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21st Century British Cinema is in rude health. Internationally acclaimed, with success at festivals and the box office, the BFI is proud to support the breathtaking range of the UK’s filmmaking talent.
The BFI has supported some of the most original and distinguished British films in recent years. Powerful debuts by the likes of Clio Barnard, Tom Shkolnik and Scott Graham tell incisive stories about modern Britain, while established filmmakers like Fernando Mierelles and Michael Winterbottom have taken their ambitious visions to the global stage. Works from filmmakers with new perspectives, such as Andrea Arnold, Ayub Khan Din , Noel Clarke and Max & Dania illustrate the richly diverse range of British stories to be told.
Above Us the EarthAbove Us the Earth
Documentary 1977 82 minsDirector: Karl Francis
Karl Francis’ docu-drama about the closure of the Ogilvie Colliery in the Rhymney Valley by the National Coal Board in 1975.
All in Good TimeAll in Good Time
Comedy 2012 94 minsDirector: Nigel Cole
A pair of newlyweds endure a honeymoon staying with the groom's parents in a comedy from East Is East writer Ayub Khan-Din.
The ArborThe Arbor
Biopic 2010 90 minsDirector: Clio Barnard
Clio Barnard's film about Bradford playwright Andrea Dunbar mixes reconstruction, interviews (performed by actors) and scenes from the plays.
AscendancyAscendancy
Drama 1983 82 minsDirector: Edward Bennett
An English aristocrat is driven to despair over the effects of violence on her family, in this powerful meditation on the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Better ThingsBetter Things
Drama 2009 90 minsDirector: Duane Hopkins
Duane Hopkins’ stunning debut tells a sombre story with startling beauty, as it follows the stories of various addicts in a West Midlands town.
Burning an IllusionBurning an Illusion
Drama 1982 102 minsDirector: Menelik Shabazz
Menelik Shabazz’s pioneering first feature traces the emotional and political growth of a young black couple in Thatcher’s London.
ElectricityElectricity
Drama 2014 96 minsDirector: Bryn Higgins
Agyness Deyn stars in a powerful story seen through the eyes of a young woman whose epilepsy brings extraordinary hallucinations.
HerostratusHerostratus
Drama 1967 143 minsDirector: Don Levy
Helen Mirren makes her film debut in the tale of a young poet (Michael Gothard) intent on turning his suicide into a mass-media spectacle.
LondonLondon
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1994 85 minsDirector: Patrick Keiller
The first in Patrick Keiller’s highly imaginative trilogy of films is a photographic trip through London, recounted by our unseen narrator.
Loving MemoryLoving Memory
Drama 1970 52 minsDirector: Tony Scott
An unsettling portrait of love and loss by the director of Top Gun.
MaeveMaeve
Drama 1982 110 minsDirector: Pat Murphy and John Davies
Pat Murphy and John Davis’ experimental film brings a feminist alternative to the conventional narrative of the Troubles.
The Moon over the AlleyThe Moon over the Alley
Musical 1977 108 minsDirector: Joseph Despins
The Moon Over the Alley is a bizarre and compelling musical exploring the problems of multicultural Notting Hill residents in the early 1970s.
NighthawksNighthawks
Drama 1978 113 minsDirector: Ron Peck
A schoolteacher juggles everyday life with nights spent cruising for Mr Right in this fascinating landmark in British gay cinema
Nighthawks 2: Strip Jack NakedNighthawks 2: Strip Jack Naked
Documentary 1991 91 minsDirector: Ron Peck
Ron Peck’s experimental follow up to the groundbreaking Nighthawks is both a making-of documentary and a deeply personal film memoir.
North of VortexNorth of Vortex
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1992 55 minsDirector: Constantine Giannaris
A gay poet, a bisexual sailor and a straight waitress embark on a trip through an American desert landscape in this languid, woozy road movie.
Play Me SomethingPlay Me Something
Drama 1989 69 minsDirector: Timothy Neat
Tilda Swinton stars in a playful and ingenious cine-essay on the art of storytelling, from art critic John Berger and filmmaker Timothy Neat.
PressurePressure
Drama 1978 121 minsDirector: Horace Ové
Hailed as Britain's first black feature film, Pressure is a hard-hitting, honest document of the plight of disenchanted black youths in 1970s London; now available in its new restoration.
Red RoadRed Road
Thriller 2006 110 minsDirector: Andrea Arnold
Andrea Arnold’s highly acclaimed film, winner of top prizes at Cannes and the BFI London Film Festival, is a haunting drama about a woman confronting past demons.
Requiem for a VillageRequiem for a Village
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1975 68 minsDirector: David Gladwell
The idyllic, pastoral past of a Suffolk village is reborn through memory in this extraordinary, little-known film from director David Gladwell.
ShellShell
Drama 2013 87 minsDirector: Scott Graham
In a remote part of Scotland, teenager Shell develops an intense relationship with her reclusive father.
WinstanleyWinstanley
Biopic 1976 96 minsDirector: Kevin Brownlow and Andrew Mollo
An authentic historical drama about the visionary Gerrard Winstanley who led a group of impoverished 'Diggers' to assert their common rights.
Young Soul RebelsYoung Soul Rebels
Drama 1991 105 minsDirector: Isaac Julien
The Queen's Silver Jubilee beats to the sounds of Funkadelic, Sylvester and the O'Jays in Isaac Julien’s feature debut.
The IncidentThe Incident
Drama 2016 94 minsDirector: Jane Linfoot
Jane Linfoot's clinically constructed study of guilt, betrayal and responsibility concerns a comfortable family whose seemingly perfect lives are suddenly thrown into turmoil.
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