Collections Featured collections Staff Picks: Must-Watch Films Too much choice, not enough time? Let the BFI Player team do the choosing. French Cinema France, the country where cinema was born, has given us some of the masters of cinema. Cult Rentals Camp controversies and obscure outsiders. Based on the Book… Literature has inspired some of the greatest films ever made. Genres Comedy Celebrating side-splitting cinema, from slapstick legends to today's anarchic voices. Crime Revenge, money, power and love – the passions that push moral and immoral alike into a shady underworld. Documentaries Documentaries can be as expressive, surreal and experimental as any work of fiction. Family Films Films for kids have changed dramatically over the last 100 years, as seen in this family-friendly collection. Horror Uncommon terror – and a few laughs – links them, and they show vintage names such as George A. Romero and Hammer Films, alongside perverse visions minted much more recently. Served chilled. Sci-fi Celebrating the most spectacular of movie genres and its unique hold on our imaginations. Thriller Who can you trust? Trust few and fear all in a collection of films packed with suspense, paranoia and conspiracy. Country of origin American Indie US independent films made away from the pressures and glitz of Hollywood have offered directors a greater creative freedom. Chinese Cinema From the 1930s Golden Age to the urgent, socially conscious cinema of Jia Zhangke, Chinese cinema contains many riches to discover. French Cinema France, the country where cinema was born, has given us some of the masters of cinema. German Cinema A country once divided produces filmmakers of uncommon talent, storyteller reflecting the human story through national identity. India on Film Celebrating the diversity of Indian filmmaking and films about India. Themes and subjects Backed by BFI Highlighting some of the astonishing and engaging work that has been supported by the UK public, including the National Lottery funding through the BFI, over the last 60 years. Based on the Book… Literature has inspired some of the greatest films ever made. Black Stories Showcasing the best of Black culture in film and TV history. Cult Rentals Camp controversies and obscure outsiders. Disabled Britain on Film From a rare portrait of the first spokesperson of the UK disability rights movement to a reimagining of becoming blind, this selection of mainly fictional films covers a range of representations of being disabled. Forgotten Features Mischievous mermaids, murderous minors and military mayhem are among the highlights of this collection of long hard-to-see titles. Girlfriends Let’s hear it for the badass buddies, inseparable gal-pals and the wisecracking girl gangs of cinema. Inside Film The camera flips inward to film the creative process. Watch rarities, exclusives, documentaries and special features from the artists and obsessives who make the films. LGBTQIA+ Britain This colourful and challenging collection explores screen representations of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender lives over the past century. Nineties Rentals Exploring the films and filmmakers that broke the rules of cinema in the 1990s. Northern Voices Exploring the northern talent and creativity that drive such distinctive storytelling. Shakespeare on Film All the world's a cinema! How a century and more of filmmakers have raided, remade and refashioned the bard. Music Personal, powerful and lyrical, this is where music and film collide, a meeting place for rock biopics, probing documentaries, groundbreakers and old stagers. South Asian Britain on Film Discover a rich history reaching back over a century as we celebrate South Asian communities and culture across Britain. Summertime Feel the warmth of the sun and dip into our selection of summer rentals. Unavailable on DVD This collection showcases a selection of hard-to-see features that are unavailable to watch anywhere else (legally) in the UK. Woman with a Movie Camera Great films incite, others vex, a few elate. From pre-war to the present day, these remarkable works by international women directors do all that and more. Working Class Heroes A collection of films lit up by the charisma of working-class stars; a celebration of fine actors and remarkable leading roles. Actors and directors Pedro Almodóvar Obscenity and poignancy fuse in the work of this Spanish legend, whom Pauline Kael declared was "Godard with a human face – a happy face." Earl Cameron Trailblazer, groundbreaker, godfather, pioneer... we chart the trajectory of Earl Cameron’s unique film career. David Lynch ‘I like to make films because I like to go into another world. I like to get lost in another world...lost inside the world of film.’ David Lynch Carol Morley Dreams, memories and reveries - the collected works of one of Britain's most distinctive filmmakers. Jean-Luc Godard Cinema’s perpetual provocateur has been inciting audiences for over half a century. Ken Loach Britain’s most garlanded working filmmaker has been an unyielding presence for half a century, rattling authorities and raging against injustice from the campaigning Cathy to Come to his two Palmes d’Or. Hirokazu Koreeda Celebrating the master of contemporary Japanese cinema and his diverse, beautiful and human stories. Tilda Swinton Celebrating the extraordinary, convention-defying career of the chameleonic performer. Awards and festivals BFI London Film Festival Rentals The BFI London Film Festival captures the richness of world cinema at its diverse best. London Indian Film Festival Europe’s largest South Asian film festival is now online. Discover the best independent Indian cinema, from features and documentaries to on-stage highlights from the festival itself. Best of BAFTA A selection of winners and nominees, past and present, honouring the world’s most inventive storytellers. Best of British Independent Film Awards Striking, ambitious and delicious: the best indie films from the UK and around the world are showcased in this eye-popping collection of nominees, winners from the British Independent Film Awards. BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival Presents The home of LGBTQIA+ rentals on BFI Player, showcasing favourites from the BFI Flare festival and the best in contemporary LGBTQIA+ cinema. Cannes Film Festival Celebrate the Cannes Film Festival with our collection of major prize-winners and contenders from previous years. LOCO London Comedy Film Festival Comedy gold from the UK’s only international comedy film festival. Oscars Legends are minted and careers defined by the Academy Award, a tiny golden statue of incomparable significance. Most popular lists Most Popular Rentals of 2025 Travel through time and place in a great year, with explosive debuts, established stars and true-life triumphs… Sight and Sound Poll Meet the elite: hand-picked highlights from the 2022 Sight and Sound 250 Greatest Films of All Time Poll.
