Rentals
BFI London Film Festival Presents
A place to meet the world's top films and their creators, the BFI London Film Festival represents global cinema at its deep, diverse best.
Discovery is central to the BFI London Film Festival: finding talent, revealing rarities and chancing upon documentaries, shorts, classics or restorations. This Collection, taken from the last five years of premieres, shows the depth of excellence in cinema. It also features candid, exclusive interviews with writers, directors and others who discuss their contributions to the art of filmmaking.
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AmmoniteAmmonite
Biopic2020118 minsDirector: Francis Lee
Francis Lee follows up God’s Own Country with a film that is every bit as immersive, tactile and emotionally powerful, aided by the devastatingly good Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan.

StrayStray
Documentary202072 minsDirector: Elizabeth Lo
A soulful new voice emerges in Elizabeth Lo’s evocative award-winning debut documentary, which details life on the streets of Istanbul from the perspective of the city’s stray dogs.

BabyteethBabyteeth
Drama2019118 minsDirector: Shannon Murphy
Seriously ill Milla (Eliza Scanlen) clashes with her parents, who disapprove when she brings home her sketchy new boyfriend Toby, in this tragicomic debut from Shannon Murphy.

The Cannibal ClubThe Cannibal Club
Comedy201881 minsDirector: Guto Parente
The wealthy elite feed off the lower classes in a deliciously twisted Brazilian social satire that’s definitely not for the squeamish.

RunRun
Drama201976 mins
Mark Stanley plays the petrol-head who never left town, in this Bruce Springsteen-inspired tale of thwarted dreamers.

SynchronicSynchronic
Science Fiction2019102 minsDirector: Justin Benson
Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan star as a pair of New Orleans paramedics who encounter a series of bizarre deaths linked to a new designer drug with otherworldly effects.

The Personal History of David CopperfieldThe Personal History of David Copperfield
Drama2019120 minsDirector: Armando Iannucci
Armando Iannucci brings David Copperfield fizzing to life with all-star collaborators in this exuberant, entertaining and sharply pertinent adaptation.

ClemencyClemency
Drama2019112 minsDirector: Chinonye Chukwu
Alfre Woodard is quietly devastating as a weary prison warden presiding over her twelfth execution, in this Sundance-winning death row drama.

Eternal BeautyEternal Beauty
Drama201994 minsDirector: Craig Roberts
Sally Hawkins gives a standout performance as a fragile young woman in Craig Roberts’ humane depiction of mental illness.

WavesWaves
Drama2019136 minsDirector: Trey Edward Shults
Trey Edward Shults (It Comes at Night) continues to impress with one of the year's most dazzling cinematic achievements, a study of a family's dramatic unravelling and redemption.

RealReal
Romance201978 minsDirector: Aki Omoshaybi
Aki Omoshaybi’s earnest debut explores the love between two people who work hard to keep their romance on track while struggling to manage personal hardship.

You Don't NomiYou Don't Nomi
Documentary201992 minsDirector: Jeffrey McHale
Paul Verhoeven’s much-maligned masterpiece is placed under the microscope in this fascinating rumination on the one and only Showgirls.

SebergSeberg
Drama2019103 minsDirector: Benedict Andrews
Kristen Stewart shines as an idealistic yet fragile Jean Seberg in this stylish drama that packs a punch.

NocturnalNocturnal
Drama201984 minsDirector: Nathalie Biancheri
A teenage girl forms a mysterious relationship with an older man in this atmospheric debut from director Nathalie Biancheri.

The Painted BirdThe Painted Bird
Drama2019169 minsDirector: Vaclav Marhoul
Based on Jerzy Kosiński’s 1965 novel and a long time in the making, Václav Marhoul’s extraordinary The Painted Bird finds a lone Jewish boy on a dark odyssey towards home during wartime.

The LighthouseThe Lighthouse
Drama2019109 mins
Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson star in this hypnotic fusion of beauty and brutality from Robert Eggers, director of The Witch.

