BFI Flare at 40 (2026)

Programmers, filmmakers, and attendees past and present chart the history of BFI Flare to mark its 40th anniversary, from parties to politics. Beginning life as Gays' Own Pictures in 1986, over four decades BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival has evolved with its audience, encompassing the multifaceted nature of queer cinema and bringing a springtime celebration of LGBTIQA+ film to London's Southbank. To celebrate the festival's 40th, which starts on March 18th, the festival's programmers - current and former - along with film-makers and attendees chart BFI Flare's history, explaining what makes queer cinema culturally and politically important and celebrating the screenings, events, Q&As, parties and people that make up BFI Flare.