Festivals

BFF26 My Duchess

From acclaimed director Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral), MY DUCHESS reveals the turbulent final chapter in the extraordinary life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor (Dame Joan Collins), the American socialite whose romance with Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor (formerly King Edward VIII) changed the course of British history. Following the Duke’s death in 1972, Wallis retreats to her Paris château, surrounded by her colourful confidant Jean-Claude (Laurent Lafitte, The Count of Monte Cristo) and devoted butler Louis (Buom Tihngang). Into this increasingly fragile world steps Maître Suzanne Blum (Academy Award nominee Isabella Rossellini, Conclave BFF24), Wallis’ trusted lawyer whose apparent devotion takes a sinister turn. As protection begins to give way to manipulation, Blum isolates Wallis and tightens her grip over her increasingly vulnerable life. Also starring Academy Award nominee Miranda Richardson and BAFTA-nominated Charles Dance, MY DUCHESS transforms a notorious chapter of royal history into a gripping battle of loyalty, deception and control.

BFF26 Elsinore

BAFTA winner Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers) delivers an extraordinary, career-best performance in ELSINORE, a sweeping biographical drama that follows the real-life story of actor Ian Charleson and his courageous decision to play Hamlet at London’s National Theatre in 1989 while battling AIDS. Widely known for his leading role in the 1981 sports-drama Chariots of Fire, Ian Charleson yearns to return to his theatre roots and away from the spotlight of Hollywood. When the role of a lifetime appears, to play the lead in London’s National Theatre production of Hamlet, so too does an AIDS diagnosis. Confronting his own mortality, Charleson must decide how he wants his final act to play out. Alongside the always phenomenal Olivia Colman (also in Wicker) Scott disappears into a towering performance, which many critics believe place him firmly in Oscar contention, that pulses with unbridled passion and humanity. ELSINORE is a stirring celebration of the enduring power of art in the face of unimaginable adversity.

BFF26 Ink

In this explosive drama, Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting) strikingly adapts playwright James Graham’s tumultuous account of the meteoric rise of The Sun newspaper and how Rupert Murdoch (Guy Pearce, The Brutalist) and Larry Lamb (Jack O’Connell) moulded it to become Britain’s most influential tabloid. In 1969, rising media tycoon Rupert Murdoch persuades newspaper editor Larry Lamb to oversee his newly acquired but failing newspaper. Eager to gain traction in the highly competitive media market, they decide to publish the extreme, printing any story that would divide opinion. When Joyce Hopkirk (Claire Foy, The Crown) is brought in to widen the newspaper's appeal, she begins to contest the limits of the prevailing boys’ club culture within the industry. But as readership numbers rise, so too do the paper’s disparagers. A fierce, funny and increasingly unsettling examination of the moment news learnt how profitable it could be to provoke outrage, INK is an intoxicating watch, filled with Boyle’s signature visceral filmmaking and electric performances.

BFF26 Wicker

Olivia Colman (The Favourite) and Alexander Skarsgård (The Northman) deliver wildly funny and wonderfully unexpected performances in WICKER, a fantastical and deliciously raunchy romantic comedy adapted from Ursula Wills-Jones’ acclaimed short story. In a remote seaside village bound by tradition and small-minded convention, Fisherwoman (Colman) is relentlessly ridiculed for her single, unloved status. Fed up with her stuffy neighbours, she commissions the local Basketmaker (Peter Dinklage) to weave her the perfect husband from wicker. When her creation arrives beyond even her wildest dreams, their unconventional romance sends shockwaves through the village. Jealousies flare, passions ignite and the increasingly unhinged townspeople turn against the unlikely couple. This visually sumptuous celebration of desire, individuality and finding love in the most unexpected form, is brought spectacularly to life through breathtaking cinematography from Academy Award winner Lol Crawley (The Brutalist), extraordinary visual effects from Joe Dunckley (Avatar) and Wētā Workshop. Featuring an ensemble cast that embraces every glorious absurdity, WICKER is bold, strange, romantic and deeply human.

