LFF for Free

From illustrated talks to panel discussions, film screenings to DJ nights and family fun workshops, LFF for Free is the London Film Festival’s programme of free events. Happening at the BFI Southbank and open to all, every event is completely free of charge.

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, the on-screen portrayal of migration and the diaspora as well as contemporary depictions of sex and sexuality in film and television.

LFF FOR FREE EVENT TICKETS: 
Tickets are over-allocated to compensate for the potential of no-shows and, occasionally events may be over subscribed. Doors will open 15 minutes before the advertised time. Seating is unallocated and tickets don’t guarantee entry: admission is on a first-come, first-served basis for those with tickets. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment.  Book your tickets online here.

LFF For free events programme

LFF For Free events take place at venues across the BFI Southbank including cinema screens and the Reuben Library.

Thursday 9 October

12:30pm Lights, Camera, Genre! Horror 
Delve into a discussion of horror, where suspense, fear and terrifying visuals combine to unsettle, scare and captivate audiences.

1pm The Art of the Whodunit: Rian Johnson on Knives Out 
The master of modern murder mysteries joins us to discuss his creative process as director and writer, and how he's reinventing the genre.

Friday 10 October

11am The Wizard of Wicked Director Jon M. Chu discusses his groundbreaking vision of Oz.

12:30pm Lights, Camera, Genre! Fantasy  Dive into this discussion of crime’s shadowy worlds, exploring gripping stories, high-stakes drama and gritty visual styles that define this suspenseful, thrilling genre.

9pm-1am DJ Night: Wild Style at BFI Bar A night inspired by Charlie Ahearn’s Wild Style, celebrating the early NYC hip-hop scene.

Saturday 11 October

11am The Work and World of David Lynch  
Author Tom Huddleston takes us behind the red curtain to explore the late, great filmmaker’s eclectic output and wide range of cultural influences.

11:30am Lights, Camera, Genre! Crime  
Dive into this discussion of crime’s shadowy worlds, exploring gripping stories, high-stakes drama and gritty visual styles that define this suspenseful, thrilling genre.

12pm From Metropolis to Ex Machina and Beyond  
Tracing the evolution of AI representations on the screen.

1pm The Art of Conversation  
A discussion with a panel of expert journalists who specialise in interviewing the stars, filmmakers and creatives behind our favourite films.

2pm Rewriting the Reel: Telling Our Own Stories  
An inspiring and unfiltered panel discussion featuring disabled filmmakers who are flipping the script on how disability is shown on screen.

2pm Gaming & Cinema: Storytelling in the Multiverse 
Explore how gaming culture is influencing film language and vice versa.

3pm Saluting the Silver Screen 
Join critic and author Jane Crowther to learn about the world’s most spectacular cinemas, from Hollywood to Hong Kong.

4pm Diaspora Dreams: Migration, Memory & Belonging in Cinema  
An examination of how migration and diaspora are portrayed on screen, with a focus on identity, nostalgia and dislocation.

5pm Author on Author: Kim Newman and Anna Bogutskaya in Conversation 
Two leading film experts share their experiences and insights from the frontline of film criticism.

9pm-1am DJ Night – Black is Beautiful at BFI Bar 
A musical celebration inspired by Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story, spanning soul, funk, disco, hip-hop, house, and Afrobeat.

Sunday 12 October

11am A Critical Eye: Justin Chang in Conversation 
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, The New Yorker film critic and NPR’s Fresh Air host discusses his acclaimed career.

12pm Film & Mental Health: Is Cinema Helping or Hurting?  
A look at how anxiety, depression and the complexities of mental health are depicted in films and series.

12:30pm Little Amélie's Wall of Wonder 
Before watching Little Amélie, dive into a world full of curiosity and imagination.

1pm Long Live Film Mags! Editors Roundtable  
Taking the temperature of our greatest film magazines, with insights from the editors in charge.

2pm Soft Boys & Sad Girls: Vulnerability on Screen 
An exploration of how contemporary films and shows are reframing emotional expression and vulnerability.

1pm Around The World of Animation 
Taking the temperature of our greatest film magazines, with insights from the editors in charge.

4pm The Inner Critic: Silencing Self-Doubt 
Behind every creative mind is a doubting voice. Hear how filmmakers challenge self-criticism and reclaim their artistic confidence.

5pm The Director's Chair 
Delve into the filmographies of iconic filmmakers, with a panel of authors and film critics

Monday 13 Oct

12:30pm Lights, Camera, Genre! Action & Adventure 
Get ready for a discussion that explores the heart-pounding thrills, daring heroes and explosive sequences that define the action and adventure genre.

