Subscription collections on BFI Player

Featured collections

Islands in the Stream

Joining escapees, outsiders and castaways on their adventures.

Melodrama

Vivid visual language and heightened dramatics invite you to leave your cynicism at the door and feel something.

Staff Picks: Must-Watch Indie Films

Too much choice, not enough time? Let the BFI Player team do the choosing.

Subscription Exclusives

Only available on BFI Player subscription.

Genres

Art of Action

Throwing you into the explosive world of action stunt-work.

Comedy

Celebrating a world of 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. This collection explores a world made up of people and places.

Experimenta

Bringing together films and videos by artists that have transformed our experience of the moving image. Our collection includes films from outside the sphere of experimental filmmaking, including the celebrated surrealists and challenging works of narrative fiction.

Fantasy

Perverse fairytales and wayward visions meet, as Pasolini, Rivette, Cocteau and their fellow dreamers create films that burrow into memory.

Horror

Tales of terror have been embraced by cinema since its birth.

Melodrama

Vivid visual language and heightened dramatics invite you to leave your cynicism at the door and feel something.

Sci-fi

Few genres stretch like science fiction, a marketplace for idle prediction, utopia, apocalypse and wonder.

Silent Classics

The first three decades of cinema gave us some of the greatest films ever made, which had to tell their stories purely visually, giving us countless unforgettable images.

Thriller

Who Can You Trust?

Country of origin

British Cinema

From established classics to new discoveries, from the mainstream to the bizarre, we celebrate the breadth and diversity of British cinema.

Classic American Indie

Celebrating the outsiders and mavericks whose independent methods rewrote the rulebook for American cinema.

Hispanic Cinema

Celebrating the art and influence of Spanish-speaking films and filmmakers.

French Cinema

From the New Wave to poetic realism and cinéma vérité, French cinema takes many forms and offers endless delights.

Italian Cinema

Fellini, Antonioni, Pasolini, Rossellini, Argento – the melodic names that conjure up the best of Italian cinema.

German Cinema

Chaos, hostility and murder are, said one of these directors, our common denominator. Another had scandal as a hobby and human nature as a focus.

Japanese Cinema

From the samurai thrillers of Kurosawa to Koreeda's beautiful domestic dramas, this collection celebrates the extraordinary diversity of Japanese cinema.

Korean Cinema

Celebrating the vibrance and immediacy of South Korean cinema.

Themes and subjects

Subscription Exclusives

Only available on BFI Player subscription.

3 You Must See

Your time is precious, so we've done some of the hard work for you. 3 of the best from the world's greatest filmmakers, themes and cinematic movements.

Acting Hard

This collection explores representations of working-class masculinity in British cinema from the Thatcher era to the present day.

Backed by BFI

Internationally acclaimed films, with success at the box office, festivals and awards ceremonies, the BFI is proud to support the breathtaking range of the UK’s filmmaking talent.

Based on the Book…

Literature has inspired some of the greatest films ever made.

Black Cinema

Consider these films as milestones on a long and winding road.

Black Debutantes

Rógan Graham curates this collection of early works by Black women directors.

Chasing the Real: Italian Neorealism

The film movement that changed cinema forever, and which today still hails the thrill of freedom.

Classic Collaborations

Filmmaking is a team sport, and these creative partnerships have proved consistently rewarding.

Coming of Age

Filmmakers love it, audiences live it. The rites-of-passage film enables us the chance to relive the past with wisdom, but not angst.

Controversial Classics

A collection of the bold and the banned; causes célèbre to incite, provoke and arouse.

Cult Japanese Cinema

Charting the wilder extremes of Japanese cinema: twisted visions, deranged erotica, and badass women.

Discomfort Movies

A collection contemplating those films that challenge us the most.

Filmmaking in Focus

The camera flips inward to film the creative process. Discover the lives behind the artists and obsessives who make movies what they are.

Girlfriends

Let’s hear it for the badass buddies, the inseparable gal-pals, the obsessive duos and the wisecracking girl gangs of cinema.

Great Debuts

These features launched some of cinema's highest achievers, showing the themes and techniques to which many would return.

The Great Unwatched

The greatest films you've probably never seen.

Instant Film School

Learn from cinema’s best with this collection shaped for students. No lectures, no essays, just proof of what a camera and an idea can do.

Islands in the Stream

Joining escapees, outsiders and castaways on their adventures.

London

From the seedy streets of '60s Soho to the city's metropolitan sheen. Welcome to the London collection.

Moviedrome

Celebrating the cherished BBC film series that posed the question, 'What is a cult film?'

Laura Mulvey: Thinking Through Film

Celebrating Laura Mulvey’s impact on film culture, theory and visual language.

Nineties Cult Classics

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.

Political Pictures

These films chart events and people, real and imagined, who dared to ask for change, for power and for more.

Remakes and Fresh Takes

New spins on old favourites; plus classics that have themselves been remade.

Screen Classic Sunday

Update your watchlist with these films of distinction.

Scala: Sex, drugs and rock and roll cinema

In tribute to the legendary venue and the new documentary celebrating its influence, a collection of the greatest cult hits from the world’s wildest cinema.

Seductive

You can resist everything except temptation.

Sex

Despite the accessibility of erotica, audiences still seek out the more substantial approaches to sex that only narrative cinema can offer.

Sonic: Music in Movies

Personal, powerful and lyrical, this is where music and film collide, a meeting place for rock biopics, probing documentaries, groundbreakers and old stagers.

