The line-up for the 70th edition of the BFI London Film Festival has been announced - and there’s plenty for movie-lovers to get excited about.

From Amy Adams to Pedro Pascal, legendary directors to newcomers on the scene, fan favourites to foreign masterpieces, the upcoming festival promises to be one of the best.

Over 11 days from October 7 to October 18, London’s iconic cinemas, including BFI’s own Southbank cinema, will host an array of films from around the world.

Tickets for BFI Members go on sale on 10 September at 10am, whilst general tickets are live from 10am on 17 September.

Here are the films The Standard is most excited about, and why you should be too.

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor, Alexa Swinton, Kaya Ralls, Erik Griffin, Jobeth Williams, Margarita Levieva, with Hank Azaria and Will Arnett.

Pedro Pascal stars as Alex Serian, a gifted child prodigy turned classical musician who, following a bad relationship, flees from Chicago, the city he has called home for 20 years.

Back in his native LA, he begins recording film scores and dealing with the family business, embarking on a music-powered journey that will “change him forever”.

Why we’re excited

Behemoth! marks Tony Gilroy’s first film in 14 years, arriving four years after his major commercial and critical success with the Disney+ series Andor. The director is best known for his work on the Jason Bourne series.

Starring: Jack O'Connell, Guy Pearce and Claire Foy

In 1969, Rupert Murdoch, played by Guy Pearce, acquired The Sun, hiring gifted editor Larry Lamb to change the paper’s fortunes. Their ensuing Fleet Street partnership went on to change both British journalism and society forever.

Why we’re excited

Boyle’s movie is based on a 2017 West End play that racked up four Olivier Award nominations in 2018, whilst its Broadway adaptation in 2019 won two Tony Awards.

Starring: Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Penélope Cruz, Lola Dueñas and Glenn Close.

The Spanish-language film explores LGBT heritage across three interconnected stories of three men in 1932, 1937, and 2017. It is inspired by and pays tribute to murdered Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca.

Why we’re excited

The film, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, known together as Los Javis, took Cannes by storm in May, receiving a 20-minute ovation before winning Best Director for Calvo and Ambrossi.

A bidding war for the US rights broke out over the film, which was ultimately won by Netflix in a deal worth around $4–5million.

Starring: Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Stephen Graham, Paul Dano, Patrick Schwarzenegger

A celebrated architect, played by Barden, is offered the chance to secretly design a survival bunker for a billionaire who is convinced that the end of the world is coming. As he gets lured in by the controversial project, his wife, played by Cruz, begins to question their 17-year-long relationship.

Why we’re excited

The film is written specifically for real-life couple Cruz and Bardem, as well as being directed by Florian Zeller, a French filmmaker who won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Father in 2021.

Starring: Jordan Firstman, Cara Delevingne, Diego Calva and Travis Jackson

The comedy-drama film, written, directed, and starring Jordan Firstman, follows a washed-up New York party promoter who sees his hectic lifestyle brought to a standstill when he discovers he has a 10-year-old son he knew nothing about.

Why we’re excited

During its world premiere at the 79th Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, it received a seven-minute standing ovation.

A heated bidding war promptly followed, which was ultimately won by A24 for $17million.

Starring: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, and Lisa Loven Kongsli

A Norwegian woman, played by Reinsve, relocates with her Conservative Christian husband, played by Stan, and their five children to a close-knit remote coastal town. Their world is soon turned upside down when suspicions around their children’s wellbeing place the rigid parents under intense scrutiny.

Why we’re excited

The film premiered in the main competition of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in May, where it received a 12-minute standing ovation and won the Palme d'Or, François Chalais Prize, FIPRESCI Prize, Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, and Prix de la Citoyenneté.

Starring: Jenna Ortega, Amy Adams, Mia Tharia, Natasha Lyonne and Steve Buscemi

Taika Waititi’s dystopian science fiction film sees Ortega play Klara, a solar powered Artifical Friend (AF) who is chosen by sickly child Josie to be her companion, bringing light to Josie and her family’s complicated world.

Why we’re excited

The film is an adaptation of the best-selling 2021 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, acclaimed British-Japanese author whose novel Never Let Me Go was adapted into a 2010 film starring Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightly.

Ortega also said that she was drawn to the role of ever-optimistic Klara “who’s very different from the characters that I’ve been playing recently,” she told Empire, expressing her desire not to be type cast.

Starring: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller

Set in 1980s New York, two brothers who pursue a lucrative business opportunity end up finding themselves caught up in a scheme that involves the Russian Mafia. The promise of easy money soon turns into real danger, testing their bond as siblings as their family is pushed to the edge.

Why we’re excited

The film had its world premiere in competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on May 16, where it received a 10-minute standing ovation.