With the 2026 BFI London Film Festival now only days away and the excitement building, I thought I’d share my Top 10 favourite LFF memories.
I’ve been lucky enough to attend 7 editions of LFF and see over 50 films (and I cannot wait to add to that tally in the next couple of weeks). It is hands down my favourite place to watch films, sitting in sold out screens, surrounded by other film lovers creating an incredible atmosphere, with the added excitement of hearing from filmmakers and actors at premiere screenings.
Over the years there have been unexpected surprises, invigorating audience reactions and some real ‘I was there moments’. Narrowing it down to 10 was tough enough, so these will be in no particular order (it’d be like ranking your children). Thinking back to these has already got me in the LFF spirit, roll on the 2026 edition…
A Jake Gyllenhaal-y Introduction: My First Ever Day at LFF (2017)
My first ever time attending LFF will always be up there for me. I couldn’t believe I was actually at such a huge film festival (and it has only grown in stature and status since), able to see films before they had come out and hear from the filmmakers. It made the world I love feel not so far away.
My first day involved attending Jake Gyllenhaal’s Screen Talk, followed by the premiere of his film Stronger(both tickets I snagged the morning of – I still remember that jolt of adrenaline). One of my favourite actors, it was a real joy to see Gyllenhaal discuss his career during the Screen Talk, alongside watching clips of some of my favourites (no film has made me cry more than Brokeback Mountain). He also cracked jokes, including responding to the question of which character is most like himself with “Lou Bloom”, cue an awkward silence before we were berated for missing the sarcasm as Brits. The following screening of Stronger was the first time I saw a film pre-release; being at the premiere felt very special and I left with both a slight smugness and sense of duty to spread the word. It was also the first time seeing an actor pop back for a Q and A after seeing their film and it was pretty jarring (in the best way).
It was the start of an annual addiction and the discovery that maybe Christmas isn’t the only Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
The Irishman International Premiere (2019)
I felt beyond lucky to get a ticket to the Closing Night Gala premiere of The Irishman. Scorsese returning to the mob genre and reuniting with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci? Pacino added to the mix? Scorsese, De Niro, Pacino, Keitel (the list goes on…) on hand to introduce? Sign me right up.
The buzz was electric and it felt like you were a small part in witnessing cinematic history (in fact, a key part of the LFF trailer* that year was a clip from the film with De Niro asking “do you wanna be a part of this history?” why yes, Mr. De Niro, I do). The event was given more grandeur than I’d experienced at any other gala, with even a specially printed programme for the evening left on each of our seats (plus snacks). We were the second part of the premiere (this was back when they split it between the Odeon Leicester Square and the temporary Embankment Garden Cinema RIP) and the slight delay to our start time only increased the anticipation. It was incredible to hear from such legends in person (and I can confirm, from row R, that Mr. Scorsese does have the best eyebrows in show business), and the film itself surpassed my expectations. It was an evening I won’t forget.
*[N.B. you know you’ve had a great LFF when you see the LFF trailer (it plays before every film and event) enough times it burns itself into your memory and you can recite it by heart]
Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuce (2019)
My Irishman weekend had gotten off to a spectacular start two days earlier with the premiere of Western Stars. As much as I am a huge cinephile, I am also a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, so these worlds colliding was truly one of the most memorable nights. The film is like a cinematic concert, but is also much more. Add on the presence of Springsteen himself to introduce the film (and then walk right past me to sit in the audience and watch it with us – I was totally fine) and then participate in the lengthiest Q and A I’ve ever seen at LFF, alongside co-director Thom Zimney, made you feel like you were at a real Bruce concert. Sitting in a crowd full of fans jumping to their feet, droning the classic ‘Bruuuuuuuuce’ chant created a fantastic atmosphere. It was a different experience to any other I’ve had at the festival and really showcased the breadth of what film (and Springsteen) can do.
Hamnet I: A Group Meditation (2025)
The only screening to get two mentions on this list – perhaps it is a little fresher in my mind than others, but it was also the most unexpected gala introduction I’ve experienced.
Following introductory remarks from the producers (see below) and a brief Q and A with the lead actors, director Chloé Zhao stepped to the fore to deliver a beautiful introduction to the film. She captured the entire hall’s attention, visibly emotional in bringing Hamnet home to a venue a mere stone’s throw from Shakespeare’s Globe. She spoke of the process of making the film and then allowed us an incredible insight into it by leading us in a ritual that had been performed on set – a kind of guided meditation. By turns we were encouraged to notice how London supported us beneath our seats, to tap and feel our own hearts and to turn and look towards one another. It culminated in us all taking three deep breaths together, allowing us to feel the connective tissue between all of us as strangers, as people, and as a group who had gathered to experience a piece of art together. It was truly moving and fed so beautifully into the experience of the film itself.
Hamnet II: Surprise Spielberg (2025)
Imagine the film equivalent of your favourite musician bringing out a special guest as a surprise. Imagine that special guest was actually one of the most iconic musicians of all time.