BFF26 A Talent for Murder

Academy Award winner Helen Mirren (The Queen) leads A TALENT FOR MURDER, a mysterious thriller from acclaimed director Anton Corbijn (Control), based on Joanna Murray-Smith's acclaimed play Switzerland that imagines a strange confrontation between a literary agent and the legendary author behind The Talented Mr Ripley, Patricia Highsmith. In 1995, Highsmith (Mirren), has retired to the Swiss Alps, where she largely confines herself to her study, surrounded by her books, cats, and collection of antique weapons. Edward Ridgeway (Alden Ehrenreich), emissary for a New York publisher, is sent to persuade her to craft the final instalment in her bestselling series of mysteries featuring the murderous antihero, Tom Ripley. Irritated by this youthful, overly eager visitor, Highsmith refuses the offer — unless Ridgeway can dream up the perfect murder along with her.  Darkly funny, thrilling, and an unrepentantly seductive mystery that asks the audience to question who the true antagonist is, A TALENT FOR MURDER is a deeply intriguing foray into the realm where history and myth become deliciously entangled

BFF26 Prima Facie

Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) delivers a commanding performance in PRIMA FACIE, Susanna White’s gripping legal drama adapted by Suzie Miller from her Olivier Award-winning stage phenomenon. Tessa (Erivo) is a brilliant, fiercely ambitious defence barrister who has fought her way from a working-class background to dominate London’s ruthless courtrooms. Skilled at dismantling testimony and exposing doubt, she regularly defends men accused of sexual assault. But when Tessa is assaulted by a colleague from a powerful legal dynasty, she suddenly finds herself on the other side of the system she has built her career believing in. Forced to confront the same tactics she once wielded so expertly, Tessa’s certainty in the law begins to fracture as questions of evidence, credibility and justice become devastatingly personal. Joining Erivo are Daniel Ings and Harry Treadaway (The Crown), Noma Dumezweni, Toheeb Jimoh and two-time BAFTA winner Simon Russell Beale (The Choral BFF25).

BFF26 Parky

How did a miner’s son from working-class Yorkshire become Britain’s most celebrated interviewer, beloved by millions and knighted by the Queen, yet never truly believe he belonged? From the producers of Academy Award nominated documentary Porcelain War comes this revelatory portrait of Sir Michael Parkinson, the brilliant and complicated man behind ‘Parky’, Britain’s greatest interviewer. Told through Sir Michael Parkinson’s own words and revelatory testimony from those closest to him, including his youngest son Mike Parkinson, this intimate portrait looks beyond the beloved ‘Parky’ icon to reveal a brilliant and complicated man who spent a lifetime drawing the truth from others while keeping his own carefully hidden. Directed by Luke Mazzaferro (Whistle) and Luke Cornish (Dance Life), PARKY features a treasure trove of archival footage from some of his most famous interviews, including with Australians Kylie Minogue, Andrew Denton, Dame Edna Everage, Bob Hawke, and more.

BFF26 The Uprising

From Academy Award-nominated director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Ultimatum) comes THE UPRISING, a visceral historical action drama inspired by the true events of the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt. In an England ravaged by plague, poverty and growing distrust of the Crown, Academy Award nominee Andrew Garfield (We Live in Time BFF24) stars as the Ploughman, a common labourer driven to breaking point by devastating personal loss. As unrest sweeps across the country, he emerges as the unlikely leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II, rallying thousands of ordinary people in a fight for justice, dignity and survival. Joining Garfield is an acclaimed British ensemble cast including BAFTA winners Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot), Stephen Dillane (The Tunnel) and Tom Hollander (Pride & Prejudice), alongside Cosmo Jarvis (Warfare), Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit) and Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting). As rage and rebellion tear through England, THE UPRISING transforms a defining act of resistance into a clash between the ruling elite and those with nothing left to lose.

BFF26 500 Miles

A beautiful, sweeping and life-affirming adventure that celebrates the human spirit, 500 MILES follows a broken family that must come together when two young boys run away from home in England to reach their beloved but estranged grandfather in Ireland. When Finn (Roman Griffin Davis) overhears his parents’ relationship fracturing and their fight over custody of him and his brother Charlie (Dexter Sol Ansell), he decides to take Charlie on the treacherous journey to Dingle, Ireland to reunite with their grandfather (Bill Nighy, Living BFF22). Hoping to relive the magic and happy memories the town holds for them and unable to understand why his grandfather has become a pariah in the eyes of his parents, their epic adventure fosters one goal: reunite the family. Set across the breathtaking scenery of Ireland, from the iconic Busáras bus station in Dublin to the sweeping Dingle Peninsula, 500 MILES artfully explores the complexities of families’, and how ultimately, the love that binds them together is stronger than the forces that would otherwise pull them apart.