Dogs Don't Wear PantsDogs Don't Wear Pants
Drama2019105 minsDirector: Jukka-Pekka Valkeapää
In this playful, dark comedy a dominatrix offers a widower an unexpected chance for sexual and psychological release.

Family Romance, LLC.Family Romance, LLC.
Drama201989 minsDirector: Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog is on typically thought-provoking form, dramatising the work of a ‘rent-a-relative’ service, in this Tokyo-set meditation on contemporary alienation.

Fanny Lye Deliver'dFanny Lye Deliver'd
Drama2019112 minsDirector: Thomas Clay
The wife of a puritanical farmer seems resigned to her lot, until she has her head turned by the arrival of a young couple in Thomas Clay’s provocative period drama.

The TraitorThe Traitor
Crime2019152 minsDirector: Marco Bellocchio
Italian maestro Marco Bellocchio’s bravura gangster odyssey dramatises the extraordinary real life story of the first major Mafia boss to turn state’s informant.

Perfect 10Perfect 10
Drama201984 minsDirector: Eva Riley
An aspiring teen gymnast’s world is turned upside down with the arrival of the half-brother she never knew she had.

MonosMonos
Drama2019103 minsDirector: Alejandro Landes
The winner of Best Film at the 2019 BFI London Film Festival is a hallucinogenic, intoxicating thriller about child soldiers.

Days of the Bagnold SummerDays of the Bagnold Summer
Comedy201986 minsDirector: Simon Bird
Simon Bird’s directorial debut is a warm and witty graphic novel adaptation about a single librarian trying to reconnect with her introverted, metalhead teenage son.

Krabi, 2562Krabi, 2562
Drama-documentary201990 minsDirector: Ben Rivers
Observing locals and visitors creates a highly original portrait of the Thai tourist town of Krabi in this collaboration between award-winning directors Anocha Suwichakornpong and Ben Rivers.

Calm with HorsesCalm with Horses
Drama2019100 minsDirector: Nick Rowland
Cosmo Jarvis (Lady Macbeth) gives a visceral performance as the hired muscle for a crime family in rural Ireland.

Fire Will ComeFire Will Come
Drama201986 minsDirector: Oliver Laxe
A pyromaniac returns to his mother’s farm in Oliver Laxe’s visually jaw-dropping study of the Galician landscape.

VivariumVivarium
Science Fiction201998 minsDirector: Lorcan Finnegan
Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg play a pair of first-time buyers who get more than they bargained for in this twisted fable about the horrors of suburban living.

The Perfect CandidateThe Perfect Candidate
Drama2019105 minsDirector: Haifaa Al-Mansour
Celebrated Saudi director Haifaa Al Mansour (Wadjda) returns with an inspiring drama about a young doctor unexpectedly becoming an electoral candidate.

The Australian DreamThe Australian Dream
Documentary2019105 minsDirector: Daniel Gordon
A thought-provoking documentary about the Australian Rules football star Adam Goodes that raises crucial questions about casual racism.

Pink WallPink Wall
Drama201981 minsDirector: Tom Cullen
Six scenes, six years: from first sparks to the fading embers of a love affair, in this intense relationship study by British actor-turned-director Tom Cullen.

Mr. JonesMr. Jones
Drama2019119 minsDirector: Agnieszka Holland
James Norton stars as Welsh journalist Gareth Jones whose 1930s visit to Soviet Ukraine uncovered the truth of Stalin’s state-sponsored famine and reputedly inspired George Orwell’s Animal Farm.

Knives OutKnives Out
Thriller2019130 minsDirector: Rian Johnson
Daniel Craig is the Kentucky Fried Poirot with all-star suspects - Chris Evans, Ana de Armas and Toni Collette among them - in this nimble and brilliant crime caper.

CunninghamCunningham
Documentary201993 minsDirector: Alla Kovgan
This eye-popping portrait of great American choreographer Merce Cunningham celebrates the centenary of his birth.

Long Day's Journey Into NightLong Day's Journey Into Night
Drama2018138 minsDirector: Bi Gan
Bi Gan's ‘destroyed film noir' is a dazzling dive into an immersive dreamscape.

