The BFI has announced the dates for the 2026 edition of the UK’s largest queer film event, BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, with submissions now open.
The festival, which screens the best in contemporary LGBTQIA+ cinema from around the globe, in addition to a rich selection of events and archive titles, is celebrating its 40th year and will run from 18-29 March 2026 at BFI Southbank.
This year’s event sees the 12th year of #FiveFilmsForFreedom, in partnership with the British Council, which presents five films for free to audiences globally and invites everyone everywhere to show solidarity with LGBTQIA+ communities in countries where freedom and equal rights are limited.
The 2025 film selection spanned from Indonesia to New Zealand, the USA, China and the UK, and the digital campaign attracted over 3 million views.
Since 2015, Five Films For Freedom has showcased 55 films over 132 days, reaching audiences of over 28 million in 220 countries and principalities.
The 2026 Five Films for Freedom shorts will be available to watch for free UK-wide on BFI Player.
Submissions are open for the 2026 festival through the BFI website, with key deadline dates below:
• UK and international short films (25 minutes or less) – Friday 5 December 2025, 17:00 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
• UK and international mid-length films (26 to 50 minutes) – Friday 5 December 2025, 17:00 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
• UK and international feature-length films (more than 51 minutes) – Friday 5 December 2025, 17:00 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Further details about BFI Flare will be revealed in the coming months, with the full programme announced on Tuesday 17 February 2026.