BFF26 Mother's Pride

A poignant and heartfelt comedy from writer-director Nick Moorcraft (Fisherman’s Friends: One and All BFF22), MOTHER'S PRIDE is a quintessential British underdog story about family, second chances and community. After years away chasing a music career that never lived up to its promise, Cal Harley (Jonno Davies, Better Man) returns to his small, countryside hometown with little to show for himself beyond fading memories and bruised pride. Arriving home to a family still grieving his mother’s death and their beloved family pub on the brink of closure, Cal is determined to right his wrongs and sets out to not only win the prestigious Great British Beer Award and save the business, but also win back his first-love Abi (Gabriella Wilde). Mixing delightfully hilarious antics with feel-good charm, MOTHER'S PRIDE depicts a moving portrait of a man rediscovering purpose and connection, proving that sometimes healing can be found in the most unexpected places - over a perfect pint shared with the people who know you best. 

BFF26 Tender Loving Care

From multi award-winning writer-director Mike Leigh (Hard Truths BFF24) comes the beautifully uplifting drama TENDER LOVING CARE, a bittersweet yet hopeful celebration of life that examines the complexities of ageing, family, and learning to embrace life’s inevitable changes. Amy (Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay) is a devoted social worker who puts her heart and soul into her job to care for those in need. However, at home she finds herself confronting new challenges as her beloved father begins to experience health issues, forcing Amy and her mother to confront and make peace with their new reality. Through it all, Amy finds comfort, perspective, and plenty of laughter with her lifelong friend Rosie (Alice Bailey Johnson), who becomes a vital anchor as both women navigate the shifting rhythms of life. A deeply poignant portrait of resilience, compassion and love, Leigh beautifully captures the quiet moments, awkward conversations, and small acts of kindness that define our relationships, once again finding the extraordinary within the ordinary.

BFF26 Bad Apples

How far would you go for a little peace and quiet? Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan (Blitz, The Outrun BFF24) leads BAD APPLES, a deliciously twisted satire where one teacher discovers that a very bad decision can have surprisingly positive outcomes. Maria (Ronan) is a well-meaning primary school teacher struggling with one relentlessly disruptive student, Danny. With her classroom spiralling out of control and little support around her, an increasingly desperate Maria makes a series of questionable choices that somehow end with Danny locked inside her home… Horrified by what she has done, Maria plans to put things right. But there is one problem: without Danny, her classroom begins to flourish. The students are happier, the parents are thrilled and suddenly everyone thinks Maria is doing an exceptional job. Also starring Jacob Anderson, Rakie Ayola and Robert Emms, BAD APPLES grows uncomfortable and increasingly twisted, turning one impossible predicament into a sharp examination of how easily doing the wrong thing can start to feel right.

BFF26 Savage House

Spearheaded by powerhouses Richard E. Grant (The Lesson BFF23) and Claire Foy (The Crown), SAVAGE HOUSE is an entertaining look into the pretence, extravagance and outright maddening pressures faced by two rancid social climbers in 18th century England. Amidst a massive Pox outbreak and the Jacobite uprising, Sir Chauncey Savage (Grant) and Lady Savage (Foy) desperately try to climb the social hierarchy in the blind pursuit of a better life, by sacrificing everything to host the aspirational dinner party of their dreams. As preparations spiral into duels and decadence, their party quickly careens out of control, and the curtain of high society is lifted to reveal the gruesome truth underneath. A cautionary tale of greed, ambition and power, brandishing the exceedingly extravagant lifestyles of high society that are filled with elaborate and overbearing dress, excessive consumption, and hauntingly wasteful mansions, SAVAGE HOUSE shines a spotlight on the stark inequalities and class divisions in society at the time.

