Cinema Returns with Stellar Programming

A Prestigious Return to the British Capital

The 69th BFI London Film Festival will take place from 8 to 19 October 2025, promising a celebration of the most exciting, innovative new films and featuring highly anticipated public premieres.

Star-Studded Programme

The festival will launch on Wednesday, October 8, with Rian Johnson’s ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ at the Royal Festival Hall, kickstarting 11 days of cinema celebration across the United Kingdom.

The festival’s prestigious Screen Talks programme features an impressive lineup including Daniel Day-Lewis, Yorgos Lanthimos, Richard Linklater, Jafar Panahi, Lynne Ramsay, Tessa Thompson, and Chloé Zhao.

Nationwide Accessibility

The festival’s main hub will be London’s Southbank, including venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, BFI IMAX, and BFI Southbank. Additional London screenings will take place at partner cinemas including Curzon Mayfair, Curzon Soho, ICA, Prince Charles Cinema, and Vue West End. The festival extends beyond London to cities across the UK, with screenings at venues in Nottingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Birmingham, Belfast, Sheffield, Manchester, Bradford, Newcastle, Bristol, and Edinburgh.

Practical Information

The complete festival programme will be unveiled on Wednesday 3 September 2025, with tickets going on sale from 16 September (with early access for BFI Members). The festival’s popularity continues to grow, with last year’s edition recording the highest in-person attendance in 10 years, attracting an audience of 230,342.

Cultural Significance

The LFF remains one of the most accessible major film festivals globally, now in its 69th year. It serves as the UK’s premier film festival, showcasing an impressive selection of premieres, new movies, restored works from the BFI archives, short films, virtual reality XR experiences, talks, panels, and special events.