BFI announces highlights for audiences coming in 2022

BFI announced their upcoming highlights for audiences across the UK in 2022.

With new creative leadership next year from new executive director of public programmes & audiences Jason Wood and new executive director of knowledge & collections Arike Oke, 2022 will be an exciting year for the organisation. Working closely with their teams of film experts, programmers, historians, archivists and curators – and with Neil Williams our new Executive Director of Technology and Digital Transformation – Jason and Arike will play a major role in our ambition to transform public access to our programmes across the UK through our digital platforms, venues and partnerships.

The BFI’s 2022 programme includes:

• New releases, classic titles, curated collections and free archive material on BFI Player including François Truffaut, New French Extremity and Anime
• Film and TV seasons at BFI Southbank including Judy Garland, Mike Hodges, Pam Grier and Reggae
• Hybrid in-person and online Festivals: BFI Future Film Festival (17-20 February), BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival (16-27 March), BFI & Radio Times Television Festival (May dates TBC) and the BFI London Film Festival (Dates TBC)
• BFI Distribution UK-wide theatrical releases of new features LA MIF and ALL MY FRIENDS HATE ME
• BFI Blu-ray releases including THE PROPOSITION (also on UHD) and INGMAR BERGMAN VOLUMES 3 & 4
• Sight and Sound’s once-a-decade poll to find the Greatest Film of All Time, which will also coincide with the magazine’s 90^th birthday
• BFI National Archive remasters of SOUTH (in 2K) and THE DRAUGHTSMAN’S CONTRACT (in 4K), a new free collection of archival films to mark the Platinum Jubilee and the tenth anniversary of the BFI Master Film Store
• Building on the success of LFF Expanded, a year-round BFI Expanded strand dedicated to Immersive Art and Extended Realities (XR) at BFI Southbank, including the World Premiere of UNIQUE, from world-renowned artist Tupac Martir in February
• UK-wide projects presented with partners including HORROR (with the BFI Film Audience Network), AUSTRALIA (with the British Council) and the centenary of the BBC
• UK-wide releases of films produced with the support of the BFI Film Fund, awarding funds from the National Lottery, including THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN, ALI & AVA and THE SOUVENIR PART II
• STORYTRAILS, a unique immersive storytelling experience, part of UNBOXED: CREATIVITY IN THE UK

 BFI chief executive Ben Roberts said: “We’re excited by what we’ve learned in the last two years – about reaching audiences in new and creative ways; what draws a crowd at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX; how we connect with audiences in venues around the country; and the possibilities of BFI Player. We can’t wait for Jason, Arike and Neil to bring their shared passion for bringing a rich and diverse programme to audiences across the UK.”

JANUARY – APRIL 2022

• FRANÇOIS TRUFFAUT (BFI Distribution/BFI Player/BFI Southbank/UK-wide – Jan/Feb) – includes BFI Distribution re-releases of THE 400 BLOWS and JULES ET JIM in cinemas and BFI Blu-ray releases in late spring
• MY FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL (BFI Player – Jan/Feb)
• DAVID BOWIE (BFI Player/BFI Southbank – Jan)
• TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH: EXPLORATION AND ENDURANCE ON FILM (BFI Distribution/BFI Southbank/UK-wide/BFI Blu-ray – Jan/Feb) – includes BFI Distribution re-release of the BFI National Archive 2K remaster of SOUTH
• New films produced with the support of the BFI Film Fund, awarding funds from the National Lottery, in cinemas UK-wide including: THE SOUVENIR PART II (Joanna Hogg, 2021) on 4 Feb, THE REAL CHARLIE CHAPLIN (Peter Middleton, James Spinney, 2021) on 18 Feb, ALI & AVA (Clio Barnard, 2021) on 4 March, TRUE THINGS (Harry Wootliff, 2021) on 11 March, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN (Craig Roberts, 2021) on 15 April and THE FEAST (Lee Haven Jones, 2021) on 29 April
• BFI FUTURE FILM FESTIVAL (BFI Player/BFI Southbank/Hybrid online events – 17-20 Feb)
• LA MIF (Fred Baillif, 2021) – BFI Distribution release in cinemas UK-wide (25 Feb)
• BFI EXPANDED World Premiere of UNIQUE (BFI Southbank – 25 Feb) – new XR work from world-renowned artist Tupac Martir
• ASTA NIELSEN (BFI Southbank – Feb/Mar)
• THE CAMERA IS OURS (BFI Player/BFI Southbank/BFI DVD – Mar) – a celebration of British women documentary filmmakers, featuring landmark films preserved and digitally restored by the BFI National Archive
• BFI FLARE: LONDON LGBTQIA+ FILM FESTIVAL (BFI Player/BFI Southbank/UK-wide – 16-27 March)
• KINOTEKA POLISH FILM FESTIVAL (BFI Player – Mar/Apr)
• LIV ULLMANN (BFI Distribution/BFI Player/BFI Southbank – Apr) – includes a BFI Distribution 50^th anniversary re-release of CRIES AND WHISPERS and a BFI Blu-ray release of FAITHLESS
• ANIME (BFI Player/BFI Southbank – Apr/May)
• NIGEL KNEALE (BFI Player/BFI Southbank/BFI Blu-ray and DVD – Apr) – includes a BFI Blu-ray/DVD release of 1984