BFF26 Butterfly Stroke

Judy Davis (The Dressmaker) delivers a standout performance in BUTTERFLY STROKE, a bold drama that tackles important issues with humour and heart. A British swimming champion, 65-year-old Ruth (Davis) wants to be in control of every aspect of her life, including its end. So, when she is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, she decides to book a final trip to Zurich, Switzerland, where she can legally access assisted dying. She calls her estranged granddaughter Lori (Florence Hunt, Bridgerton) to inform her of the plan and the inheritance she’ll soon receive. But the stubborn and impulsive Lori rushes to Switzerland to at least understand Ruth’s decision. In Zurich, Ruth’s attitude causes conflict, and she soon butts heads with the meticulous Dr. Regula Steiger in a darkly comedic standoff. Meanwhile Lori becomes preoccupied with an infatuation with captivating Swiss soccer player Ingrid. As Ruth’s carefully laid plans get delayed, granddaughter and grandmother are forced into a strange limbo. Uninhibited, they begin to mend their once emotionally distant relationship, and long buried secrets rise to the surface.

BFF26 Last Orders

Based on Graham Swift's 1996 Booker Prize-winning novel and directed by Australian Fred Schepisi (Six Degrees of Separation), in this reflective ensemble drama London butcher Jack Dodds’ (Michael Caine) life story is told through the profound impact he made on his closest friends and family, as his four pub mates come together on a reflective journey to honor his ‘last orders’. We follow Jack’s best friend from WWII professional gambler Ray ‘Lucky’ Johnson (Bob Hoskins) who is accompanied by former boxer Lenny (David Hemmings), funeral director Vic (Tom Courtney), Jack’s son Vince (Ray Winstone) who struggled with his relationship with his father. While the lads are on their mission, Jack’s wife Amy (Helen Mirren) is on her own emotional journey to visit their daughter June (Laura Morelli), who was largely neglected by Jack. Interweaving flashbacks of memories with the characters' present-day reflections on how their complex relationships with Jack led them to where they are today, LAST ORDERS is a touching depiction of lifelong friends portrayed by a stellar ensemble.

BFF26 A Long Winter

From acclaimed director Andrew Haigh (All of Us Strangers) comes the quietly profound drama, A LONG WINTER, an adaption of Colm Tóibín’s novel that follows a young man whose world is thrust into uncertainty when his mother vanishes into the wilderness. In 1951, high in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, Mike (Fred Hechinger, Gladiator II) watches as his mother Louise (Caitríona Balfe, Outlander) becomes increasingly disillusioned with the isolated and suffocating life her husband Lester (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear) has created for their family. When she suddenly disappears into the snow-covered wilderness, Mike is left to face the void she leaves behind. In the unforgiving winter search for his mother, Mike is led towards an unexpected reckoning that quietly reshapes his world and opens the door to a new understanding of himself. Filled with breathtaking cinematography of the vast, unforgiving and beautiful snowy landscapes that mirror the emotional distance between Mike and his father, A LONG WINTER is a quietly devastating reckoning of loneliness and the unexpected tenderness found amongst grief.

BFF26 The French Lieutenant's Woman

Marking its 45th anniversary, Karel Reisz's THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN, adapted by the playwright Harold Pinter, based on John Fowles' 1969 novel, follows a pair of actors that see their forbidden romance mirrored in the characters they play. Actors Anna (Meryl Streep) and Mike (Jeremy Irons) portray two characters in a film set in 19th century England, Charles, a paleontologist, and Sarah, an outcast. Even though Charles is already engaged, he falls in love with Sarah, and they begin a passionate affair. While actors Anna and Mike are living in the liberated 1980s, their characters Sarah and Charles are confined by the expectations and rigidities of Victorian society. Despite the different circumstances of the two pairs, they begin to find themselves increasingly intertwined, as the two romances are juxtaposed. The film features fine craftsmanship and an acting showcase from the ensemble, and for her commanding performance, Meryl Streep received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

BFF26 The Three Urns

Set along the beautiful and striking landscapes of the northwest coast of Donegal, Ireland, and starring Ciarán Hinds (Belfast), this is a delightful comedic drama from directors and co-writers John-Paul Davidson and Stephen Warbeck (The Man in The Hat). Having lived in France for decades, Mr. O’Connor (Hinds) sets out on a pilgrimage to his home country to scatter his late wife's ashes. Inspired by a letter she wrote encouraging him to reconnect with his family, he travels to Ireland. On his journey full of playful misadventures and serendipitous encounters, he stumbles upon a cohort of colourful characters, including a Lithuanian painter, an itinerant priest, horse whisperers, and a group of mystic women at the ancient Beltany Stone Circle. He visits his brother, who still runs the family dairy farm, whilst being followed by a mysterious Woman in Black (Olga Kurylenko, Quantum of Solace) in an electric car. With Irish hospitality at its heart, THE THREE URNS is a warm, charming and funny look at reconnection and exploration.

