August 2025 programme announced for BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX

Presented in partnership with Cinecittà and the Cinema Department of the Ministry of Culture of Italy, this season celebrates more than 70 years of Sophia Loren’s career as a star, style icon and groundbreaking actress. Featuring numerous 4K restorations, the season highlights Loren’s versatility and magnetism through her work in both Italian and international cinema.

The programme begins on 1 August with Sophia Loren: Hollywood Italian Style, an illustrated talk by season curator Adrian Wootton. A 25 & Under Introduction to Sophia Loren will take place on 16 August, led by researcher and strategist Alexandria Amaka Animba. Films screening include Two Women, Marriage Italian Style, The Life Ahead, and many more.

Celebrating the mercurial comic talent of Peter Sellers in what would have been his 100th year, this season explores Sellers’ formative years, breakthrough roles and greatest hits. Curated by Justin Johnson and Dick Fiddy, the season opens on 5 August with Peter Sellers in Context, a richly illustrated discussion of his iconic roles and lasting influence.

Highlights include Dr. Strangelove, Being There, The Ladykillers, and the world premiere of a 4K restoration of Only Two Can Play on 15 August. On 18 August, Peter Sellers: Oddities and Rarities presents a curated collection of TV appearances and interviews.

August marks the conclusion of Moviedrome, a two-month season celebrating titles screened by BBC2’s cult series. Curated by producer Nick Freand Jones, the season features films such as Yojimbo, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Escape from New York, Mommie Dearest and To Sleep with Anger, many preceded by their original televised introductions.

• S.O.U.L. Fest (28 to 31 August): The seventh annual edition returns to BFI Southbank to celebrate Black British excellence in film and television. The programme includes exclusive previews, hand-picked shorts, panel discussions, and the S.O.U.L. Fest Awards.
• Experimenta: Aaaaaaaah! (20 August): A screening of Steve Oram’s debut feature followed by a Q&A with the director and (work permitting) cast members Julian Barratt, Noel Fielding, Julian Rhind-Tutt and Toyah Wilcox.
• Preview: The Ceremony (22 August): Jack King’s award-winning debut feature will be followed by a Q&A with the director, producer Hollie Bryan, and actors Tudor Cucu-Dumitrescu and Erdal Yildiz.
• Magic Mike XXL Anniversary (17 August): A 10th anniversary screening of Magic Mike XXL with a post-screening discussion exploring its radical lens on the politics of pleasure.

BFI IMAX will screen Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975) in IMAX with Laser to mark its 50th anniversary. Extended runs at BFI Southbank include Little Trouble Girls, Dreams Love Sex Trilogy, Late Shift, The Life of Chuck, Sorry, Baby, and the re-release of My Beautiful Laundrette.

BFI Southbank’s daily Big Screen Classics screenings will include The Third Man, Le Mépris, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and more. Tickets are just £9, with £4 tickets available for audiences aged 25 and under.

Tickets for BFI Southbank screenings in July are on sale to BFI Patrons on 7 July, BFI Members on 8 July, and to the general public on 10 July.