BFI London Film Festival Announces 2026 Competition Lineup Featuring Kore-eda, Morley and International Directors

The BFI London Film Festival has revealed the 10 films vying for the top prize at its landmark 70th edition, bringing together a mix of established auteurs and fresh voices from around the globe. Among those competing are acclaimed Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, British filmmaker Carol Morley, Hungarian director Lili Horvát and Russian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa.

The festival runs October 7 to 18 across London and the U.K., showcasing a diverse selection of films that span multiple genres and storytelling approaches from filmmakers representing countries including Japan, the U.K., Hungary, Poland, Italy and beyond.

Japanese cinema legend Hirokazu Kore-eda is among the frontrunners with ‘Look Back’, a live-action adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s acclaimed one-shot manga. The film tells the story of two young girls whose shared love of manga creates a meaningful creative partnership as they navigate the challenges of adolescence.

The project continues Kore-eda’s long-standing fascination with family dynamics, personal relationships and emotional depth hallmarks of his distinguished career.

British filmmaker Carol Morley rounds out the heavyweight contingent with ‘7 Miles Out’, set to premiere at the festival. Drawing on Morley’s own childhood in 1970s and 80s Stockport, the film follows a young woman grappling with loss while finding herself immersed in the punk scene.

Following acclaimed works like ‘Dreams of a Life’ and ‘The Falling’, Morley’s latest represents one of the competition’s strongest British submissions.

Hungarian filmmaker Lili Horvát brings ‘My Notes on Mars’, an English-language science fiction drama featuring Greta Lee and Andrew Scott. The film explores the mysterious disappearance and unexpected return of a brilliant scientist, blending relationship drama with speculative storytelling.

The remaining competition entries include Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor’s Act 3, Benjamín Naishtat’s Glaxo, Sergei Loznitsa’s Imperium, Giovanni Tortorici’s Ketticè, Rubaiyat Hossain’s The Difficult Bride, Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert’s The Idiot(s) and May el-Toukhy’s Woman Unknown.

This year’s competition reflects the festival’s commitment to showcasing cinema across borders and formats, combining established names with emerging filmmakers and blending traditional fiction with documentary and hybrid approaches.

The festival opens October 7 with Simon Stone’s Elsinore starring Andrew Scott, while Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut will close the festival on October 18. With this caliber of international talent competing, the BFI London Film Festival is poised to be a major event on the fall festival circuit.