BFF26 The Match

This thrilling feature documentary, narrated by football legends Gary Lineker and Jorge Valdano, tells the story of the iconic match between Argentina and England, played during the 1986 Football World Cup. Based on the book El Partido by Andrés Burgo, the film revisits the 1986 World Cup quarter-final at the Azteca Stadium which was considered the symbolic culmination of two centuries of tension, identity, and cultural ties between the two nations. Using archival footage and interviews, Lineker and Valdano guide the viewer on a journey that stretches from early geopolitical conflicts between England and Argentina, including the Falklands War, to the defining moments of that unforgettable match. Featuring testimonies from players on both sides, THE MATCH weaves together the interviews and rare archival footage including Maradona’s infamous "Hand of God", with music from Queen, to reflect on the beauty of the game and the absurdity of war, revealing football as a force for unity.

BFF26 The Man Who Fell to Earth

Celebrating its 50th anniversary and presented in a stunning 4K restoration, THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH remains a visionary science-fiction landmark from legendary British director Nicolas Roeg, starring David Bowie in his first major film role. The story follows Thomas Jerome Newton (Bowie), an enigmatic extraterrestrial who arrives on Earth seeking water for his drought-stricken home planet. Using advanced alien technology, Newton amasses enormous wealth in an attempt to build a spacecraft and return home. But as he becomes increasingly entangled in human society, he encounters love, exploitation, addiction, and loneliness, gradually losing sight of his original mission. Striking, surreal and deeply melancholic, the film explores humanity’s relationship with technology, desire, power and environmental catastrophe. Fifty years on, its distinctive imagery, fractured storytelling and Bowie’s unforgettable performance continue to resonate, securing its place as one of cinema’s most enduring and influential visions of alienation and the human condition.

BFF26 The Lost Children of Tuam

Produced by Liam Neeson, this dramatisation of a powerful true story follows amateur Irish historian Catherine Corless (Monica Dolan, also in Elsinore) who pieces together a disturbing truth about her Galway hometown, Tuam, that shatters her trust in the very institutions that are meant to protect society’s most vulnerable. While diligently sifting through thousands of records from the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, Galway for a presentation, Catherine becomes transfixed on mounting inconsistencies within the files, realising that hundreds of missing children are unaccounted for. Determined to uncover the truth, Catherine powers on with her grassroots investigation with the help of local community members and it soon spirals into something bigger than she could have ever imagined. With restrained and powerful performances, THE LOST CHILDREN OF TUAM builds an increasingly uneasy tension that champions persistence in the pursuit of truth and justice. This incredible true story shook Ireland’s trust in the Church and government and kickstarted a wider investigation that is still ongoing today.

BFF26 The Incomer

Winner of the NEXT Innovator Award at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, heartwarming comedy THE INCOMER follows reclusive siblings Sandy (Grant O’Rourke, Outlander) and Isla (Gayle Rankin, GLOW) and the hilarious lengths they will employ to defend their breathtaking remote Scottish isle home from dreaded “incomers”. One day, Daniel (Domhnall Gleeson, About Time), an awkward and socially inept council official arrives to evacuate the siblings. Bringing with him the strange mainland ways of laws, paperwork, veganism and internet wizardry, he turns their world upside down. As long-held beliefs begin to crumble, each of them must confront the truth, embrace change, and dare to imagine a life beyond the island while fighting to preserve the heritage they have sworn to defend. Vibrant, heartfelt and wonderfully weird, THE INCOMER is a genre-defying fairytale that perfectly melds themes of love and loss with those of betrayal and beginnings, as writer-director Louis Paxton beautifully explores the delightfully strange dance that is human connection.

