Programme changes

Updated: 22 January

January Programme

Architecton
From Fri 10 Jan p8
This film has been given a U certificate.

All We Imagine as Light p10
Remaining playdates: Wed 22 Jan 14:40 and 18:10 NFT4 (DS); Thu 23 Jan 20:40 NFT1; Wed 29 Jan 12:00 NFT4; Thu 30 Jan 18:15 NFT4 (DS)
The screening on Wed 22 Jan 18:10 NFT4 and Thu 30 Jan 18:15 NFT4 will be presented with Descriptive Subtitles.

We are pleased to add the following new release to our programme:
Babygirl
Remaining screenings: Thu 23 Jan 20:30 NFT4; Fri 24 Jan 12:00 NFT4; Wed 29 Jan 18:00 NFT4 DS); Thu 30 Jan 20:45 NFT4
Netherlands-USA 2024. Director Halina Reijn. With Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas. 115min. Digital 4K. 18. An Entertainment Film Distribution release Audio Description available at all screenings and the screenings on Wed 29 Jan 18:00 NFT4 will be presented with Descriptive Subtitles.
Nicole Kidman is sensational in this cat and mouse game of seduction with Harris Dickinson.

LSFF: International Competition: The Melody Haunts My Reverie + Q&A
Mon 20 Jan 20:45 NFT1 p41
In a world of relentless routines and quiet absurdities, these Competition shorts, selected from across the LSFF programme, illuminate the radical potential of the ordinary. Through acts of humanity, small, surreal, and hauntingly banal, the political undercurrents of daily life emerge as profound expressions of reverie.

Each film turns its lens on the mundane, revealing how even the smallest gestures ripple with significance. Together, they form a symphony of resistance, exploring how beauty, absurdity, and resilience reshape our shared experience.

The Inescapable Desire of Roots (Singapore 2024. Directors Mark Chua, Li Shuen Lam. 6min)
Shokouk: A Cosmicomedy in Four Acts (Uzbekistan 2024. Directors Rouzbeh Akhbari, Felix Kalmenson. 17min)
La Voix des Sirènes (Italy 2024. Director Gianluigi Toccafondo. 18min)
31°42'49.5"N 35°10'13.9"E (Palestine 2024. Director Francisca Khamis Giacoman. 11min)
Street Light (France 2024. Director Romain Dumont. 1min)
/HAAW/ (USA 2024. Director Joey Scoma. 12min)

LSFF: UK Competition: Panoramics + Q&A
Tue 21 Jan 20:45 NFT1 p40
In this anthology of UK Competition films, selected from across this year’s LSFF programme, immerse yourself in desolate terrains, unearthed archival memories, eerie provincial conspiracies and the sheer uncertainty of our place in the cosmos. Including rarely seen archive footage of Palestinian wildflowers; emotional repression in isolated rural Ireland; the sensual and fluid landscape of sexuality; the parallel nature of analogue film and peatland bogs; mysterious big cat sightings in the Welsh countryside; and musical communication with the otherworldly.
Featuring LSFF alumni Federico Barni (Asha) and Theo Panagopoulos (My Own Personal Lebanon).

The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing (UK 2024. Director Theo Panagopoulos. 17min)
Out of the Peat (UK 2024 Directors Tabitha Carless-Frost, Theo Rollason. 12min)
Have You Seen The Beast? (UK 2024. Directors Will Hewitt, Austen McCowan. 7min)
Arctic Diva (UK 2024. Director Federico Barni. 17min)
The Eating of an Orange (UK 2024. Director May Kindred-Boothby. 8min)
Farmers!? (UK 2024. Director Freddie Leyden. 15 min)

Content warnings: This programme contains real images of fossilised human remains, mild body horror, animated nudity and suggestive imagery and depictions of suicide. This programme also contains flash photography which may affect those who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy.

LSFF: International Competition: Echoes of the Unseen + Q&A
Wed 22 Jan 20:45 NFT1 p41
The second programme of International short films, selected from across this year’s LSFF programme to compete for the Best International Short Film award.
Through poignant storytelling and vivid visuals, moments of stillness weave a tapestry rich with unexpected discoveries. Each narrative dances with anticipation, unveiling how time unfolds into revelation. As characters traverse their journeys, transformative insights arise, reshaping their understanding of the world. Join us on this journey where the act of waiting blossoms into new beginnings, inviting us to embrace the beauty hidden within each pause and the wonders that lie just beyond the horizon.

