The official competition line-up for the 70th edition of the London Film Festival (LFF) has been confirmed, with organisers presenting the 10 films competing for the prize for best film.
The titles make up an international line-up of filmmakers, with representation from 10 countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan and Poland. "This year's competition explores an incredible variety of narratives, from a wide range of voices and styles, spanning from fiction to documentary, from post-war Europe to Dhaka, Japan and beyond," the organisers announced.
The competition programme includes the world premiere of "7 Miles Out", the new film by Carol Morley (director of "Dreams of a Life"), a film adaptation of her novel of the same name. Based on Morley's turbulent adolescence following her father's suicide, the novel tells the story of Anne, who, after losing her father in tragic circumstances, finds solace and trouble in the Manchester music scene of the 1970s and 1980s.
The LFF 2026 competition line-up also includes international filmmakers such as Hirokazu Kore-eda, Sergei Loznitsa, Lili Horvát, Benjamín Naishtat, Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, Giovanni Tortorici, Malgorzata Szumowska, May el-Toukhy and Michal Englert, as well as Rubaiyat Hossain. Several of the titles will have their world premieres at Venice or Toronto before coming to London.
Established in 2009, the best film award at the London Film Festival has previously been won by directors including Jacques Audiard for "A Prophet", "Evil Does Not Exist" by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, "Memoir of a Snail" by Adam Elliot in 2024, and "Landmarks" by Lucrecia Martel in 2025. "In celebrating the 70th edition of the London Film Festival, it is an honour to have several filmmakers who have previously participated in the official competition alongside those making their first appearance at the festival," said Kristy Matheson, director of the London Film Festival. "Our 2026 competition selection presents an amazing variety of filmmaking styles. As always, it has been creatively enriching for me and the team to encounter each of these works – we are excited to share them with audiences in October".
The LFF 2026 will take place from 7 to 18 October. The full festival programme will be revealed on 2 September.