BFF26 Sunny Dancer

Starring Bella Ramsay (Game of Thrones, The Last of Us), this heartfelt coming-of-age romantic comedy celebrates love, friendship, and feeling most alive whilst the world has other plans. Seventeen-year-old Ivy (Ramsay) has been in remission from Leukemia for ten months. She is struggling to come to terms with life after illness, and the last thing she wants is to be sent by her loving yet overbearing parents to a summer camp for kids with cancer. Upon arrival, she is introduced to camp president Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris), outdoors lead Tristian and therapist Lucy. Despite being reluctant at first, Ivy gradually befriends the like-minded misfit campers, making connections with raunchy roommate Ella and sensitive Jake. Coming to embrace her time at the camp, Ivy and her newfound friends decide to live life to the fullest, having fun, dancing and maybe even falling in love. With a healthy dose of dark humour and genuine warmth, SUNNY DANCER thoughtfully presents first love, acceptance, and challenging adversity in a fresh take on the summer camp comedy.

BFF26 Shirley Valentine

In tribute to the late Pauline Collins, we present her iconic Oscar-nominated performance in the 1989 comedic drama SHIRLEY VALENTINE. Collins plays Shirley, a bored housewife in Liverpool, England, who dares to take a chance on a trip of a lifetime to the sunny and sensual Greek islands. Adapted from the one-woman play of the same name (also starring Collins), the film follows Shirley who is offered a last-minute ticket to Greece by her adventurous friend Jane (Alison Steadman). Taking the chance to trade her mundane life as housewife for cocktails by the mediterranean sea with a Greek bachelor, Shirley embarks on a journey of mid-life self-discovery. With a career spanning six decades across film, television, and theatre, Pauline Collins leaves behind a distinctive legacy. Much like her character Shirley, Collins was given a new lease on life with the widespread success of both the original play and the later film. For her standout performance in SHIRLEY VALENTINE, Collins won the Best Actress BAFTA and was nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe.

BFF26 Queen at Sea

Led by compelling performances from Juliette Binoche, Tom Courtenay and Anna Calder-Marshall, this critically acclaimed drama from Lance Hammer follows a family faced with an unsettling moral dilemma as their mother’s worsening health shatters her ability to be in control of her own decisions. Amanda (Juliette Binoche) is horrified when she walks in on her stepfather Martin (Tom Courtenay) sleeping with her mother Leslie (Amanda Calder-Marshall), despite the family having recently been told that Leslie’s worsening dementia means that she has lost the ability to consent. To convey the seriousness of the situation, Amanda calls the police, resulting in Martin being arrested and Leslie being sent to an aged care home, where she faces further challenges to her autonomy. Meanwhile, Amanda’s teenage daughter Sara (Florence Hunt) is exploring a new relationship of her own. Winner of the 2026 Berlin International Film Festiva Jury Prize, this thought-provoking drama explores the fragile boundaries between care, protection and autonomy as it dares to deal with rarely explored and morally grey issues. *Note not screening in Perth.

BFF26 Virginia Woolf's Night & Day

In 1910 London, passionate amateur astronomer Katharine Hilbery (Haley Bennett, Widow Clicquot BFF24), does everything she can to avoid love and marriage, particularly to her parents’ chosen suitor, old family friend, William (Jack Whitehall). However, when her father (Timothy Spall) catches her at a men-only astronomy lecture, accompanied by her beloved cousin, the family black sheep Cyril (Misia Butler), he forces Katharine to abandon her scientific pursuits and accept William’s proposal. Soon Katharine meets spirited suffragette Mary (Lily Allen), who urges Katharine to apply to Cambridge and pursue her passion for astronomy; and Ralph (Elyas M’Barek), a working-class editor assisting Katharine’s mother with a seemingly endless biography of Katharine’s illustrious grandpapa. At Christmas in the country, romantic tides shift as Katharine is torn between convention, love and self–discovery on her journey toward the stars. Adapting one of Virginia Woolf’s lesser known yet humorous and accessible novels, Tina Gharavi delivers a witty and fresh tale of a woman’s search for independence in Edwardian England.

BFF26 Frank and Percy

Sir Ian McKellen and Roger Allam (The Choral BFF25) deliver charming performances in this heartfelt comedic drama wherein a chance encounter between two elderly dogwalkers on Hampstead Heath leads to an unexpected friendship. During their dog walks on Hampstead Heath, two older gentlemen Frank and Percy (played by McKellen and Allam) find their conversations about everyday aches and weather growing into a pleasantly surprising connection. Soon, they come to find that their bond may even develop into a relationship potentially deeper than that. Direct from its premiere at the 2026 BFI London Film Festival, Frank and Percy is a warm and charming tale of love found later in life. Adapted from the acclaimed West End hit play by Ben Weatherill and directed by Sean Mathias (National Theatre Live: No Man's Land), alongside McKellen and Allam as the titular characters, it features a star-studded ensemble cast including Stephen Fry, Joanna Lumley, Derek Jacobi and Ncuti Gatwa.