The KingmakerThe Kingmaker
Documentary2019101 minsDirector: Lauren Greenfield
The matriarch of the Marcos dynasty hopes to see her maternal delusions validated and political power restored, while Philippine activists fight for transparency and democracy, in this captivating study by Lauren Greenfield.

Talking about TreesTalking about Trees
Documentary201994 minsDirector: Suhaib Gasmelbari
Beautifully shot documentary about four members of the 'Sudanese Film Club' who decide to revive an old cinema.

The Peanut Butter FalconThe Peanut Butter Falcon
Comedy201997 minsDirector: Michael Schwartz
Effortlessly charming buddy movie about a young man with Down's syndrome (Zack Gottsagen) in pursuit of his dreams, with Shia LaBeouf.

IdaIda
Drama201482 minsDirector: Pawel Pawlikowski
The Best Film winner at the 2013 BFI London Film Festival is an exquisitely shot, moving drama about a Polish nun exploring her family past, from UK-based director Pawel Pawlikowski.

Out of BlueOut of Blue
Crime2018109 minsDirector: Carol Morley
Carol Morley (Dreams of a Life, The Falling) returns with a wonderfully stylised, offbeat noir thriller about a murder investigation and multiple realities.

CapernaumCapernaum
Drama2018126 minsDirector: Nadine Labaki
Acclaimed Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki delivers her most assured and affecting work yet, with this astonishing and heart-wrenching depiction of life in the shadows.

PrematurePremature
Drama201990 minsDirector: Rashaad Ernesto Green
Budding writer Ayanna’s life is transformed over the course of one hot Harlem summer, when a handsome and mysterious stranger walks into her life.

First LoveFirst Love
Comedy2019108 minsDirector: Takashi Miike
A terminally-ill boxer, a runaway call girl, a double-crossing drugs heist and a gang war; Takashi Miike doesn’t do things by halves.

Mystify: Michael HutchenceMystify: Michael Hutchence
Documentary2019102 minsDirector: Richard Lowenstein
Capturing his rise to super-stardom and subsequent tragic fall, Mystify gives remarkable insight into INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence and a truth he took to the grave.

The FightThe Fight
Drama201891 minsDirector: Jessica Hynes
Jessica Hynes’ directorial debut is a life-affirming lesson in the importance of learning to stand up for yourself.

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic SoundMaking Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
Documentary201995 minsDirector: Midge Costin
Faders on stun: Hollywood sound editor Midge Costin’s immersive, educational and hugely enjoyable documentary exploring the power of sound in cinema.

The Man Who Killed Don QuixoteThe Man Who Killed Don Quixote
Fantasy2017133 minsDirector: Terry Gilliam
Two decades in the making, Terry Gilliam’s wildly imaginative Cervantes adaptation is finally with us, and it’s everything we have come to expect from this visionary filmmaker.

LadyworldLadyworld
Thriller201894 minsDirector: Amanda Kramer
Welcome to Ladyworld, a shadowy dwelling where tensions run high and nothing is ever quite what it seems.

I Am (Not) a MonsterI Am (Not) a Monster
Documentary201998 mins
In this thought-provoking and playful documentary, ebullient director Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian (Disaster Playground) takes you on a journey to find the origins of knowledge.

Ordinary LoveOrdinary Love
Drama201892 minsDirector: Lisa Barros D'Sa
Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville star in this intimate and sensitively-handled drama about a couple dealing with breast cancer.

Chained for LifeChained for Life
Drama201891 minsDirector: Aaron Schimberg
Aaron Schimberg’s dextrous, darkly comedic discourse on physical difference makes you think about cinematic representation without offering simple resolutions.

Papi ChuloPapi Chulo
Comedy201899 minsDirector: John Butler
Delightfully unexpected buddy movie about a heartbroken TV weatherman's relationship with a migrant worker.

