The 40th Anniversary Edition of BFI Flare is to be presented from 18th to 29th March 2026

The BFI has announced the dates for the 2026 edition of the UK’s largest queer film event, BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival.

The Festival, which screens the best in contemporary LGBTQIA+ cinema from around the globe, as well as a rich selection of events and archive titles, is celebrating its 40^th year and will run from 18^th– 29^th March 2025 at BFI Southbank. 

This year’s Festival sees the 12^th year of #FiveFilmsForFreedom in partnership with the British Council. This landmark initiative offers five films free to audiences worldwide and invites everyone to show solidarity with LGBTQIA+ communities in countries where freedom and equal rights are limited. The 2025 film selection spanned Indonesia, 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.