Sergei Loznitsa’s Imperium has won the Best Film Award at the 70th BFI London Film Festival, as the event announces its 2026 competition winners.

The film, which uses archive footage shot by Italian cameramen to explore life in the Soviet Union during the early 1970s, took the top prize in the official competition.

Other winners announced as the festival draws to a close include Sompot Chidgasornpongse’s 9 Temples to Heaven, which received the Sutherland Award for best first feature, Asmahan Bkerat’s Concrete Land, winner of the Grierson Award for documentary, and Rahul Roye’s Aman, which won the Short Film Award.

Loznitsa’s Imperium was praised by the jury for its use of archive material to offer a rarely seen perspective on Soviet society before the collapse of the USSR.

The jury described the film as “richly evocative and emotionally engaging”, adding: “Our jury is immensely proud to honour such a powerful and singular piece of work.”

In the First Feature Competition, Thai filmmaker Sompot Chidgasornpongse was recognised for 9 Temples to Heaven, a meditative drama exploring family, faith, life and death.

The jury praised the film as visually outstanding and spiritual, describing it as an accomplished debut whose themes transcend borders and generations.

British filmmaker Bertil Nilsson received a Special Mention for Masc, which follows a young man navigating temporary jobs and relationships while searching for a sense of belonging.

The Grierson Award for best documentary went to Asmahan Bkerat’s Concrete Land, an intimate portrait of a multigenerational family in Jordan facing displacement and the erosion of their cultural traditions.

The Documentary Competition jury praised Bkerat’s filmmaking and the close relationship established with the film’s subjects.

In its statement, the jury highlighted the family's “quiet resilience and dignity” and described the documentary as a deeply relevant work of observational cinema.

A special mention went to Theo Rollason’s Queer Edward II, which uses archive footage to examine Derek Jarman’s 1991 film Edward II against the backdrop of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in 1980s Britain.

Meanwhile, Rahul Roye’s Aman won the Short Film Award for its exploration of gender identity, masculinity and fatherhood.

The film follows a trans man who discovers he is pregnant on the eve of his gender-affirming surgery, forcing him to confront unexpected questions about his future.

The jury praised its nuanced characters, cinematography and refusal to offer simple answers to complex issues.

Elizabeth Hobbs’ Daughters of the Late Colonel, about two sisters dealing with the death of their controlling father, received a special mention for its distinctive visual style and combination of humour and pathos.

Aman is available to watch free on BFI Player until October 25.

The festival’s Audience Awards have yet to be decided, with voting open until Wednesday, October 21.

The winners of Best Feature Film and Best British Discovery will be announced at a later date.

Last year’s audience winners were Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet and Yemi Bamiro’s documentary Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story.

The awards conclude the competition programme of the BFI London Film Festival’s 70th edition, which recognises established filmmakers alongside emerging talent from around the world.