The BFI has officially unveiled an extraordinary lineup of cinematic seasons, special events, and star-studded onstage appearances scheduled to take over BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX from July 1st to July 31st, 2026.
The month-long festivities kick off with part two of Marilyn Monroe: Self Made Star, a major two-month centenary season curated by Kimberley Sheehan. Celebrating the birth of cinema's most enduring icon, July's programming focuses on Monroe's evolution as a triple-threat performer through screenings of The Seven Year Itch, Some Like It Hot, and a rare look at her unfinished final film, Something’s Got to Give. A dedicated Study Day on July 4th and a special screening of the documentary Eve and Marilyn—presented by photographer Eve Arnold’s grandson, Michael Arnold—will provide deep analytical insight into how Monroe meticulously crafted her historic image.
Literary enthusiasts can look forward to Station to Station: Kazuo Ishiguro’s Top Ten Train Films. Curated by the Nobel Prize-winning author, the season opens on July 2nd with an illustrated conversation exploring Ishiguro's fascination with the "train movie" genre, followed by a screening of Shanghai Express. The season will also feature high-profile guest introductions from authors Jonathan Coe and Sophie Hannah for Rome Express and Murder on the Orient Express, respectively.
Action cinema takes center stage in Bullets and Brotherhood: The Films of John Woo. This high-octane retrospective showcases newly restored editions of the Hong Kong maestro's defining "heroic bloodshed" masterpieces, including A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled, alongside his Hollywood blockbuster Face/Off.
Diversity and representation are championed via the return of the We Crip Film Festival for its second edition during Disability Pride Month, featuring the world premiere of the punk documentary D-Punk. Concurrently, the 17th London Indian Film Festival will host a highly anticipated 30th-anniversary Goodness Gracious Me Reunion on July 11th, bringing beloved stars Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal, Nina Wadia, and Kulvinder Ghir onstage to reflect on the groundbreaking British Asian sketch show.
Rounding out the monthly highlights are a 50th-anniversary screening of Bugsy Malone, a special BFI IMAX live-scored presentation of Mark Jenkin’s Rose of Nevada by The Cornish Sound Unit, and a 25th-anniversary Charlie and Lola Family Funday featuring author Lauren Child. Tickets and full listings are available via the official BFI channels.
