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21st Century British Cinema is in rude health. Internationally acclaimed, with success at festivals and the box office, the BFI is proud to support the breathtaking range of the UK’s filmmaking talent.
The BFI has supported some of the most original and distinguished British films in recent years. Powerful debuts by the likes of Clio Barnard, Tom Shkolnik and Scott Graham tell incisive stories about modern Britain, while established filmmakers like Fernando Mierelles and Michael Winterbottom have taken their ambitious visions to the global stage. Works from filmmakers with new perspectives, such as Andrea Arnold, Ayub Khan Din , Noel Clarke and Max & Dania illustrate the richly diverse range of British stories to be told.
Above Us the Earth Above Us the Earth
Documentary 1977 82 mins Director: Karl Francis
Karl Francis’ docu-drama about the closure of the Ogilvie Colliery in the Rhymney Valley by the National Coal Board in 1975.
All in Good Time All in Good Time
Comedy 2012 94 mins Director: Nigel Cole
A pair of newlyweds endure a honeymoon staying with the groom's parents in a comedy from East Is East writer Ayub Khan-Din.
The Arbor The Arbor
Biopic 2010 90 mins Director: Clio Barnard
Clio Barnard's film about Bradford playwright Andrea Dunbar mixes reconstruction, interviews (performed by actors) and scenes from the plays.
Ascendancy Ascendancy
Drama 1983 82 mins Director: Edward Bennett
An English aristocrat is driven to despair over the effects of violence on her family.
Better Things Better Things
Drama 2007 90 mins Director: Duane Hopkins
Duane Hopkins’ stunning debut tells a sombre story with startling beauty, as it follows the stories of various addicts in a West Midlands town.
Burning an Illusion Burning an Illusion
Drama 1982 102 mins Director: Menelik Shabazz
Menelik Shabazz’s pioneering first feature traces the emotional and political growth of a young black couple in Thatcher’s London.
Electricity Electricity
Drama 2014 96 mins Director: Bryn Higgins
Agyness Deyn stars in a powerful story seen through the eyes of a young woman whose epilepsy brings extraordinary hallucinations.
Herostratus Herostratus
Drama 1967 143 mins Director: Don Levy
Helen Mirren makes her film debut in the tale of a young poet (Michael Gothard) intent on turning his suicide into a mass-media spectacle.
London London
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1994 85 mins Director: Patrick Keiller
The first in Patrick Keiller’s highly imaginative trilogy of films is a photographic trip through London, recounted by our unseen narrator.
Loving Memory Loving Memory
Drama 1970 52 mins Director: Tony Scott
An unsettling portrait of love and loss by the director of Top Gun.
Maeve Maeve
Drama 1982 110 mins Director: Pat Murphy and John Davies
Pat Murphy and John Davis’ experimental film brings a feminist alternative to the conventional narrative of the Troubles.
The Moon over the Alley The Moon over the Alley
Musical 1977 108 mins Director: Joseph Despins
The Moon Over the Alley is a bizarre and compelling musical exploring the problems of multicultural Notting Hill residents in the early 1970s.
Nighthawks Nighthawks
Drama 1978 113 mins Director: Ron Peck
A schoolteacher juggles everyday life with nights spent cruising for Mr Right in this fascinating landmark in British gay cinema
Nighthawks 2: Strip Jack Naked Nighthawks 2: Strip Jack Naked
Documentary 1991 91 mins Director: Ron Peck
Ron Peck’s experimental follow up to the groundbreaking Nighthawks is both a making-of documentary and a deeply personal film memoir.
North of Vortex North of Vortex
Road movie 1992 55 mins Director: Constantine Giannaris
A gay poet, a bisexual sailor and a straight waitress embark on a trip through an American desert landscape in this languid, woozy road movie.
Play Me Something Play Me Something
Drama 1989 69 mins Director: Timothy Neat
Tilda Swinton stars in a playful and ingenious cine-essay on the art of storytelling, from art critic John Berger and filmmaker Timothy Neat.
Pressure Pressure
Drama 1978 121 mins Director: Horace Ové
Hailed as Britain's first black feature film, Pressure is a hard-hitting, honest document of the plight of disenchanted black youths in 1970s London.
Red Road Red Road
Thriller 2006 110 mins Director: Andrea Arnold
Andrea Arnold’s highly acclaimed film, winner of top prizes at Cannes and the BFI London Film Festival, is a haunting drama about a woman confronting past demons.
Requiem for a Village Requiem for a Village
Documentary 1975 68 mins Director: David Gladwell
The idyllic, pastoral past of a Suffolk village is reborn through memory in this extraordinary, little-known film from director David Gladwell.
Shell Shell
Drama 2013 87 mins Director: Scott Graham
In a remote part of Scotland, teenager Shell develops an intense relationship with her reclusive father.
Winstanley Winstanley
Historical drama 1976 96 mins Director: Kevin Brownlow and Andrew Mollo
An authentic historical drama about the visionary Gerrard Winstanley who led a group of impoverished 'Diggers' to assert their common rights.
Young Soul Rebels Young Soul Rebels
Drama 1991 105 mins Director: Isaac Julien
The Queen's Silver Jubilee beats to the sounds of Funkadelic, Sylvester and the O'Jays in Isaac Julien’s feature debut.
The Incident The Incident
Drama 2016 94 mins Director: Jane Linfoot
Jane Linfoot's clinically constructed study of guilt, betrayal and responsibility concerns a comfortable family whose seemingly perfect lives are suddenly thrown into turmoil.
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