The 40th edition of BFI Flare, held at BFI Southbank from 18 to 29 March, arrived as a celebration and a statement: queer stories continue to find audiences. The festival recorded total attendances of 41,283, reflecting a 32% rise in overall audience numbers and a 6% increase specifically for screenings, events and the BFI Player. To honour four decades of programming, the festival staged a free exhibition at Queer Britain in Kings Cross available until 3 May, and released a documentary titled BFI Flare At 40 on the BFI Player.
Across twelve days the programme offered a wide range of work: audiences saw 65 features and 63 shorts from 48 countries. The edition showcased significant firsts—world premiere, international premiere, European premiere and UK premiere designations were applied to dozens of titles—underscoring the festival’s role as a launchpad for new queer cinema. Highlights included the opening world premiere of Hunky Jesus by Jennifer Kroot and the UK premiere closing of Sandulela Asanda’s Black Burns Fast, with more than 250 filmmakers and creative teams attending in person.
Premieres, programme highlights and restored classics
The 2026 line‑up balanced fresh voices and historic works. The programme featured 31 world premieres, 9 international premieres, 11 European premieres and 33 UK premieres, with eclectic entries ranging from intimate coming‑of‑age stories to large‑scale documentaries. Festival goers encountered titles such as Paloma Schneideman’s Big Girls Don’t Cry, Ethan Fuirst’s Can’t Go Over It and Celyn Jones’ period drama Madfabulous. A celebrated archival moment was the presentation of the 4K restoration of James Bidgood’s Pink Narcissus, which toured alongside the Flare programme to venues across the UK including Tyneside Cinema, Filmhouse Edinburgh, Showroom Sheffield, HOME Manchester, Chapter Cardiff, Midlands Art Centre Birmingham, Queen’s Film Theatre Belfast and Glasgow Film Theatre.
Global reach and the #FiveFilmsForFreedom initiative
BFI Flare continued to extend its international footprint through the 12th edition of #FiveFilmsForFreedom, delivered in partnership with the British Council. This digital strand made five titles from the festival freely available around the world and is designed to spark conversations in places where LGBTQIA+ rights remain restricted. The 2026 selection included films from Vietnam (Sweat / Mồ Hôi), France (Room 206), the USA/Mexico (Rag Dolls), Brazil (Theo) and the UK (I Hate Helen). Early figures show the campaign generated over 3.5 million views, while the longer‑running initiative has amassed more than 32 million views to date.
From digital screening to parliamentary reception
Beyond streaming totals, the five filmmaking teams were invited to the Houses of Parliament, and in‑person screenings and events connected audiences in New Zealand, Brazil and across Europe. The initiative’s mix of online access and physical events demonstrates how digital distribution and diplomatic outreach can amplify solidarity for queer communities around the world.
Industry talks, mentorship and on‑set inclusivity
BFI Flare’s industry programme combined practical sessions and high‑profile conversations to serve both established and emerging practitioners. Writer‑producer Russell T Davies appeared onstage for a Screen Talk, while panels such as Behind The Camera: Ensuring Inclusivity on Set and The Business of Queer Cinema explored hiring practices, festival strategy, distribution and streaming. Legal and funding guidance was offered in sessions like the legal checklist for filmmakers and BFI Doc Society roundtables, and a “Where We Are Now” event marked a decade of the BFI NETWORK and BAFTA Mentoring Programme with alumni panelists sharing career insights.
Voices, interviews and networking
The festival also hosted intimate interviews with industry figures, including Black lesbian filmmaker Cheryl Dunye and director Campbell X, plus a joint conversation between transgressive filmmaker Louise Weard and emerging director Alice Maio Mackay. With over two hundred and fifty attending creatives, Flare functioned as a marketplace for ideas, collaboration and exposure—supporting both distribution conversations and the career development of younger makers.
As the festival closed, organisers pointed to sustained public appetite for queer storytelling: stronger in‑person attendance, a busy festival schedule, widespread digital engagement, and a programme of talks and restorations that bridged past, present and future. The 40th edition confirmed BFI Flare as a vital hub for filmmakers, audiences and advocates, continuing to build visibility for LGBTQIA+ cinema at home and overseas.