Sometimes Always NeverSometimes Always Never
Comedy201891 minsDirector: Carl Hunter
Bill Nighy, Sam Riley and Alice Lowe star in this stylish and heartfelt comedy-drama about a Scrabble-obsessed tailor searching for a lost son.

Support the GirlsSupport the Girls
Drama201890 minsDirector: Andrew Bujalski
Andrew Bujalski serves up a big-hearted comedy with his day-in-the-life look at Double Whammies – a Hooters-style bar and its tight-knit, all-female staff.

HolidayHoliday
Thriller201888 minsDirector: Isabella Eklöf
A lavish trip to the Turkish Riviera goes horribly awry in this disturbing tale of power, exploitation and complicity from the writer of Border.

Ray & LizRay & Liz
Drama2018104 minsDirector: Richard Billingham
In this astonishingly personal film, artist Richard Billingham delves into his Black Country upbringing to recreate visceral family memories and desperate living in Thatcher’s Britain.

ConsequencesConsequences
Drama201895 minsDirector: Darko Štante
A teenage tearaway is forced to face up to his actions and confront his burgeoning sexuality, in this provocative Slovenian coming-of-age tale.

Dragged Across ConcreteDragged Across Concrete
Crime2018159 minsDirector: S. Craig Zahler
As brutal and uncompromising as its title would suggest, the third feature from S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk, Brawl in Cell Block 99) is another instant classic crime drama.

Stan & OllieStan & Ollie
Biopic201898 minsDirector: Jon S. Baird
Steve Coogan and John C Reilly give delightfully bang-on-target performances as comedy’s most famous double act as they enter their twilight years.

The White CrowThe White Crow
Biopic2019127 minsDirector: Ralph Fiennes
Dance perfection meets political defection in director Ralph Fiennes’ intoxicating account of the young life of Rudolf Nureyev.

Happy as LazzaroHappy as Lazzaro
Drama2018128 minsDirector: Alice Rohrwacher
Alice Rohrwacher follows The Wonders with a delightfully singular, time and genre-bending rumination on the fate of innocence when faced with corruption and greed.

HarrietHarriet
Drama2019125 minsDirector: Kasi Lemmons
Cynthia Erivo gives a show-stopping turn as the American revolutionary anti-slavery heroine Harriet Tubman in Kasi Lemmons' biopic.

ColetteColette
Biopic2017112 minsDirector: Wash Westmoreland
This witty, Belle Époque-era biopic stars Keira Knightley and Dominic West as literary couple Colette and Willy, whose relationship rewrote social and gender rules.

Thunder RoadThunder Road
Comedy201890 minsDirector: Jim Cummings
Following the death of his mother, an emotionally unstable cop sees his life slowly unravel in this extraordinary tragicomedy.

The Hummingbird ProjectThe Hummingbird Project
Thriller2018111 minsDirector: Kim Nguyen
Jesse Eisenberg and Alexander Skarsgård are sensational as scheming cousins on a lucrative but ethically dubious mission, in this fast, funny and topical technological caper.

The Kindergarten TeacherThe Kindergarten Teacher
Drama201897 mins
Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a career-best performance as a kindergarten teacher who finds herself in an ethical quagmire after discovering the poetic talents of a precocious student.

John McEnroe: In The Realm Of Perfection John McEnroe: In The Realm Of Perfection
Documentary201895 minsDirector: Julien Faraut
Mastery, showmanship and the art of filming tennis are laid bare in an entertaining, innovative archive documentary that’s like no sports film you’ve seen.

The RiderThe Rider
Drama2017103 minsDirector: Chloé Zhao
Chloé Zhao's luminous and enthralling study of a young South Dakotan cowboy’s struggle following a rodeo injury.

DiamantinoDiamantino
Comedy201897 minsDirector: Gabriel Abrantes
Diamantino, Portugal’s (the world’s!) top football player, becomes embroiled in a genetic experiment and a conspiracy to leave the EU, in this joyful, postmodern political fantasy.

BurningBurning
Thriller2018148 minsDirector: Lee Chang-dong
Lee Chang-dong (Poetry) returns with this spellbinding, richly complex thriller about obsession, class conflict and suppressed male rage.

