The BFI is proud to unveil highlights from its 2025 cultural programme. Audiences can look forward to an inspiring range of curated film seasons, premieres, festivals, re-releases, and exclusive home entertainment content—available at BFI Southbank, BFI IMAX, and venues across the UK via BFI Distribution, as well as on BFI Player, UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD.
Spanning cinema classics, newly restored works, emerging talent, and landmark retrospectives, the programme offers powerful and diverse screen stories from the UK and around the world.
January to April 2025
Luchino Visconti – Retrospective including a BFI re-release of Rocco and His Brothers (3 Jan), presented in partnership with Cinecittà.
Sidney Poitier season (Jan)
UK-wide release of Victor Kossakovsky’s Architecton (10 Jan)
New BFI Blu-ray releases: Kurosawa’s High and Low and Stray Dog (20 Jan); Yojimbo and Sanjuro in new 4K UHD and Blu-ray sets (17 Mar)
London Short Film Festival (Jan)
Woman with a Movie Camera Summit (18 Jan) and curated BFI Player collection
Chantal Akerman – Major retrospective including a re-release of Jeanne Dielman… (7 Feb), UK-wide touring package, BFI Player collection, and two Blu-ray editions (Feb/March)
Picnic at Hanging Rock – Valentine’s previews and 4K Director’s Cut re-release (21 Feb)
All We Imagine as Light by Payal Kapadia – Exclusive BFI Player release (17 Feb); Blu-ray/DVD edition (3 Mar)
Cronos – 4K restoration released on BFI Blu-ray and UHD (24 Feb)
Edward Yang retrospective (Feb/March)
Black Rodeo screenings (Feb/March)
BFI Future Film Festival (20 Feb – 6 Mar) – UK’s largest festival for young filmmakers; full programme to be announced
BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival (19–30 Mar)
London Soundtrack Festival – Inaugural edition in partnership with BFI, including events at BFI IMAX (19–26 Mar)
UK-wide release of Four Mothers by Darren Thornton (4 Apr)
New Taiwanese Cinema season (Apr)
Queer East Festival (Apr)
Curated film season by Karina Longworth to accompany her new podcast series You Must Remember This, focusing on the late works of iconic Hollywood directors (Apr)
Wojciech Has retrospective in partnership with Kinoteka Polish Film Festival (Apr)
May to August 2025
Mai Zetterling centenary season in collaboration with the Swedish Film Institute (May)
Black Debutante – First and second features by Black filmmakers (May)
UK Asian Film Festival (May)
Michael Haneke retrospective in partnership with Curzon (June)
Barbara Loden, Visionary – Season dedicated to Wanda and its legacy, curated by Elena Gorfinkel (June)
BFI Film on Film Festival (12–15 June)
Dorothy Dandridge season (July)
Moviedrome – Celebrating the cult BBC series that introduced many to art house cinema (July)
London Indian Film Festival (July)
Sophia Loren season in partnership with Cinecittà (Aug)
John Akomfrah retrospective (Aug)
S.O.U.L. Fest (Aug)
September to December 2025
Ridley Scott retrospective (Sept/Oct)
Anna May Wong season (Sept/Oct)
Associated Rediffusion – Celebrating works from the UK’s first ITV franchise (Sept/Oct)
The 69th BFI London Film Festival – taking place across the UK and online (October, dates TBC)
Melodrama – Season running through Oct–Dec, UK-wide
Terence Davies retrospective in partnership with Edge Hill University (Oct/Nov)
Screen Two – Celebrating the BBC series that succeeded Play for Today, filmed entirely on celluloid (Oct/Nov)
The BFI’s 2025 cultural line-up offers a compelling mix of screen storytelling, restoration, and innovation, deepening connections with cinema’s past, present, and future. Full details and updates available via BFI Southbank, BFI Player, and partner venues.