BFF26 Onwards and Sideways

A story of courage and the power of human connection, this comedic drama from director John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) is a compelling tale about finding hope, joy and freedom in life's difficult moments. Tony (Rhys Ifans, House of the Dragon) is widowed, and the deputy head of a primary school and Emma (Laura Linney, Ozark) is an American musician and composer. They are complete strangers, until one day an unexpected encounter changes the course of their lives. On the same morning, they both receive a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease from neurologist Professor Ridge (Rory Kinnear, Bank of Dave). Finding themselves in the same situation, in the same place, they bond over their shared diagnoses and soon find a friendship that could blossom into something more. Written by Paul Mayhew-Archer (The Vicar of Dibley) who has lived with Parkinson’s since 2011, ONWARDS AND SIDEWAYS challenges assumptions about the disease in a moving story of humour, courage, music, and dance.

BFF26 Once Upon a Time in a Cinema

A nostalgic comedy about a Friday night screening from hell at a small-town cinema, ONCE UPON A TIME IN A CINEMA is a powerful love letter to the cinema experience and a heart-warming nostalgic recreation of a time gone by, from acclaimed Irish writer-director David Gleeson (Tolkien). Set over the course of one outrageously eventful evening in 1980s Ireland, beleaguered cinema owner/manager Earl Clancy (Colin Morgan, Belfast) must balance with the legacy of the past and the challenges of the future as he faces a myriad of disasters, any one of which could sink him and his cinema. As he grapples with his decision to sell the cinema to a shady politician, he begins to question whether he can walk away from the community that has been his life’s passion. A deeply personal film drawing from Gleeson's own experience growing up in a family of cinema owners, ONCE UPON A TIME IN A CINEMA is a funny and touching tribute to cinema, the community formed and the stories told.

BFF26 Hill

Sporting champions are often mythologised, but this documentary dares to challenge the narrative by focusing on the deeply human psychological turmoil faced by British Formula One champion Damon Hill in his pursuit of the win. In the shadow of his late Formula One champion father Graham Hill, who prematurely died in a plane crash when he was fifteen, Damon feels the weight of responsibility to live up to his father’s success. Further haunted by the shocking death of his Brazilian teammate Ayrton Senna during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, and his intense rivalry with German racer Michael Schumacher, Damon’s mind becomes a pressure cooker. His greatest battle is not on the racetracks, but with himself. The meaning of victory itself is questioned when overcoming crushing self-doubt becomes a greater achievement than any championship. Piecing together archival footage with intimate interviews with Damon and his wife Georgie, HILL paints a gripping and personal picture of what it takes to be a world champion.

BFF26 Hamlet

Celebrating its 30th Anniversary, this four-time Oscar nominated masterpiece by director-actor Kenneth Branagh is a gripping and visually stunning adaptation of the classic tragedy. Utilising a refreshed 19th century setting, while preserving the original Elizabethan English dialogue, Branagh breathes new life into the tragic tale of the Prince of Denmark alongside a stunning Ophelia (Kate Winslet). After his father’s death, Prince Hamlet is horrified to find his mother Gertrude (Julie Christie) hastily betrothed to his uncle Claudius (Derek Jacobi). Already overwhelmed with the looming prospect of war with neighbouring Norway and, egged on by the ghost of his father who reveals Claudius to be his killer, Hamlet dances with madness in his pursuit of justice as his house falls into the control of his uncle, the usurper. Featuring gorgeous visuals, gripping performances, masterful direction and a stellar soundtrack, this critically acclaimed adaptation is regarded as one of Branagh’s greatest works in his distinguished career.