Wild RoseWild Rose
Drama2018101 minsDirector: Tom Harper
This delightful and infectiously joyous film finds a young woman balancing her dreams of being a country music star with the responsibilities of motherhood.

Ash Is Purest WhiteAsh Is Purest White
Drama2018136 minsDirector: Jia Zhangke
Heartbreak and resilience fuel Jia Zhangke's quietly epic saga, in which one woman’s fortitude and knack for crime carry her through a rapidly changing China.

MariMari
Drama201895 minsDirector: Georgia Parris
Modern dance is an evocative narrative tool in Georgia Parris’ debut, which investigates a young woman’s identity and the complex relationship she has with her mother and sister.

Beautiful BoyBeautiful Boy
Drama2018121 minsDirector: Felix Van Groeningen
Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet give blistering performances as a father and son in this gripping story of a family dealing with addiction over many years.

A Private WarA Private War
Drama2018110 mins
Matthew Heineman (Cartel Land, City of Ghosts) makes a striking dramatic debut with this pulse-racing biopic of The Sunday Times war correspondent Marie Colvin (Rosamund Pike), killed in 2012 whilst reporting from Syria.

If Beale Street Could TalkIf Beale Street Could Talk
Drama2018119 minsDirector: Barry Jenkins
Barry Jenkins follows his Oscar®-winning Moonlight with an audacious, distinctive and assured adaptation of James Baldwin’s account of love, injustice and racism in America.

DonbassDonbass
Drama2018121 minsDirector: Sergei Loznitsa
This disturbing new black comedy from Sergei Loznitsa (In the Fog) examines the civil conflict in Ukraine through the prism of the absurd.

WildlifeWildlife
Drama2016105 minsDirector: Paul Dano
Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal play a couple on the rocks in Paul Dano’s directorial debut, an elegant 1950s-set melodrama.

LizzieLizzie
Crime2017105 mins
Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart captivate in this bodice-ripping retelling of the strange and fascinating case of Lizzie Borden.

RosieRosie
Drama201886 minsDirector: Paddy Breathnach
A moving and fiercely gripping response to Ireland’s current housing crisis, Rosie tells the story of a Dublin family seeking a roof for the night.

DestroyerDestroyer
Thriller2018121 minsDirector: Karyn Kusama
Nicole Kidman is astonishing – and almost unrecognisable – as a jaded police detective haunted by her past in Karyn Kusama’s brooding thriller.

BenjaminBenjamin
Comedy201886 minsDirector: Simon Amstell
In Simon Amstell’s affecting, bittersweet comedy, a rising young filmmaker is thrown into emotional turmoil by a burgeoning romance and the upcoming premiere of his second feature.

RafikiRafiki
Drama201883 minsDirector: Wanuri Kahiu
Romantic sparks fly between the daughters of two opposing politicians in Wanuri Kahiu’s neon-bright story of forbidden love in Kenya.

ArcticArctic
Action and Adventure201898 minsDirector: Joe Penna
Mads Mikkelsen astounds in this gripping tale of one man’s gruelling fight for survival against the elements.

LovelessLoveless
Drama2017127 minsDirector: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Andrey Zvyagintsev (Elena, Leviathan) delivers a masterpiece in this caustic look at contemporary Russian society, a failed marriage and the disappearance of a child. A major prize winner at both Cannes and BFI London Film Festival.

The RaftThe Raft
Documentary201898 minsDirector: Marcus Lindeen
Imagine Big Brother at sea, but with no evictions. Director Marcus Lindeen innovatively uncovers the human stories behind a 1970s social experiment, salaciously dubbed ‘The Sex Raft’.
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Film preservation and restoration is a vital part of our work. This collection represents moments in time, salvaged for a second chance to awe, enrich and entertain a new audience. They reflect human endeavour, on and off screen.

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Your place for a chance meeting with new talent and the persistently brilliant.

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Edwyn Collins meets David Hockney here, a world of true human stories.

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