Butterfly (Croatia 2024. Director Suncana Brkulj. 8min)
The Oasis I Deserve (France 2024. Director Inès Sieulle. 20min)
Wander to Wonder (Belgium 2024. Director Nina Gantz. 13min)
Pirouette (Germany 2024. Director Ann Oren. 13min)
A Brighter Summer Day for The Lady Avengers (Taiwan 2024. Director Birdy Wei-Ting Hung. 12min)
She Stays (Mexico 2024. Director Marinthia Gutiérrez. 10min)

We are delighted to announce the following:
Preview: Hard Truths + Q&A with Mike Leigh
Wed 22 Jan 18:00 NFT1
UK-Spain 2024. Director Mike Leigh. With Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, David Webber. 97min. Digital 4K. 12A. Courtesy of StudioCanal. Audio Description available.
We are delighted that Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Michele Austin will join Mike Leigh for the Q&A following the screening.
Tickets £17, concs £14 (Members pay £2 less) on sale Tue 7 Jan from 11:00 to BFI Patrons, from 12:00 to BFI Members and on general sale from 16:00.

The Wizard of Oz + intro
Wed 22 Jan 18:00 NFT3 p36
We are delighted to announce that culture writer Kemi Alemoru will introduce this screening.

Conversation Piece + intro by film critic Phuong Le
Wed 22 Jan 20:30 NFT2 p29
Please note, we are screening the Italian dubbed version of the film (with English subtitles), which is the only version held by Cinecittà. This season is presented in partnership with Cinecittà and this 35mm print is part of the Visconti programme that has been touring internationally since 2018.

Member Exclusive: Archive Tour
Thu 23 Jan 10:30 to 13:00, BFI National Archive, Berkhamsted p7
To clarify, places are strictly limited and subject to ballot, so please complete our online form (link available on the BFI webpage for this event) by midnight on Friday 6 December to be in with a chance to come along. We’ll be in touch by Tuesday 10 December to let you know if you got lucky and to take payment from those who were.

Architecton
Thu 23 Jan 14:30 NFT4 p8
This screening will now start at the later time of 15:00. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Nickel Boys
Thu 23 Jan 17:50 NFT2 p10 br /> This screening will now take place in NFT1 and the seating will be unallocated. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner + Q&A
Thu 23 Jan 18:00 NFT1 p21
Due to popular demand, please note this additional screening. We are delighted to announce that this screening will be followed by a conversation with actors Ariyon Bakare (most recently starred in the BBC hit show Mr Loverman) and Michael Balogun (most recently seen in Series 2 of Sherwood for the BBC). This screening will now take place in NFT2 and the seating will be unallocated. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Edge of the City (aka A Man is Ten Feet Tall) + intro
Thu 23 Jan 20:40 NFT2 p19
We are delighted that this screening will be introduced by season programmer Jonathan Ali and this screening will also be followed by a Q&A with Ryan Calais Cameron, writer of the play RETROGRADE and Ivanno Jeremiah, who stars as Sidney Poitier in the play. RETROGRADE is the Kiln Theatre's acclaimed production which transfers to the West End playing at the Apollo Theatre from 8 March - 14 June 2025. Ryan Calais Cameron's gripping thriller captures the moment when a young Sidney Poitier is about to sign a career-defining Hollywood contract that could make him a star. But there's a catch...

The Brutalist
From Fri 24 Jan p11
This film has been given an 18 certificate.

Please note these additional screenings:
Architecton p8
Fri 24 Jan 20:50 NFT4; Sun 26 Jan 13:00 NFT4 (DS); Mon 27 Jan 18:05 NFT4 (DS); Thu 30 Jan 12:00 NFT4
The screenings on Sun 26 Jan 13:00 NFT4 and Mon 27 Jan 18:05 NFT4 will be presented with Descriptive Subtitles

Paris Blues
Fri 24 Jan 18:10 NFT2 p20
We are delighted to announce that this screening will now include a pre-screening spoken word performance by Nat Nye the Lyrical Alkhemist & Stella B aka The Power Couple, presented in partnership with The New Black Film Collective.

Paris Blues
Fri 24 Jan 18:35 NFT4 p20
Please note this additional screening.

We are pleased to announce these additional screenings:
Rocco and His Brothers p14
Sat 25 Jan 13:15 NFT4; Sun 26 Jan 17:55 NFT4; Tue 28 Jan 13:50 NFT4; Thu 30 Jan 14:10 NFT4

All Shall Be Well + intro
Sat 25 Jan 15:10 NFT2 p39
We are pleased to announce that producer Chowee Leow will join us for the intro and a Q&A will also follow the screening.

