The countdown to the 70th BFI London Film Festival is officially on, and the first films battling it out for the festival’s prestigious Best Film Award have been revealed.

Taking place from 7–18 October, this year’s Official Competition brings together 10 films from filmmakers across the globe, with countries including the UK, Ireland, Brazil, Japan, France and Germany represented.

From coming-of-age stories and period dramas to psychological thrillers, body horror and thought-provoking documentaries, there is plenty of variety in this year’s line-up.

Here are the 10 films competing for Best Film:

• 7 Miles Out – Carol Morley’s moving semi-autobiographical drama follows a young girl growing up in 1970s and 80s Stockport, exploring grief, friendship, youth and creativity.

• Act 3 – Irish filmmakers Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor explore ageing, memory, family history and artistic relationships in this witty and personal cinematic essay.

• Glaxo – A tense period-noir thriller set in Argentina, where a friendship is rocked by betrayal, political tension and the arrival of some unexpected newcomers.

• Imperium – Sergei Loznitsa uses archival footage from the Soviet Union to explore history, power and imperialism in this striking documentary.

• Ketticè – Set in early 2000s Palermo, this vibrant coming-of-age story follows a frustrated 16-year-old struggling with family expectations and the uncertainty of growing up.

• Look Back – Hirokazu Kore-eda tells a tender story of two young aspiring manga artists whose friendship and creative partnership change the course of their lives.

• My Notes on Mars – A missing scientist returns home with no memories except those connected to her research on Mars, forcing her relationship with her husband into uncertain territory.

• The Difficult Bride – This gripping feminist body horror follows a bride-to-be whose wedding preparations take a strange and unsettling turn as her body begins to resist the expectations placed upon her.

• The Idiot(s) – Aimee Lou Wood and Johnny Flynn star as Anna and Fyodor Dostoevsky in this acerbic and joyful period drama exploring love, gambling, creativity and the myth of the male genius.

• Woman Unknown – Set in the aftermath of the Second World War, a young woman’s carefully constructed new life begins to unravel when a secret from her past threatens to catch up with her.

The Official Competition will once again screen at BFI Southbank, with the 10 films competing for one of the festival’s biggest prizes.

The BFI London Film Festival’s Best Film Award celebrates distinctive, inventive and inspiring filmmaking. Previous winners include Ryusuke Hamaguchi for Evil Does Not Exist, Adam Elliot for Memoir of a Snail and Lucrecia Martel for Landmarks.

And this is only the beginning. The films competing for the Grierson Award for Best Documentary, Sutherland Award for Best First Feature and Short Film Award will be announced in September.

The full BFI London Film Festival programme will be revealed on Wednesday 2 September, with tickets going on general sale from 17 September.

The winner of the Best Film Award will be announced on Sunday 18 October.

The 70th BFI London Film Festival runs from 7–18 October 2026.