MAY – AUGUST 2022

• ALL MY FRIENDS HATE ME (Andrew Gaynord, 2021) – BFI Distribution release in cinemas UK-wide (late spring, date TBC)
• NEW FRENCH EXTREMITY (BFI Player/BFI Southbank – May) and, in partnership with Picturehouse Entertainment, a sidebar season dedicated to GASPER NOÉ (BFI Southbank – May)
• JUDY GARLAND (BFI Southbank – May)
• MIKE HODGES (BFI Southbank – May)
• BFI & RADIO TIMES TELEVISION FESTIVAL (BFI Southbank – May)
• WOMAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA SUMMIT (BFI Player/BFI Southbank – Jun)
• PLATINUM JUBILEE (BFI Player – Jun) – a new free collection of archival films to mark the Platinum Jubilee drawn from the BFI National Archive and regional and national archives across the UK
• STORYTRAILS, a unique immersive storytelling experience, part of UNBOXED: CREATIVITY IN THE UK, a UK-wide celebration of creativity (UK-wide – launching in July)
• IN THE BLACK FANTASTIC (BFI Southbank – Jul)
• GLENDA JACKSON (BFI Southbank – Jul)
• SATYAJIT RAY (BFI Distribution/BFI Southbank – July/Aug)
• INGMAR BERGMAN: VOLUME 3 (1960-1969) (BFI Blu-ray boxset – Aug)
• REGGAE (BFI Southbank – Aug)
• S.O.U.L. FEST (BFI Player/BFI Southbank – date TBC)

SEPTEMBER – DECEMBER 2022

• SIGHT AND SOUND’S GREATEST FILM OF ALL TIME POLL – poll results announced in autumn, accompanied by BFI Player and BFI Southbank seasons – exact dates to be announced
• AUSTRALIA (BFI Player/BFI Southbank – Sep/Oct) programmed in partnership with ACMI as part of the British Council’s UK/Australia Year of Culture
• BBC 100 (BFI Southbank – Oct/Nov)
• 40 YEARS OF CHANNEL 4 (BFI Southbank – Sep/Oct)
• PAM GRIER (BFI Southbank – Sep/Oct) – in partnership with Picturehouse Cinemas
• ABBAS KIAROSTAMI (BFI Southbank – Sep/Oct)
• BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL (Venues across London and the UK/BFI Player – dates in October to be announced)
• HORROR (BFI Player/BFI Southbank/UK-wide – Oct/Nov/Dec) – major 3 month blockbuster season online and at cinemas across the UK
• PETER GREENAWAY (BFI Distribution/BFI Player/BFI Southbank/BFI Blu-ray/UK-wide – Oct/Nov) – includes a 40^th Anniversary BFI Distribution re-release of the BFI National Archive 4K remaster of THE DRAUGHTSMAN’S CONTRACT in cinemas UK-wide and on BFI Blu-ray
• BLACK HISTORY MONTH (BFI Player/BFI Southbank/BFI Blu-ray – Oct)
• INGMAR BERGMAN: VOLUME 4 (1972-1984) (BFI Blu-ray boxset – Nov)