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BFI London Film Festival 2026 at GFT

Wednesday 7 until Monday 19 October, 2026

LFF is returning to GFT for its 70th edition — and everyone is invited.

Take your pick from a thrilling line-up of new films and previews, including this year’s Opening and Closing Night Galas: Elsinore and The Debut, as well as Danny Boyle’s latest film Ink, and this year’s Palme d’Or winner Fjord.

GFT, 12 Rose Street, G 6RB

Elsinore

Wednesday 7 October, 2026 at 8.30 p.m.

Simon Stone’s film, written by Stephen Beresford (Pride), details Ian Charleson’s decision to step into the National Theatre’s production of Hamlet following Daniel Day-Lewis’ departure. Andrew Scott, who so movingly portrayed a man wracked by grief in All of Us Strangers (LFF 2023), here ascends new heights with his performance. He captures the tumult and humanity of Charleson, who is dying of AIDS (his scenes with Olivia Colman’s doctor are a veritable masterclass in screen performance) while revealing the joyful process of co-creation and the importance of fellowship in embodying a character as complex as Shakespeare’s haunted Danish prince.

With a stellar cast that also includes Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Juliet Stevenson, Adeel Akhtar and Peter Mullan, Elsinore skilfully shifts gear between the ebullience of rehearsals and performance, and the profound reality of life on the precipice of the unknown. It’s a stunning achievement by Stone (The Daughter, LFF 2015; The Dig, LFF 2021) who has crafted a stirring ode to an extraordinary life, the strength of community and resistance, and the triumph of art.

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Wild Horse Nine

Wednesday 9 October, 2026, 8.20 p.m.

On the cusp of dictator Augusto Pinochet taking power in Chile, a trio of CIA agents snipe and bicker as they await the ‘go’ date on their part in yet another military coup. However, against the stunning natural beauty and mysterious ancient artefacts of Easter Island, their plan starts to unravel. John Malkovich’s peerless performance chimes beautifully with co-stars Sam Rockwell and Steve Buscemi, who together bring Martin McDonagh brilliantly acerbic and witty script hilariously to life.

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Ink

Friday 16 October, 2026, 8 p.m.

In 1969, Rupert Murdoch acquired British tabloid The Sun, hiring gifted editor Larry Lamb to change the paper’s fortunes. Out of this devil’s pact, British journalism and society were forever changed. Danny Boyle’s kinetic cinematic energy is matched by Guy Pearce and Jack O’Connell’s muscular performances as the men who exploded Fleet Street, British mores and political fortunes.

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Fjord

Saturday October 17, 2026, 7.30 p.m.

An evangelical family move to a small Norwegian town. Their seemingly placid adjustment is shattered when suspicions around their children’s wellbeing place the parents under severe scrutiny. Cristian Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) masterfully crafts an ambivalent social drama that raises fundamental questions and avoids easy answers, asking us to ponder how unbiased our own sense of empathy is.

The Debut

Monday 19 Ocober, 2026. 6 p.m.

Quiet housewife Mona has become a supporting role in her own life; her husband barely acknowledges her presence and their children are on the cusp of fleeing the nest. So when, on an impulse, she auditions for a local production of an original musical, Mona suddenly finds herself in the spotlight when she is cast in a leading role, as Miss Danielle. However, she is unprepared for the theatrical hurricane that is Jerry, her enigmatic director and the ‘biggest name in New Jersey community theatre’. As she continues to be creatively pushed by him, Mona finds herself going to extreme lengths to unlock her character.

The Debut once again finds the perfect balance between humour and drama that Jesse Eisenberg delivered with his previous films A Real Pain and When You Finish Saving the World. It’s both sparklingly witty and laugh-out-loud funny, while every scene works to build on the emotional undercurrents and heartbreaking revelations that make the characters so credible. This time, Eisenberg’s talents even stretch to writing the songs for the fictional stage musical. Julianne Moore is in her element, giving one of her finest performances, while Paul Giamatti’s Jerry continues his run from The Holdovers as the master of dramedy. Ultimately, this is an elegant and intelligent coming-of-older-age story about how it’s never too late to find our true selves, and the redemptive powers of community and art. Take your seats… it’s showtime!

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Screening as part of BFI London Film Festival 2026. See full BFI Programme at GFT

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