Highlights from the BFI London Film Festival 2025

The 69th BFI London Film Festival brought together filmmakers and stars from around the world for a spectacular celebration of cinema. From red-carpet premieres and emotional reunions to unforgettable stories and performances, this year’s festival was filled with creativity, connection and joy.

Watch the highlights from an event that champions storytelling, celebrates filmmaking talent and showcases the best of UK and international cinema.

Once upon a time in a fairytale kingdom, Cherry is happily married to Jerome and living an idyllic life - until his disappearance brings danger to her door. When Manfred arrives with wicked intentions, Cherry’s loyal maid Hero begins telling stories night after night about rebellious women who refuse to follow the rules of their society.

Featuring an all-star cast including Emma Corrin, Nicholas Galitzine, Maika Monroe, Amir El-Masry, Richard E. Grant and Charli XCX, 100 Nights of Hero is a celebration of storytelling, unity and the power of having your voice heard.

🎬 Directed by Julia Jackman

📚 Based on the graphic novel by Isabel Greenberg

The film follows Colin, a shy young man whose world changes when he enters a dom-sub relationship with towering biker Ray. Through love, boundaries and self-discovery, Pillion explores pleasure, pain and what it means to find your place.

Harry Lighton: “From one sentence, you’re gonna cry, and then the next sentence, you’ll be laughing out loud.”

Alexander Skarsgård: “It was a leap of faith.”

🎥 Starring Harry Melling, Alexander Skarsgård, Lesley Sharp, Anthony Welsh

🎬 Directed by Harry Lighton

The film follows JB, “a rudderless everyman out of step with his immediate environs and the country at large,” as he bumbles toward a major art heist amid the cultural shifts of Vietnam-era America.

Josh O’Connor described his character as “a guy who just sort of crumbles slowly through the film… He’s kind of an idiot. I love him.”

🎥 Starring Josh O’Connor and Eli Gelb

🎬 Directed by Kelly Reichardt (First Cow, Wendy and Lucy)

The film follows two adult sisters whose lives shift when their father returns after years away. Trier, reuniting with Reinsve after The Worst Person in the World, crafts a story full of gentle humour and lived-in reality, shaped by true collaboration between cast and director.

🎥 Featuring: Elle Fanning, Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Joachim Trier

🎬 Directed by Joachim Trier

Based on Helen Macdonald’s award-winning memoir, the film follows Helen, a Cambridge academic who retreats from the world after her father’s death, finding solace in training a wild goshawk.

H is for Hawk is a meditation on loss, nature and resilience, anchored by an astonishing performance from Claire Foy and a visual poetry that soars.

🎥 Featuring: Claire Foy, Brendan Gleeson, Philippa Lowthorpe, Denise Gough, Josh Dylan, Arty Froushan, Emma Cunniffe

🎬 Directed by Philippa Lowthorpe (Misbehaviour, The Third Day) | Written by Emma Donoghue (The Wonder) | Philippa Lowthorpe | Helen MacDonald

Set in a Yorkshire village during the First World War, The Choral celebrates the power of music to unite a community in the face of loss. With humour, tenderness and unmistakable Bennett wit, the film captures the enduring strength of art - and the spirit of the UK itself.

🎥 Featuring: Ralph Fiennes, Roger Allam, Alun Armstrong, Mark Addy, Robert Emms, Jacob Dudman

🎬 Written by Alan Bennett (Lady in the Van, The History Boys, Talking Heads) | Directed by Nicholas Hytner (Lady in the Van, The History Boys, Talking Heads)

Set in 16th-century England, Hamnet follows Agnes, the wife of William Shakespeare, as she struggles to come to terms with the loss of their son. Her husband channels his grief into art, creating Hamlet. With Zhao’s signature sensitivity, the film becomes a profound portrait of love, loss and the healing power of storytelling.

🎥 Featuring: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Jacobi Jupe, Chloé Zhao

🎬 Directed by Academy Award-winner Chloé Zhao (Nomadland, The Rider)

When actor Jay Kelly is honoured with a lifetime achievement award, he embarks on a journey across Europe with his loyal team, discovering that you can only outrun your past for so long. Written by Noah Baumbach and Emily Mortimer, this sharp, soulful drama explores the ties that bind us - and the price of art.

🎥 Featuring: George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Louis Partridge, Nicole Lecky, Charlie Rowe, Alex Jarrett, Kirsty Matheson

🎬 Directed by Noah Baumbach (White Noise, Marriage Story)

Adapted from Lawrence Osborne’s acclaimed novel, Ballad of a Small Player follows con man Lord Doyle as he becomes entangled in the intoxicating world of baccarat and illusion. Berger, fresh from his Oscar-winning All Quiet on the Western Front, crafts a dazzling portrait of chance, fate and human fragility.

🎬 Directed by Edward Berger (Conclave)

Don’t forget to keep an eye out on the ScreenUK website and socials as we bring the latest premieres from the festival.