London Film Festival 2026: a practical guide to the free programme

London’s free festival programme has talks on everything from film editing to podcasting. For readers and aspiring critics, its film-writing weekend on October 10 and 11 is a good place to start.

The BFI London Film Festival began on October 7 and runs until October 18. For anyone curious about the festival but reluctant to build a day around an expensive screening, the useful starting point is LFF for Free. It has its own programme of talks, workshops and evening events. That does not make every festival screening free: check which strand an event belongs to before planning around it. The official events page separates the free programme from other festival events.

Start with this weekend’s film-writing events

Film in Print takes place on October 10 and 11 at BFI Southbank, with the BFI Reuben Library as its home. Its subject is the writing around cinema: magazines, criticism, books and the people who make them. The programme page lists author conversations, panels and book signings.

One useful entry point is the panel on independent film publishing, which brings together editors working with magazines, zines and newsletters. Another is The Criticism That Made Me, in which members of the London Film Critics’ Circle discuss writing that influenced them. Helen McCarthy also has a career conversation about manga and anime.

If you have been wondering how a film newsletter finds its voice, try the publishing panel. The criticism discussion looks like a better fit for someone who wants to find new writers to read before attempting a review of their own.

Find a talk that matches your interests

The BFI’s September 24 announcement gives several routes into the wider free programme. From Console to Cinema looks at the relationship between gaming and film and television. Editing the Auteur turns attention to women editors. A podcasting session focuses on starting a show about film or TV, while In Praise of Stillness considers slow cinema.

These are quite different afternoons. Someone who follows game adaptations might get more from the first than from a broad career interview. A patient-film enthusiast has a reason to choose the stillness discussion. Use the programme as a set of interests to match, not a checklist to finish.

The free offering also includes family activities and DJ nights. The events directory lists the latter on Friday and Saturday nights during the festival. Read the individual listing before treating any event as an option for children or a casual drop-in.

Free does not mean a seat is waiting

Booking for the free programme opened on October 1. By the time you read this, a listing may have changed or reached capacity. This guide identifies programme choices; it does not confirm remaining spaces.

Before setting off, make four checks on the specific event page:

• Is its date still ahead, and does the start time fit your journey?
• Does it require a booking, or give separate entry instructions?
• Which room or venue is named? Do not rely on a general festival address.
• Are its age guidance and access arrangements suitable for your group?

Keep the confirmation and venue details together on your phone. Leave a gap between events rather than making a plan that depends on every session ending exactly on time. A single confirmed event with time to talk afterwards can make a better visit than three rushed ones.

If you cannot get to London

The BFI’s festival guide points viewers to Screen Talks on its YouTube channel and a selection of free shorts on BFI Player. This is a separate route into the festival, not a promise that the entire programme will stream. Check each video’s release and viewing availability, especially outside the UK.

Programme information checked October 9, 2026 against BFI sources. Live ticket availability was not verified. This guide was prepared with AI assistance; both illustrations are AI-generated, not event photography.