BFF26 Flavia

Featuring an all-star ensemble including Martin Freeman, Jonathan Pryce and Toby Jones, this is a fun adventure mystery for the whole family, based on the book series by Alan Bradley. 1951. At a crumbling manor house outside a picturesque British village, where the de Luce family has resided for 500 years, a dead body lies in the cucumber patch. Brilliant eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce (played by exciting newcomer Molly Belle Wright), a chemist whose specialty is poisons, stumbles upon the body in the middle of the night and discovers her true calling: sleuth. She is determined to figure out what happened, but when her father Havilland confesses to the murder, she must turn every trick in the detective manual to save him, keeping two steps ahead of the local constabulary and other watchful eyes. Little does Flavia know that her intrepid investigating to free her remote, enigmatic father will unveil his deepest secrets, and lead to truths about her deceased mother Harriet, in whose footsteps Flavia is destined to follow.

BFF26 Extra Geography

The feature film debut from BAFTA-winning director Molly Manners (One Day), this funny, authentic coming-of-age story is an intimate snapshot of the challenges and joys of teenage girlhood. Flic and Minna are best friends and high achievers at a British girls’ boarding school, fiercely focused on their futures and making it into the best possible university. Their love language is academic excellence, but their intimate friendship is challenged when they decide to become more "worldly" and embark on their big summer project to fall in love with the next person they see, who happens to be their geography teacher, Miss Delavigne (Alice Englert). But as Flic and Minna take part in the school production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" alongside a boys' school, their close friendship comes under tension as real feelings come to the surface. Adapted by Miriam Battye (Succession) from a short story by Rose Tremain, and featuring breakout performances from Marni Duggan and Galaxie Clear, EXTRA GEOGRAPHY is a romantic and bittersweet story of growing pains and teenage nostalgia.

BFF26 Everybody to Kenmure Street

An inspiring documentary that took home the Special Jury Award for Civil Resistance at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, EVERYBODY TO KENMURE STREET from BAFTA winning director Felipe Bustos Sierra (Nae Pasaran), captures the dawn immigration raid that sparked an unprecedented community uprising in Glasgow in 2021. On May 13, 2021, on the first day of Eid-al-Fitr, a Home Office immigration raid targeted a diverse residential street in Pollokshields, Glasgow, ripping two local men away from their homes and loading them into a van. Within minutes, word spread fast and more than 2,000 ordinary people had abandoned their daily routines to converge on Kenmure Street, forming a human barrier so the van couldn’t leave, with one protestor (reenacted by Emma Thompson) throwing her body under the van and hugging the axle. With no plan but to bear witness and defend what was morally right, the eight-hour standoff transformed into a powerful act of solidarity, showcasing the strength of community in the face of forces that would drive them apart.

BFF26 California Schemin'

Based on an outrageous true story, this directorial debut from acclaimed actor James McAvoy is a wild ride through ambition, identity, and the high-stakes world of musical make-believe. In the early 2000’s, Dundee rappers Gavin Bain (Séamus McLean Ross, Blood of My Blood) and Billy Boyd (Samuel Bottomley, Anemone BFF25) were talented, hungry, but dismissed for sounding "too Scottish" to make it in hip hop. So, they hatch an audacious plan: create fake American identities, re-record their tracks with Californian accents, and hustle their way into the heart of the UK music industry as “Silibil N’ Brains”. To their shock, the plan works, and they bag a record deal, with media buzz and gigs with hip hop legends to follow. But as fame beckons and their deception deepens, the pressure mounts and cracks begin to show as their friendship is put to the test. With bold humour, raw emotion, and a defiant spirit, CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN' is a love letter to outsiders and underdogs that questions the cost of the pursuit of fame.

BFF26 Borges and Me

Based on Jay Parlini’s acclaimed memoir, eccentric comedy BORGES AND ME follows a young graduate student on an unexpected journey through the Scottish Highlands with one of the 20th Century’s greatest literary minds, Jorge Luis Borges. In 1971, Jay Parlini (Fionn Whitehead, Dunkirk) a student at St Andrews University in Scotland, dreams of becoming a poet but finds himself uncertain and uninspired, in search of something that he can't articulate. Longing for guidance, he turns to celebrated poet Alastair Reid (Alan Cumming, Glenrothan BFF25), hoping Reid will become the mentor who can help him discover his voice. Through Reid, he is introduced to the mysterious and renowned Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges (Luis Gnecco) and is reluctantly drawn into Borges’s world of myth, humour and paradox. As Jorge challenges Jay’s assumptions about life, art, love and mortality, Jay's search for a literary guide becomes something more profound, as he realises the power of language and discovers that inspiration is not something handed down by a mentor but found through personal experience.