London Film Festival is returning to Showroom Cinema for its milestone 70th edition

This October, Sheffield joins a handful of cities lucky enough to see the year's most anticipated films before anyone else. Andrew Scott, John Malkovich, Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan: the biggest names in cinema are coming to Showroom Cinema months ahead of nationwide release, as the 70th edition of the BFI London Film Festival runs from 7 to 18 October 2026. It's the UK's biggest film festival, and while it isn't exclusive to the capital, only a limited number of cinemas across the country get to screen the programme. Showroom Cinema is the sole venue in South Yorkshire among them.

Opening the festival on Wednesday 7 October is Elsinore, a powerful, deeply moving and inspiring account of actor Ian Charleson (Andrew Scott), who faced incredible odds while preparing to give the performance of his life in Hamlet at London's National Theatre.

On Friday 9 October comes Wild Horse Nine, from director Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin). Shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, CIA agents Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) are dispatched from Santiago to Easter Island by their bureau chief, MJ (Steve Buscemi).

Saturday 10 October brings La Bola Negra, a genre-defying queer epic rooted in the legacy of the beloved writer Federico García Lorca. A majestic and original piece of filmmaking, it is expected to feature prominently in the upcoming awards season.

With Ink, Danny Boyle brings a seismic moment in Rupert Murdoch's Fleet Street career blazingly to life, employing the breathtaking style of a story torn from the headlines. It screens on Tuesday 13 October.

Screening on Saturday 17 October is Fjord, starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve. An immigrant Romanian family living in Norway is placed under investigation and faces the scrutiny of the local judicial system. The film was the winner of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

The closing gala on Sunday 18 October is the latest from director Jesse Eisenberg, The Debut. A shy woman (Julianne Moore) is unexpectedly cast in a local production of an original musical. Under the spell of its strong-willed and enigmatic director (Paul Giamatti), she loses herself in the role and in the high-stakes world of community theatre.

Tickets are available now, in person at Showroom Cinema's box office and our website: https://showroomcinema.org.uk/festivals/bfi-london-film-festival-2026

By Grace Osbourne, Marketing Manager