I have rarely felt such electricity as in that split second in Royal Festival Hall where over 2,500 film fans collectively realised the one and only Steven Spielberg was about to stride out onto stage. Yes, we knew he was a producer on the film. No, he had made no other appearances in support of Hamnet prior. Beyond a few people’s far off hopes, no one expected him to be there. The gala began with the LFF director introducing a pair of the film’s producers, including Sam Mendes who then began to speak at the film. So far, so normal – it would make sense for him to introduce Chloé Zhao, from one Oscar-winning director to another. It was only when Mendes muttered the immortal words ‘I’m now going to introduce another one of our producers’ that you felt the entire hall breathe in and when he continued with ‘the man who gave me my first job in film’, you felt the jolt of certain recognition ricochet around the room. Could I believe I was in the same room as one Mr. Steven Spielberg? Absolutely not. Best surprise I’ve ever had? It’s right up there. He then spoke so beautifully and eloquently about Chloé Zhao and the film, the perfect lead in to her own wonderful introduction.
Glass Onion: European Premiere (2022)
The Closing Night Gala screening of Glass Onion is potentially the most fun I’ve ever had at the cinema. It began with the most brilliantly chaotic walk down the red carpet ever, with a member of the A-List cast everywhere you turned (throwback to when you actually walked down the red carpet – I’m not surprised they’ve stopped this but I am a little sad) and the excitement absolutely palpable. Inside, the room was buzzing and the cheers were great as the cast was welcomed to the stage with director Rian Johnson hilariously ‘forgetting’ his star Daniel Craig. Obviously being at a premiere with the cast really adds to the experience but what made this so fun was the act of watching the film with such a big audience. The film was absolutely hilarious and laughing along with that many other people cannot be topped. The responses to the beyond unexpected cameos were so joyful (another plus of seeing a premiere – much smaller chance of seeing any spoilers), and there were moments where people cheered when the villains were getting their comeuppance or a one liner just hit so well. The fact that some of the cast and crew sat and watched the film with us was also brilliant (and rare for LFF), just knowing that the people who made the film were getting to see the fruits of their labour in real time. The gala ended with an on-stage Q and A (very unusual for galas – they normally only get an intro), with Johnson imploring us not to spoil anything (it does make you feel like you have a fun little secret). The whole evening was just so joyful and I will never forgive Netflix for buying the rights to the Benoit Blanc/Knives Out series and depriving most other people of that communal experience.
Waves’ Shocking Turning Point (2019)
Waves was one of those LFF screenings that took me completely by surprise and absolutely blew me away. It was somehow unlike anything I’d seen before and became an almost transcendent experience, totally enthralling and intoxicating, capturing your mind and heart in a way that stays with you. A poetic, lyrical experience, the film as a whole is unforgettable but it is the shocking midpoint where the film is pushed into an entirely different direction that has stayed with me most from this screening in particular. The gasps from around the room and the sense that we all experienced the jolt and shock as a kind of collective consciousness was unique, and testament to just how entranced the entire cinema was by what was on screen.
Hitman’s Round of Applause (2023)
Hitman deserved way better than being quietly dumped on Netflix almost a year after its world premiere; it deserves to be seen by so many more people, and those people deserved to see it with others at the cinema. In a similar way to Glass Onion, the Hitman screening was SO. MUCH. FUN. Introduced by the inimitable Richard Linklater, he set the tone that we were all here for a good time. We were all laughing so much we missed jokes, but the standout moment was a scene during the film’s climax that was written and performed to such perfection it earned a spontaneous round of applause. It has not happened at a screening I have attended before or since, but it is testament to the film as a whole and the way every cog turned perfectly in tandem during that scene; it felt it needed its own piece of recognition.
I’m Just Ken with Gerwig herself (2023)
Attending the Greta Gerwig Screen Talk back in the year of Barbenheimer was a highlight in and of itself. She was genuine, witty and inspiring and gave the most impassioned answers to audience questions. She captivated the room and her earnest answers felt honest and open; I left feeling incredibly inspired. To choose one moment to sum it up, it may have to be watching the musical masterpiece I’m Just Ken. Each Screen Talk shows a clip from four films of the interviewee’s career. After some great insight into Frances Ha, Ladybird and Little Women, it, of course, it ended with Barbie and with one of the most memorable moments (of many). That scene nearly brought me to tears with laughter seeing it at the cinema so getting to watch it with the mastermind behind it took it to another level.
Trying to get a grip after Roma, before Wildlife, having just walked past Ethan Coen (2018)
A mouthful of a title, but it sums up the moment. One of my favourite things about LFF is just getting to immerse myself in cinema all day, hopping from screening to screening and soaking up every experience. Back in 2018, I was fortunate enough to attend the premiere of Roma which left me absolutely emotionally wrecked, with little time to recover before the premiere of Wildlife. I was trying to process the masterpiece I had just witnessed and on my way up the stairs to the Wildlife screening, I crossed paths with Ethan Coen. A huge Coen brothers fan, it added another layer on top of my emotional fragility and for me that whole moment just encompasses LFF in a nutshell. I love it.
This year will be my 8th LFF and I can’t wait. It’s the best time of the year for movie lovers with films to discover, memories to be made and a good time to be had. Roll on LFF 2026.
Check out my tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your festival here.
