The 69th BFI London Film Festival Programme 2025
- Zarah Hashim
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
The 69th BFI London Film Festival is set to join us once again this October. Festival director, Kristy Matheson, has curated a programme which highlights this year’s themes surrounding family, love, and belonging. This festival has shaped the way we consume and interact with cinema, and this year is no different. Matheson describes the festival as providing “filmmakers, artists and audiences with a moment to commune on a grand scale… and celebrate together.” A perfect description for the forefront of cinema.
Opening night begins the festival with the people’s favourite detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), returning to screen in Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man. This classic ‘whodunit’ is directed by Rian Johnson, who brought us Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. His film plays with the Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle detectives to produce a contemporary spin on murder mystery. Similarly, on the theme of classics, Julia Jackman’s 100 Nights of Hero closes the Gala with its ‘hilarious send-up of classic folk tales, a strident call to arms and a reminder of the power of rebellion in storytelling.’ Jackman’s second feature film, adapted from Isabel Greenburg’s graphic novel, creates discussion around female solidarity and the power of having a voice. These innovative expressions of past works speak to how film festivals, especially this one, encourage cinema to indulge in stories that already exist, yet also allow the director's own distinctive flair and style to be featured.
The BFI’s programme holds a diverse array of films for all tastes and wants of its audience. Thematic strands span concepts: Dare, in the long-awaited return to screen of Daniel Day-Lewis in Anemone, a gripping exploration of family ties. Thrill spotlights Silver Bear award-winning actress Rose Byrne in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, directed by Mary Bronstein, and Rowan Athale’s boxing biopic Giant starring Pierce Brosnan and Amir El-Masry. Love entangles itself with Endless Cookie, an animated tale directed by half-brothers Seth Scriver and Peter Scriver, reminiscing on their upbringing. The diverse portfolio of this year's programme is a testament to the BFI’s openness to all mediums of art and cinema and its ever-growing platform for showcasing all talents.
Matheson delivers a portfolio of films which represent the city of London's diversity. Her pursuit of bringing films to the festival which go beyond a Hollywood blockbuster is what allows this festival to hold artistic integrity and allows a more multicultural and queer lens to cinema. As part of the BFI Special Presentation, Maspalomas, directed by Aitor Arregi and Jose Mari Geonaga, is set to be on the big screen, exploring elderly queer identity and the social parameters of being as such in Spain. Furthermore, Dreamers by Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor follows two Nigerian migrants who dare to dream of a life beyond the immigration detention centre they are being held in. This film has been nominated for the First Feature Competition. With the UK’s most recent political philosophy towards migrants, films like Dreamers are terribly important in humanising these political scapegoats and the narratives about them which pollute the news. In spite of all the hate, the huge cultural wave of Bollywood has made it to this year’s programme with Ramesh Sippy’s ‘curry western’ Sholay being restored in 4k for all Bollywood fans to enjoy. This pays homage to the huge South Asian community which resides in London and beyond!
As part of the BFI’s Official Competition, The Voice of Hind Rajab, directed by Kaother Ben Hania, has been selected and is showing towards the end of the festival. This feature film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival 2025 after a 23-minute-long standing ovation from the audience. This hybrid documentary and drama recounts the tragic death of Hind Rajab, a Palestinian child from Gaza, born and killed under Israeli occupation. Palestinian solidarity is especially important in this political and social climate, and so to showcase the reality for Palestinians with this film is an incredibly brave but necessary moment in cinema as it reminds us that through film we are able to witness people’s truths.
LFF’s commitment towards a diverse cinematic experience, which extends beyond a Western narrative, is what cements their status as a body which promotes and celebrates all forms of artistic talents. This October’s programme is a reminder that cinema belongs to everyone, as films are an extension of its community, making film a communal space, encouraged by filmmakers and film-watchers alike.
The under-25 scheme will continue to run this year, with tickets from £6 and the opportunity to attend public premieres of some of the highly anticipated films of the year. The programme has ample opportunity to immerse oneself and leaves no room not too! As their slogan continues to be, ‘Everyone is invited!’
Check out the full programme details here, as public tickets go on sale on the 16th of September at 10 am. Patrons and Members of the BFI can also book as early as the 9th and 10th, respectively.
Edited by Lara Walsh, Co-Film & TV Editor
