# London Takes Centre Stage: The Films, Faces and Performances Defining the 70th BFI London Film Festival
**From Amy Adams and Jenna Ortega to Florence Pugh and a celebration of British theatrical legacy, London’s cinematic calendar brings together the glamour of the red carpet and the enduring power of performance.
There is a particular kind of magic to London in October. The city’s theatres, historic cinemas and grand cultural venues become meeting places for the people who shape the stories we watch, the characters we remember and the performances that remain with us long after the final credits. For twelve days, cinema takes centre stage as the BFI London Film Festival celebrates its seventieth edition, running from 7 to 18 October 2026.
Now in its landmark year, the festival offers a reminder that cinema is far more than a procession of premieres and famous faces. It is a conversation between filmmakers and audiences, between established stars and emerging talent, and between the stories of the past and the possibilities of the future.
The red carpet may capture the photographs, but the films are what give the occasion its meaning.
## A landmark year for London cinema
The 70th BFI London Film Festival has assembled an international programme spanning feature films, documentaries, series and immersive storytelling. Screenings take place across London and at partner venues throughout the United Kingdom, extending the festival beyond the capital’s familiar film-industry circles.
The festival opened on 7 October with the European premiere of *Elsinore*, directed by Simon Stone. Based on the life of actor Ian Charleson, the film explores the extraordinary circumstances surrounding his preparation for his celebrated performance in Shakespeare’s *Hamlet* at the National Theatre.
It is a fitting opening for an edition celebrating seven decades of cinema: a story about an actor, the demands of his craft and the determination required to deliver a defining performance. The film also carries a distinctly London resonance, with the opening gala at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall taking place close to the National Theatre associated with Charleson’s legacy.
The festival’s Official Competition brings together ten films representing ten countries, with filmmakers including Hirokazu Kore-eda, Carol Morley, Sergei Loznitsa and Małgorzata Szumowska among those contributing to the selection. The Best Film winner is scheduled to be announced on 18 October.
This international scope is central to the festival’s appeal. London becomes a meeting point for different cinematic traditions, allowing audiences to discover work that might otherwise remain beyond their usual viewing habits.
## The faces commanding attention
### Amy Adams: the art of transformation
Amy Adams remains one of contemporary cinema’s most compelling performers, capable of moving between intimate drama, psychological complexity and mainstream entertainment. Her appearance at the festival’s world premiere of *Klara and the Sun* places her among the notable names associated with this year’s cinematic celebrations.
Directed by Taika Waititi and adapted from Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, the film brings a distinctive literary premise to the screen. Its presence at the festival also illustrates the enduring relationship between major literary works and the filmmakers willing to reinterpret them for a new audience.
For Adams, whose career has encompassed a remarkable variety of characters, the attraction lies not simply in celebrity but in the possibilities that a new role presents.
### Jenna Ortega: a new generation takes the spotlight
Jenna Ortega has become one of the most recognisable young actors working in film and television, building a following through performances that often combine vulnerability, sharpness and an unmistakable screen presence.
Her appearance alongside Adams at the *Klara and the Sun* premiere reflects the festival’s ability to bring different generations of performers into the same cinematic conversation. Ortega’s growing profile has made her a particularly notable figure for younger audiences, while her film choices continue to broaden the scope of her career.
At an event such as the London Film Festival, the interest is in what comes next: which roles will challenge a familiar image, and which performances will establish a lasting reputation beyond immediate popularity?
### Natasha Lyonne: individuality on screen
Natasha Lyonne brings a distinctive sensibility to her work, with a career shaped by unconventional characters, dark comedy and an individualistic approach to performance.
Her appearance at the *Klara and the Sun* premiere adds another recognisable name to a gathering that reflects the range of contemporary screen talent. Lyonne’s appeal lies in the character of her performances: often idiosyncratic, frequently unpredictable and rarely anonymous.
In a film culture that can sometimes reward familiarity above experimentation, actors with a clearly defined artistic personality remain especially valuable.
### Florence Pugh: a star with her own fashion language
Florence Pugh has established herself as one of the most closely watched British actors of her generation. Her performances have demonstrated a willingness to move between independent cinema and major studio productions without allowing either to define the limits of her career.
At this year’s festival, Pugh attended the world premiere of *In the Shadows*, starring Finn Cole and Jasmine Jobson, on 9 October. Inspired by the story of Ramla Ali, Britain’s first female Muslim boxing champion, the film places a remarkable sporting life at the heart of its narrative.
Pugh’s appearance was also a red-carpet moment in its own right. She wore a lavender corseted gown from Wiederhoeft’s Spring 2027 collection, styled by Rebecca Corbin-Murray. The look offered a reminder that fashion and film have long shared a close relationship: both depend on silhouette, character, visual storytelling and the ability to make an impression without saying a word.
