If you love cinema then you will absoutely adore the BFI Southbank. The British Film Institute or BFI was established by Royal Charter in 1933 to encourage the development of the UK’s film and television industry. The BFI National Archive is the largest film archive in the world, with more than 50,000 films as well as 100,000 documentaries and 625,000 TV programmes. The BFI is involved in a lot of painstaking restoration work of classic films.
National Film Theatre
Capitalising on the BFI’s extensive archives, this is the leading repertory cinema in the UK. As the National Film Theatre it opened in 1951 on the Southbank as part of the Festival of Britain. The BFI also runs the nearby BFI Imax, which has the largest cinema screen in the UK.
The BFI Southbank is the place to come in London if you wish to explore black and white classics or foreign non-Hollywood imports. Many films screened here may not be shown elsewhere in the country. There are also retrospectives exploring the works of major filmmakers, including live Q&A sessions. The BFI has played an important part in supprting community cinema across the country.
It also hosts the BFI London Film Festival each year in October. By becoming a member you get priority for both screenings and festivals.
The complex includes Benugo Bar & Kitchen, as well as the BFU Mediatheque, the BFI Reuben Library, the BFI Riverfront Court, Drawing Room and the BFI Shop.
What’s On at the BFI Southbank?
You can access the full programme of screenings here.
How to Get to the BFI Southbank?
Waterloo (Bakerloo, Jubilee and Northern lines) is the nearest tube station, with Waterloo and Waterloo East as the nearest mainline station.
Attractions Nearby
It is located in the heart of the Southbank area, next to the National Theatre, the Southbank Centre and The London Eye. One of the more interesting things to do in London is to go on a riverside Southbank London Walk.