Tuesday 14 Oct

12:30pm Lights, Camera, Genre! Westerns  
Saddle up for this discussion of rugged cowboys, brave settlers, notorious outlaws, duels at high noon and the wild untamed frontier that characterise the great Westerns.

Wed 15 October

12:30pm Lights, Camera, Genre! Musicals  
This discussion celebrates the vibrant fusion of song, dance and narrative that makes musicals a uniquely expressive genre.

Thursday 16 Oct

12:30pm Lights, Camera, Genre! Sci-Fi 
Journey through visionary science fiction worlds, with their futuristic technology, dystopian landscapes, alien encounters and wildly imaginative storytelling.

2pm Girls on Film Live at LFF 
A fun, feminist film chat with the world's leading podcast about women in film, hosted by Anna Smith.

Friday 17 October

12:30pm Lights, Camera, Genre! Comedy 
Get ready to laugh as we explore the wild, witty world of comedy, in a journey through cinema’s funniest storytelling moments.

9pm-1am Born in the USA at BFI Bar
A night dedicated to the legends of classic American rock, including anthems from 'The Boss', who is the subject of the new film Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.

Saturday 18 October

11am This is London: Small Stories, Big City 
A selection of shorts from some of London’s most exciting new voices, funded by BFI NETWORK and delivered by Film London.

11am Black Is Beautiful 
A Poetry Writing Workshop Inspired by the photography of Kwame Brathwaite.

11am Voices From the Frontline of Regeneration 
A panel discussion exploring London’s ongoing regeneration and its deep, often overlooked impact on Black, Brown and migrant communities.

 12:30pm Still Nouvelle: The French New Wave’s Influence on Modern Cinema 
This talk looks at the way that the French New Wave continues to be relevant in today's cinema.

1pm Archives of a Present Future 
A panel discussion and workshop led by global majority LGBTQIA+ artists, filmmakers and archivists, exploring archives as powerful tools for shaping the future.

2:30pm Pride and Prejudice: A Timeless Romance 
A celebration of the enduring romance, and cinematic legacy, of Austen’s beloved masterpiece.

4pm Celebrating Film Preservation with the Film Heritage Foundation 
Find out the story behind the restoration of the epic Indian blockbuster Sholay and Gehenu Lamai (The Girls), the landmark Sri Lankan portrait of girlhood.

5:30pm Reel Poverty: Stories of Struggle, Survival and Dignity in Trying Times 
An exploration of how directors and writers portray poverty – not as a statistic, but as a lived experience.

4:30pm On Our Own Terms 
This session looks at how to build ethical, sustainable arts practices in film and beyond.

9pm-11:40pm One Africa at BFI Bar
A musical celebration inspired by the film The Eyes of Ghana and Ghana's first president Kwame Nkrumah's dream of one Africa and the spirit of Pan-Africanism.

Sunday 19 October

11am Animated Journeys: Explore Animation from Around the World 
A creative workshop inspired by The Animation Atlas: The Ghibliotheque Guide to the World of Animated Film.

11am Botanical Futures: Plant-Based Solutions for Climate and Sustainability 
A timely conversation sparked by Future Botanica, an Augmented Reality app that enables users, in collaboration with an AI, to design speculative ecosystems with new nature.

11:30am Beyond Words: The Power of Visual Storytelling 
Discover the art of visual storytelling in this inclusive workshop inspired by the silent film era – when stories were told without dialogue.

12pm Mum’s The Word: Motherhood on Screen 
From perfect mums to messy ones – an exploration of the many faces of motherhood, as portrayed in film and television.

1pm Femme Fatale to Final Girl: Evolving Archetypes in Genre Cinema 
An examination of the development of iconic female tropes across noir and horror – from the seductive femme fatale to the resilient final girl.

2pm Coming of (Older) Age: The Older Woman 
From maternal archetypes to eccentric outliers, this discussion will consider how cinema reinforces or challenges stereotypes of aging femininity.

2pm Imagining Just Futures 
Explore how film and television shape our visions of the future and imagine just, anti-oppressive worlds through storytelling.

5pm Let's Talk About Sex (on Screen) 
A panel of writers and filmmakers discuss representations of sex and sexuality in contemporary film and television, and what these representations can tell us about sexual politics and gender cultures today.

5pm Stranger Than Fiction: Larger-Than-Life True Stories on the Screen 
Unbelievable true stories brought to life on screen – real people, real drama and events more extraordinary than any fiction could imagine.