Yet Pugh’s significance extends well beyond what she wears. Her continued movement between projects of different scales has helped make her a compelling figure in contemporary British cinema.
### Finn Cole and Jasmine Jobson: a story worth watching
With *In the Shadows*, Finn Cole and Jasmine Jobson bring attention to a story rooted in the life of Ramla Ali. The film’s inspiration gives the project a clear point of connection with audiences beyond the usual conventions of a sports drama.
Ali’s journey as a British-Somali boxer and pioneering athlete provides a foundation for exploring ambition, identity and the obstacles encountered in pursuit of excellence.
For Cole and Jobson, the premiere offers an opportunity to place their performances before an international festival audience. It also underlines an important feature of the London Film Festival: alongside the familiar names, there is room for films that introduce audiences to new perspectives and stories deserving of a wider stage.
## More than a red carpet
It would be easy to judge a film festival by the photographs: the couture gowns, the tailored suits, the flashes of cameras and the brief exchanges between stars and journalists. These moments are part of the spectacle, and London knows how to stage them.
But the BFI London Film Festival offers something more substantial. Its programme creates room for directors, writers, actors and audiences to engage with cinema as an art form rather than simply a product. Screen Talks, public premieres and competition screenings invite viewers to look beyond the finished image and consider the decisions, risks and creative ambitions behind it.
The festival’s Official Competition is particularly important in this respect. Its ten-film selection brings together filmmakers from a range of national and artistic backgrounds, making the Best Film award a reflection of the programme’s breadth rather than a simple contest between celebrity names.
And while established stars attract attention, a festival’s longer-term value may be measured by the directors and performers it helps audiences discover before the rest of the world catches up.
## London, fashion and the performance of being seen
Film and fashion have always understood one another. A costume can become inseparable from a character; a silhouette can define an era; a single red-carpet appearance can introduce a designer to a global audience.
London’s festival provides a natural stage for that relationship. Pugh’s Wiederhoeft gown, for instance, illustrates how contemporary fashion can use corsetry, colour and dramatic construction to create a recognisable statement. The premiere itself becomes an extension of the film’s cultural life, with the actors’ appearances shaping the public conversation surrounding their work.
Still, the most memorable red-carpet moments tend to work because they express something individual. The best-dressed actor is not necessarily the person wearing the most expensive outfit, but the one who understands how clothing, personality and occasion can come together.
That principle applies equally to cinema. The most compelling performances are rarely those that merely announce themselves; they are the ones that make us believe in the person on screen.
## Seventy years, and the next act
As the 70th BFI London Film Festival approaches its conclusion on 18 October, its significance rests in the combination of tradition and discovery. *Elsinore* looks back to the legacy of Ian Charleson and the demands of theatrical excellence. *Klara and the Sun* brings a contemporary literary story to the screen with an internationally recognised cast. *In the Shadows* draws inspiration from the life of an extraordinary British athlete.
Together, these films illustrate the breadth of cinema’s ambitions: to preserve memory, reinterpret literature, celebrate individual achievement and create characters through whom audiences can understand unfamiliar experiences.
The actors may be the faces we recognise, and the red carpet may be the image that travels furthest. But the lasting achievement of a film festival is what happens after the lights dim: the performance that stays with us, the story that changes our perspective, or the new filmmaker whose work makes us eager to return.
For seven decades, London has provided a stage for those encounters. In its seventieth year, the BFI London Film Festival continues to make the case for cinema as an art of both spectacle and substance.
And the next great performance may already be waiting in the dark.
### Editorial sources
* BFI London Film Festival — [Opening gala: Elsinore](https://www.bfi.org.uk/london-film-festival/news/european-premiere-simon-stone-elsinore-70th-bfi-london-film-festival?utm_source=chatgpt.com). The festival runs from 7–18 October 2026.
* Official competition — [The ten films competing for Best Film](https://www.bfi.org.uk/london-film-festival/news/official-competition-films-70th-bfi-london-film-festival?utm_source=chatgpt.com).
* Red-carpet coverage — [Florence Pugh and Finn Cole at the festival](https://www.vogue.com/article/florence-pugh-and-finn-cole-go-red-carpet-official?utm_source=chatgpt.com).
* Klara and the Sun — [Amy Adams, Jenna Ortega and Natasha Lyonne at the premiere](https://pagesix.com/2026/10/15/photos/klara-and-the-sun-red-carpet-photos-florence-pugh-jenna-ortega-and-more/?utm_source=chatgpt.com).
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