We are pleased to announce these additional screenings:
Nickel Boys p10
Sat 25 Jan 16:50 NFT4 (DS); Mon 27 Jan 20:15 NFT4; Wed 29 Jan 14:30 NFT4
All screenings will have Audio Description available and the screening on Sat 25 Jan 16:50 NFT4 will be presented with Descriptive Subtitles.

The Damned
Sat 25 Jan 20:05 NFT2 p28
Please note, we will screen the version of the film dubbed in English, which is the preferred version by Cinecittà and the best materials available for this title.

Funday: The Gruffalo 15th Anniversary Screening + Q&A
Sun 26 Jan 11:45 NFT1 p46
We are delighted to announce that joining us for a Q&A after the screening will be illustrator of the books, Axel Scheffler and film producers, Martin Pope & Michael Rose.

TV Preview: Brian and Maggie + Q&A with Steve Coogan, Harriet Walter
Mon 27 Jan 18:00 NFT1 p5
We are pleased to announce that writer James Graham, director Stephen Frears and producer Sarah Monteith will join Steve Coogan and Harriet Walter for the Q&A following this TV preview.

We’re pleased to add this screening to the BFI Southbank programme as a tribute to David Lynch:
Blue Velvet
Tue 28 Jan 17:50 NFT1
USA 1986. Director David Lynch. With Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern. 121min. Digital 4K. 18
Lynch’s nightmarish foray into small-town noir follows a shy adolescent’s investigations into a severed ear found in a backlot – investigations that lead to an intense encounter with a woman trapped in a terrifying relationship with a deranged mobster. A consistent focus on the bizarre and beautiful, along with a faux-naif invocation of good and evil, makes for a richly imaginative and deeply unsettling movie.
Tickets on sale Thu 23 Jan to BFI Patrons from 11:00, to BFI Members from 12:00 and on general sale from 16:00.

The Way We Were + intro
Wed 29 Jan 18:00 NFT2 p34
We are delighted to announce that academic Julie Lobalzo Wright will introduce this screening.

Death in Venice
Wed 29 Jan 20:25 NFT4 p28
Please note this additional screening.

A Warm December
Thu 30 Jan 18:10 NFT3 p22
We are delighted to announce that this screening will now be followed by a Q&A with actor, filmmaker and photographer Esther Anderson.

Hard Truths (DS)
Fri 31 Jan 14:30 NFT3 p12
To clarify, the screening of this film with Descriptive Subtitles screens in NFT3 as per the calendar, not NFT4 as per p12 of the January guide. We apologise for any confusion.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner + intro
Fri 31 Jan 18:00 NFT3 p21
We are delighted to announce that Dr Clive Chijioke Nwonka, Associate Professor in Film, Culture and Society at University College London (UCL), will introduce this screening.

February / March Programme

Chantal Akerman season multibuy offer p21
To clarify, the promo code can be used more than once per booker across multiple orders but not more than once in a single order.

Doctor Who: Spearhead from Space
Sat 1 Feb 12.00 NFT1 p7
We are delighted to announce that there will be a Q&A with actors Prentis Hancock, Robin Squire and Caroline John’s daughter, actor Daisy Ashford, following this screening.
Prentis Hancock, Robin Squire and Daisy Ashford will take part in a paid for signing following the event.

The Quiz of Rassilon – Season 7 Edition
Sat 1 Feb 16:15 BFI Bar
Calling all Third Doctor fans - The Quiz of Rassilon is back. Prepare to take on the Autons, confront the Primords, outsmart the Silurians, and negotiate with the Ambassadors of Death in a quiz celebrating one of the greatest seasons in Doctor Who history.
On top of that, we've got rounds on Joy to the World, The War Games in Colour, and loads more action (by havoc).
And remember... we deal with facts, not science fiction ideas. Tickets £3 per participant, maximum of six tickets per transaction.
On sale Tue 21 Jan to BFI Patrons from 11:00, to BFI Members from 12:00 and on general sale from 16:00.

Sergeant Rutledge + intro by season programmer Mia Mask*
Sun 2 Feb 13:30 NFT2; Sat 8 Feb 17:40 NFT2*p40
The 35mm print we were due to ship from the States in now deemed too poor to screen. However, we are delighted that the Swedish Film Institute have kindly agreed to loan us their 35mm print. Please note, this print will have Swedish subtitles which we hope will not be too distracting.

