BFI Future Film Festival

The BFI’s annual festival for aspiring filmmakers aged 16 to 25 returns this February, with a packed programme of talks, discussions, keynotes and workshops aimed at connecting young film enthusiasts with industry professionals, peers and potential collaborators. Like last year’s edition, the programme for 2025’s festival will follow a hybrid format, offering traditional live screenings at the BFI Southbank and partnered cinemas around the UK, as well as a selection of films that young cinephiles can watch for free via the BFI YouTube channel. Sponsored by Netflix, the programme comprises of 53 short films curated by ten members of the BFI Film Academy’s Young Programmers group from more than 11,000 submissions, and divided into nine strands; The City, Coming of Age, Digital, Family, Identities, Mortality, Our Planet, Relationships, and Surreal. Three further strands – Storytelling, Business of Film and Career Ladder – form the talks and workshops programme, which will be announced on January 22, with tickets for the whole festival on sale the following day. More details can be found on the Future Film website here in due course.