The 70th BFI London Film Festival is under way, running from October 7 to October 18, 2026, with screenings and events across the capital.
The festival opened with Simon Stone’s Elsinore, starring Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman, shown as a European premiere. Opening night choices set the tone for the days that follow, and this year’s pick pairs two of Britain’s most watched actors.
The closing slot on October 18 goes to Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut, presented as a UK premiere. Bookending the festival with premieres is a deliberate design: it gives the event both a launch and a finale that feel like occasions.
The reported scale of this year’s edition is 251 films from 88 countries. That spread is the festival’s calling card, mixing major releases with work from smaller cinemas that rarely reaches UK screens.
For the industry, London in October is a busy meeting point. Distributors look for titles to buy, critics compare notes, and filmmakers test their work in front of keen audiences.
For the public, the appeal is simpler. A festival pass can mean seeing a future award winner months early, or finding a small film that never reaches the local cinema at all.
Seventy editions in, the festival also carries history. It has grown from a specialist event into one of the fixed points of the autumn film calendar, drawing stars while keeping space for new voices.
With days of screenings still ahead, the early story is one of range. If the opening and closing choices are any guide, this year’s programme aims to balance prestige with discovery, which is what a city festival does best.