Sophia Loren

Highlighting the the versatility and magnetism of this singular star.

Summer in the City

Everything under the sun: spin the globe and start your adventure

Summertime

Feel the warmth of the sun and dip into our selection of summer films.

Tilda Swinton

Celebrating the extraordinary, convention-defying career of the chameleonic performer.

To the Ends of the Earth

Journey across the planet’s most challenging terrain in this ode to exploration and endurance.

True Crime

Because few things command attention like a crime story...

Under 90 Minutes

When time is of the essence.

Woman with a Movie Camera

A celebration of work by female directors past and present.

Working Class Heroes

A collection of films lit up by the charisma of working-class stars. Celebrating fine actors in remarkable leading roles.

Awards and festivals

BFI London Film Festival

Catch up with a range of recent successes including previous winners of the festival’s top prizes.

BFI Flare LGBTQIA+

From landmark LGBTQIA+ portraits to the next generation of queer classics.

Award Winning

Great works that have won the praise of peers over the years.

Classic Cannes Festival

The red carpet remains forever unfurled in this selection from the world’s most famous film festival.

Best of British Independent Film Awards

Striking, ambitious and delicious: the best indie films from the UK and around the world.

Academy Awards

Cinema's ultimate prize, the Academy Awards. These nominees and winners show the medium at its electric best.

Best of BAFTA

A selection of past nominees and winners, honouring the world’s most inventive storytellers and creators.

Directors

Chantal Akerman: Adventures in Perception

Formally audiacious works from the maker of the minimal masterpiece, Jeanne Dielman.

Ingmar Bergman

A selection of penetrating masterworks from one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.

Park Chan-wook

Witness a grand career take shape, as Park Chan-wook evolves into a master filmmaker…

Terence Davies

‘I do passionately believe in the poetry of the ordinary.’ - Terence Davies.

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Dead by 37, openly bi-sexual, constantly controversial: Rainer Werner Fassbinder was arguably post-war Germany’s greatest filmmaker.

Peter Greenaway

Tales of carnal bargaining, conspiracy, subversion and rage. Peter Greenaway's maverick work embodies all of these and more.

Michael Haneke

Films of precision, purpose and humanity from the master of provocation.

Werner Herzog

The leading light of New German Cinema who has progressed to become something of an international treasure, Herzog is famed for making all types of films - in all sorts of strange places.

Derek Jarman

Startling and subversive works from an inspirational figure in British cinema.

Akira Kurosawa

Discover an astonishing range of works, from early classics to avowed masterpieces such as Seven Samurai.

Hirokazu Koreeda

Celebrating the master of contemporary Japanese cinema and his diverse, beautiful and human stories.

Laura Mulvey: Thinking Through Film

Celebrating Laura Mulvey’s impact on film culture, theory and visual language.

Yasujirō Ozu

Along with Kurosawa, the director Yasujirō Ozu is a true master of Japanese cinema whose work has its place among the all-time greats.

Roberto Rossellini

One of the key figures in cinema history, Rossellini initiated a new movement and evolved the language of film.

Martin Scorsese

A collection of films exploring the great American director’s connection to a rich vein of cinema history...

François Truffaut

Our online tribute to a leading figure of the nouvelle vague.

Luchino Visconti

Key works from the Italian neorealist pioneer and maestro of luxurious historical drama.

Poll and Popular

Sight and Sound Greatest Films Poll Top 100

Meet the elite: hand-picked highlights from the 2022 Sight and Sound 100 Greatest Films of All Time Poll.

Sight and Sound Greatest Films Poll 101 - 250

Meet the elite: hand-picked highlights from the 2022 Sight and Sound 250 Greatest Films of All Time Poll.

Staff Picks: Must-Watch Indie Films

Too much choice, not enough time? Let the BFI Player team do the choosing.

Get the latest from BFI Player

Sign up

Islands in the Stream

Melodrama

Staff Picks: Must-Watch Indie Films

Subscription Exclusives

Art of Action

Comedy

Crime

Documentaries

Experimenta

Fantasy

Horror

Melodrama

Sci-fi

Silent Classics

Thriller

British Cinema

Classic American Indie

Hispanic Cinema

French Cinema

Italian Cinema

German Cinema

Japanese Cinema

Korean Cinema

Subscription Exclusives

3 You Must See

Acting Hard

Backed by BFI

Based on the Book…

Black Cinema

Black Debutantes

Chasing the Real: Italian Neorealism

Classic Collaborations

Coming of Age

Controversial Classics

Cult Japanese Cinema

Discomfort Movies

Filmmaking in Focus

Girlfriends

Great Debuts

The Great Unwatched

Instant Film School

Islands in the Stream

London

Moviedrome

Laura Mulvey: Thinking Through Film

Nineties Cult Classics

Northern Voices

Political Pictures

Remakes and Fresh Takes

Screen Classic Sunday

Scala: Sex, drugs and rock and roll cinema

Seductive

Sex

Sonic: Music in Movies

Sophia Loren

Summer in the City

Summertime

Tilda Swinton

To the Ends of the Earth

True Crime

Under 90 Minutes

Woman with a Movie Camera

Working Class Heroes

BFI London Film Festival

BFI Flare LGBTQIA+

Award Winning

Classic Cannes Festival

Best of British Independent Film Awards

Academy Awards

Best of BAFTA

Chantal Akerman: Adventures in Perception

Ingmar Bergman

Park Chan-wook

Terence Davies

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Peter Greenaway

Michael Haneke

Werner Herzog