The 69th BFI London Film Festival (LFF) is set to run from Wednesday, 8 October to Sunday, 19 October 2025, showcasing a remarkable array of global cinema. Highlighting this year’s event will be the opening night International Premiere of Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, marking the highly anticipated Rian Johnson Knives Out 3 Premiere. The festival will conclude with the UK Premiere of Julia Jackman’s 100 Nights of Hero, securing its place among the most talked-about titles of the year.
Major Gala Screenings Announced
The festival’s prestigious Gala presentations include several high-profile films set for UK and European premieres. The American Express Gala will feature Rental Family by Hikari, starring Brendan Fraser. Noah Baumbach’s star-studded ensemble comedy-drama Jay Kelly will screen as part of the Cunard Gala. Chloé Zhao’s film Hamnet, an adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, will make its European Premiere during the Mayor of London’s Gala. The Patrons’ Gala will showcase Philippa Lowthorpe’s adaptation of Helen Macdonald’s memoir, H Is for Hawk, starring Claire Foy and Brendan Gleeson.
Prominent World Premieres to Watch
The 2025 Festival will present 27 World Premieres, including notable debut films across various genres. British director Rowan Athale’s boxing drama Giant stars Amir El-Masry and Pierce Brosnan. James Lucas offers a poignant look at the relationship between Kate Moss and Lucien Freud in Moss & Freud. Environmental themes will be strongly represented by Ed Sayers’ documentary Super Nature, while Yemi Bamiro’s moving tribute Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story also debuts. Actor Bradley Banton makes his directorial debut with More Life. Calif Chong explores British-Chinese immigrant experiences in the comedic High Wire. Isabella Eklöf’s series The Death of Bunny Munro, adapted from Nick Cave’s novel and starring Matt Smith, will be another anticipated highlight. Additionally, Ahmed Alauddin Jamal’s historically remastered film Hotel London will appear in 4K, courtesy of the BFI National Archive.
International Premieres Feature Diverse Cinema
International introductions at the London Film Festival will include around eleven premieres, such as Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the festival’s Opening Night Gala. Bradley Cooper presents his third feature, Is This Thing On?, and Siobhan McCarthy offers her gender-swap comedy She’s the He. The Brown siblings, Jesse and Mikayla Joy Brown, unveil a heartwarming childhood detective story titled Finding Optel. The psychological horror The Vile, directed by Majid Al Ansari, and Vincho Nchogu’s touching tale of ancestral land and resistance, One Woman One Bra, will also be part of the lineup. Aitor Arregi explores elder queer desire in Maspalomas, while Taiwanese filmmaker Hsu Ya-Ting contributes a profound documentary on the island’s leprosy history with Island of the Winds. Rachel Abigail Holder’s Love, Brooklyn offers a dazzling cinematic ode to New York City. The festival will also feature a significant restoration of Ciro Durán’s pioneering 1962 Colombian film La Paga.
Renowned Filmmakers Return with New Works
<pThe 2025 festival program includes works by many returning acclaimed directors known for their contributions to world cinema. Yorgos Lanthimos, Richard Linklater, Lynne Ramsay, Michel Franco, Guillermo Del Toro, Jim Jarmusch, Chloé Zhao, Bradley Cooper, Edward Berger, Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Luca Guadagnino, François Ozon, Julia Ducournau, Radu Jude, Ira Sachs, David Michôd, Laura Poitras, Pablo Trapero, Christian Petzold, and Jafar Panahi are among those bringing new projects to the event, demonstrating the festival’s ongoing commitment to showcasing important and influential filmmaking voices.
Special Festival Presentations Highlight Diverse Storytelling
The Festival includes several unique presentations across documentary, experimental, series, immersive, and archival categories. Jane Pollard and Iain Forsyth’s documentary Broken English provides a soulful portrait of Marianne Faithfull. Experimental cinema will be represented by Kevin B. Lee’s intricate work Afterlives. The series special presentation features Isabella Eklöf’s The Death of Bunny Munro, starring Matt Smith. The BFI Flare Special Presentation will screen Maspalomas. Andrew Schneider presents the immersive work N O W I S W H E N W E A R E (THE STARS). Additionally, the Archive Special Presentation showcases a landmark 4K restoration of Ramesh Sippy’s classic film Sholay – Director’s Cut, which will be exhibited on the UK’s largest screen.
Curated Program Strands Encourage Exploration of Cinema
The 2025 London Film Festival’s feature film selection is organized into thematic strands designed to guide audiences through a varied cinematic experience. These include Love, Debate, Laugh, Dare, Thrill, Cult, Journey, Create, Experimenta, Family, and Shorts, each strand inviting viewers to engage with films offering distinct perspectives and genres. The festival‘s LFF Expanded initiative will also showcase cutting-edge immersive media, while its Series programme highlights exemplary episodic storytelling.
Kristy Matheson, director of the BFI London Film Festival, remarked:
“This year’s line-up reflects the richness of world cinema today — films that inspire, challenge, provoke, and move us. From bold new voices to master filmmakers, the Festival is a meeting point for stories that demand to be seen and experienced on the big screen.”
—Kristy Matheson, BFI London Film Festival Director
Cultural Significance and Anticipated Impact of the Festival
With 27 World Premieres, 11 International Premieres, and 20 European Premieres scheduled, the 69th BFI London Film Festival promises to be a pivotal cultural event in 2025, continuing its role as a platform for diverse and groundbreaking cinema. The premiere of Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery not only elevates the festival’s profile but also signals the growing cultural appetite for innovative storytelling within popular franchises. The festival’s expansive programming and inclusion of prominent filmmakers, both emerging and established, forecast a vibrant celebration of film that will influence audiences and industry alike, shaping cinematic trends and fostering new artistic conversations on an international scale.