Funday: The Wild Robot + intro
Sun 9 Feb 12:00 NFT1 p66
This Funday screening will now take place in NFT3 and the seating will be unallocated. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Charulata
Sun 9 Feb 13:10 NFT3 p48
This screening will now take place in NFT4 and the seating will be unallocated. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Sun 9 Feb 14:40 NFT1 p18
This screening will now take place at the earlier time of 12:00. We apologise for any inconvenience.

We are delighted to announce the following events:
Mario Van Peebles in Conversation
Sun 9 Feb 16:00 NFT1
The multi-award winning filmmaker joins us to discuss his career. Actor, writer, filmmaker and activist Mario Van Peebles joins us to talk about his career to date including his contribution to the western genre. Whether it be as an actor in Clint Eastwood's Heartbreak Ridge and his father Melvin Van Peebles’ Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song or directing New Jack City, Baadasssss!, Posse and Panther, he has proved to be one of the US's leading film makers and has the ability to write, act, produce and direct strong, independent work simultaneously. The conversation will be hosted by Mia Mask, programmer of the BFI's Black Rodeo season.
Tickets £17, concs £14 (Members pay £2 less). On sale Tue 21 Jan to BFI Patrons from 11:00, to BFI Members from 12:00 and on general sale from 16:00.
25 and Under tickets £5, available on the day of the preview only.
Joint ticket with Preview: Outlaw Posse + Q&A £27, concs £22 (Members pay £2 less)

Preview: Outlaw Posse + Q&A with Mario Van Peebles and Mandela Van Peebles
Sun 9 Feb 18:15 NFT1
USA 2024. Director Mario Van Peebles. With Mario Van Peebles, Mandela Van Peebles, Scytorya Rhodes, Whoopi Goldberg. 108min. Digital. Advised 15 certificate. Courtesy of Quiver Distribution Mario Van Peebles writes and directs this western tale of a posse caught up in a deadly game.
In the untamed Wild West of 1908, men in power take advantage of an unfair world where corruption and greed run deep. Renegade cowboy Chief, eager to restore balance, assembles a daring group of outcasts and saddles up on a cross-country odyssey to reclaim stolen gold in unsettled territory. The posse is caught in a deadly game of survival and redemption, navigating the treacherous terrain of gunfights, showdowns, and horse chases. As they venture closer to the hidden treasure, they soon learn survival is the only justice.
This UK Premiere screens as part of the BFI's Black Rodeo season. Tickets £17, concs £14 (Members pay £2 less). On sale Tue 21 Jan to BFI Patrons from 11:00, to BFI Members from 12:00 and on general sale from 16:00.
25 and Under tickets £5, available on the day of the preview only.
Joint ticket with Mario Van Peebles in Conversation £27, concs £22 (Members pay £2 less)

Posse + intro
Mon 10 Feb 20:40 NFT1 p43
We are delighted that Mario Van Peebles will join us for an introduction before this screening.

Experimenta: UK Premiere: Schneewittchen + Q&A
Wed 12 Feb 18:00 NFT1 p62
To clarify, the panel for this Q&A will be Stephen Dillane, Toby Jones, Stacy Martin and Stanley Schtinter. Unfortunately, Gareth Evans and Joshua Bonnetta are unable to attend.

An Autumn Afternoon + intro
Wed 19 Feb 18:10 NFT1 p48
Please note, as this is Big Screen Classics screening and the tickets are only £9, the joint ticket price with Library Talk: The Japanese House on Film is £13.50, concs £11.70 (Members pay £2 less).

Library Talk: The Japanese House on Film
Wed 19 Feb 20:30 BFI Reuben Library p74
Please note, the joint ticket price with the screening of An Autumn Afternoon on Wed 19 Feb is £13.50, concs £11.70 (Members pay £2 less).

Picnic at Hanging Rock + intro by James Bell, Senior Curator of Fiction BFI National Archive
Mon 3 Mar 19:10 NFT1 p19
We're delighted to confirm this screening will be of the BFI Archive's brand new 35mm print made with funding from the National Lottery. With thanks to the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.

Nuit et jour
Fri 7 Mar 20:45 NFT2 p26
We are delighted to announce that Laura Carreira, director of On Falling, will introduce this screening.

Sister Midnight
Mon 10 Mar 20:40 NFT1 (Preview + extended intro by director Karan Kandhari)
From Fri 14 Mar p17
We are pleased to announce that Audio Description will be available at all screenings of this film.