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Previews and events
Join us for previews, talks and special screenings.
BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival
Our springtime celebration of queer cinema is back – 13 to 24 March 2024.
Find out moreMarch
More Than a Dream: Gene Tierney
An illustrated exploration of the screen star’s lustrous Hollywood career.
The Art of Seeing: The Lifelong Passion of Víctor Erice
An illustrated talk on the work of the great Spanish filmmaker, by season curator Geoff Andrew.
Preview: Close Your Eyes
Víctor Erice’s latest cinematic gem, at once a mystery about an actor’s sudden disappearance from a film shoot, and a meditation on memory, identity, friendship – and the power of cinema.
April
Library Talk: The Amazing Movie Posters of Thailand + Q&A
A guided tour through the imaginative artwork used to promote films in Thailand.
TV Preview: Michael Palin in Nigeria + Q&A with Michael Palin
Michael Palin takes what may be the most prophetic journey of his life.
Library Talk: All for Beauty – Makeup and Hairdressing in Hollywood’s Studio Era
An in-depth look at the role of these crafts in the golden age of Hollywood.
Saving Face + intro
A lesbian and her traditionalist mother are reluctant to reveal their secret loves.
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir + intro by season programmer Aga Baranowska
A tender, nuanced and romantic fantasy love story, beautifully realised by lead actors Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison.
Woman With a Movie Camera preview: Nezouh + Q&A with director Soudade Kaadan
A new, beautiful and enchanting feminist coming-of-age drama from an award-winning Syrian filmmaker.
Preview: Omen + intro and Q&A with director Baloji
A hallucinatory drama that follows a young man’s return home to reunite with his family.
Summer Vacation 1999 + intro
A boy who resembles a recently deceased student arrives at a remote boarding school.
Bye Bye Love – 50th anniversary screening + intro
Two young people take a doomed road trip through Japan in this rediscovered classic.
Mark Kermode in 3D at BFI IMAX
The critic presents the latest episode of his live discussion, on stage at BFI IMAX.
Night and the City + intro by Josephine Botting, BFI National Archive curator
Post-war London meets American film noir in this celebrated work by Hollywood blacklisted filmmaker Jules Dassin.
May
Lindsay Anderson: Meet the Pioneer
An introduction to the work of this great British filmmaker.
Preview: Hoard + Q&A
A young woman journeys through childhood trauma and emerging sexuality in this staggering drama from an exciting new voice in British cinema.
New Writings from the UK Asian Film Festival
Two library talks looking at new writings about South Asian cinema culture.
Flight + intro and Q&A with director Alex Pillai, writer Tanika Gupta and cast members
Tense, moving drama follows a young Asian woman as she flees domestic abuse.
UKAFF Short Film Showcase: Mission Life + intro
A shorts programme exploring environmental change in drama.
Journey Through Italian Neorealism
This event will offer new perspectives on one of the most influential movements in cinema history.
Four Steps in the Clouds + intro by season curator Giulia Saccogna
A rural interlude for a city employee turns into an idyllic interruption to the monotony of his life, in one of the first films to display neorealist traits.
BFI Library Event: Outing Anderson
A panel discusses Gavin Lambert’s excellent 2001 Lindsay Anderson biography and the repercussions and ethics of Lambert’s decision to out Anderson as gay.
New Writings: Decolonising the Exotic Gaze in World Cinema
Through its focus on specific films, this talk, accompanying the publication of Exotic Cinema, looks at the role of exoticism and the inherent problems faced by it.
Shoeshine + intro by season curator Giulia Saccogna
One of the most beloved and moving Italian neorealist dramas.
Billy Connolly: Big Banana Feet + Q&A with Douglas Weir and director Murray Grigor
Capturing ‘The Big Yin’ on and off stage during his 1975 tour of Ireland, Big Banana Feet is a captivating record of Connolly on the cusp of international stardom.
Rome, Open City + intro by Italian Neorealism season curator Giulia Saccogna
A foundational Italian neorealist film and a dramatic portrait of a city under occupation.
Lindsay Anderson vs the Short Films Industry + intro by Patrick Russell, Senior Curator of Non-fiction, BFI National Archive
A chance to catch rare early Anderson films and explore his troubled relationship with Britain’s documentary industry.
Mark Kermode in 3D at BFI IMAX
The critic presents the latest episode of his live discussion, on stage at BFI IMAX.
Lindsay Anderson Experimenta Mixtape, curated by Stephen Sutcliffe
TV clips, film extracts and short films are collaged together for this unusual iteration of the Experimenta Mixtape series. Not to be missed.
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