LFF For Free programme announced at the 69th BFI London Film Festival

The 69th BFI London Film Festival (LFF), in partnership with American Express, unveils an incredible line-up of events taking place in the 2025 edition of the LFF For Free programme. From illustrated talks to panel discussions, film screenings to DJ nights and family fun workshops, LFF for Free is open to all, with every event completely free of charge across the festival at BFI Southbank. 

This year’s free talks and workshops will delve into a fascinating array of topics including how film and television shape our visions of the future, how cinema reinforces or challenges stereotypes of aging femininity, the on-screen portrayal of migration and the diaspora as well as contemporary depictions of sex and sexuality in film and television. 

Master of modern murder mysteries and LFF Opening Night Gala Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery director Rian Johnson will discuss the process behind one of contemporary cinema’s most innovative mystery series and reflect on the films, books and storytellers that have influenced him. In The Wizard of Wicked, director Jon M. Chu takes us behind the curtain of his two-part cinematic spectacle giving the audience an exciting glimpse into the vision behind one of the most eagerly anticipated film events of the year. Pulitzer Prize winning writer and contributor to The New Yorker and NPR’s Fresh Air, highly acclaimed film critic Justin Chang, discusses his career in A Critical Eye.  

Ahead of the premiere of Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, LFF is delighted to offer audiences the chance to see the BBC documentary When Bruce Springsteen Came to Britain on the big screen. Produced by Wise Owl Films, this touching and celebratory film, which was made to mark the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s first UK concert, examines the American singer-songwriter’s unique relationship with the UK and his UK fans. Alongside an exclusive interview with Bruce Springsteen, the documentary features contributions from Gurinder Chadha, Harvey Goldsmith, Jon Landau, Sir Michael Palin, Peter Gabriel, Rob Brydon, Stevie Van Zandt and Sting, alongside fans, who recount how hearing and meeting Springsteen changed their lives. The film also reveals the huge impact British music has had on Springsteen’s life and career. 

Discover the story behind the restoration of the epic Indian blockbuster Sholay, voted Film of the Millennium in a BBC India online poll, and named the greatest Indian film in a BFI poll in Celebrating Film Preservation with Film Heritage Foundation. Inspired by the photography of Kwame Brathwaite, the power of Black identity is celebrated and uplifted offering powerful messages for poetic reflection in the Black Is Beautiful creative writing workshop. 

Additional talks will see us revisit the enduring romance and cinematic legacy of Jane Austen’s beloved masterpiece Pride & Prejudice; uncover how real life and real people can be more extraordinary than any fiction could ever imagine in Stranger than Fiction; hear how filmmakers challenge self-criticism and reclaim their artistic confidence in The Inner Critic: Silencing Self-Doubt; how the revolutionary spirit of French New Wave cinema continues to shape modern cinema, Still Nouvelle and look at how anxiety, depression and the complexities of mental health are depicted in film and series, Film & Mental Health: Is Cinema Helping or Hurting? In Let’s Talk About Sex (On Screen) industry experts Billy Holzberg, co-author of Bad Sex: Sexuality, Gender and Affect in Contemporary TV; Ita O’Brien, leading intimacy coordinator, creator of the Intimacy On Set Guidelines and author of Intimacy and Xuanlin Tham, author Revolutionary Desires: The Political Power of the Sex, discuss portrayals of sex and sexuality in contemporary film and television.  

Launched in 2020, LFF Expanded is the festival’s showcase of immersive art, extended realities and gaming, inviting audiences to explore bold new frontiers of storytelling. This year’s Expanded programme includes FUTURE BOTANICA a free installation where audiences collaborate with AI to co-create virtual landscapes where new forms of nature bloom before their eyes, transforming BFI IMAX into a speculative ecosystem of the future.  

Now in its second edition, the free Games Lounge at BFI IMAX invites everyone to dive into a playful, and accessible showcase of imaginative, moving and wildly inventive games from around the world.   

One of the year’s most acclaimed games, Blue Prince is an elegant, genre-blending mystery inviting you on a quest where every door you choose redraws your path. A hilariously twisted romp through Renaissance art, Death of the Reprobate tasks players with redeeming their souls – one questionable good deed at a time. Some Goodbyes We Made is a tender collection of farewell-themed minigames capturing life’s quiet endings – from moving out to falling out – in a beautifully diverse hour of play. Slice-of-life adventure game, Despolte captures the childhood and the spellbinding hold soccer had on the people of Quito, Ecuador during the summer of 2001. SONGS OF TRAVEL is a beautifully animated graphic novel game weaving five migrant journeys into a powerful, personal portrait of identity, belonging and the search across Europe for a home.  

Film in Print, a celebration of writing about film, also returns to the LFF for its second year, now in its new home at the BFI Reuben Library. Without David Lynch, our world would have been a more ordinary place, and author Tom Huddleston explores all aspects of Lynch’s truly eclectic output. Two of the most prolific voices in film criticism - Anna Bogutskaya, head of Screen at SXSW London and Kim Newman, film critic, film historian and novelist — will take part in a wide-ranging conversation on the craft of writing using their shared love of horror as a springboard. Co-creators behind Ghibliotheque series of books and podcasts, Michael Leader and Jack Cunningham, are back at LFF for Free to unveil their globe-trotting new book, The Animation Atlas.  

Lights, Camera, Genre! will take audiences on a journey in a series of lunchtime talks through the diverse and dynamic world that is movie genres. Whether it’s a hero in a revenge quest, epic journey through dangerous terrain or a battle against overwhelming odds, Action & Adventure will decode the genre’s lasting appeal and its power to transport into the worlds of danger, daring and determination. Exploring distant galaxies, confronting rogue AI or questioning what it means to be human in Sci-Fi, we will discover how science fiction continues to push boundaries and expand the horizons of storytelling. Delve into a discussion of Horror, where suspense, fear and terrifying visuals combine to unsettle, scare and captivate audiences. Get ready to laugh out loud in Comedy, as we uncover cinema’s funniest storytelling and why laughter remains one of the most important tools for storytelling and connection. Step into the mythical realms rich with myth, wonder and imaginative storytelling in Fantasy and dive into discussions of crime’s shadowy worlds, high stake dramas and gritty visual styles in Crime.   

There are couple of free family events, inspired by the screenings in this year’s LFF for the whole family to get stuck in. Bring your imagination and sense of fun to our Little Amelie’s Wall of Wonder - a giant, colourful space where you can share your thoughts, drawings and questions about life, childhood and the mysteries of the world. Ahead of the Animated Shorts for Younger Audiences screening, embark on a journey from Japan to Germany in the creative workshop Animated Journeys: Explore the Animation from Around the World.  

Set the dancefloor alight on the Friday and Saturday nights of the festival, for a series of free DJ nights inspired by films in the festival. Turn up the volume on tracks that lit block parties and shaped hip-hop’s golden age in Wild Style; expect tracks from legends like Aretha Franklin, Fela Kuti, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Erykah Badu and Chaka Khan for Black Is Beautiful; Rock out to legends of classic American rock, including anthems from ‘The Boss, at Born in the USA and embody the spirit of Pan-Africanism, at One Africa, a musical celebration inspired by The Eyes of Ghana.  

Audiences can view a selection of free short films from this year’s BFI London Film Festival from the comfort of their home as well as a selection of high-profile LFF Screen Talks featuring leaders in contemporary cinema exclusively via the BFI Player first. Screen Talks will later be available for viewing on YouTube. 

The 69th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express takes place from Wednesday 8 October to Sunday 19 October 2025, with select screenings and events continuing outside of these dates.