British Film Institute: UK charity for film preservation, festivals and education

What the BFI does

The BFI combines archival care with exhibition and audience development. Its main functions include:

• collecting, conserving and restoring films and television recordings;
• presenting new and historic work through cinemas, festivals and touring programmes;
• providing information and educational resources about film and moving-image history;
• supporting filmmakers through funding, distribution and industry initiatives.

Screening venues and festivals

The institute runs several cinemas, including an IMAX screen in central London, and programmes regular seasons of classic and contemporary titles. It organises the annual London Film Festival, a major UK showcase for international cinema, and a dedicated festival for LGBTQ+ films (commonly known as BFI Flare), which evolved from earlier lesbian and gay film programming.

Archive and collections

The BFI maintains a large national archive that preserves a wide range of moving-image material. The archive holds approximately 50,000 fiction films, more than 100,000 non-fiction items and about 625,000 television programmes, together with supporting documents, stills and related artefacts. Researchers and the public can access parts of the collection through the BFI's catalogues and curated screenings; the archive is an essential resource for restoration and historical study. See the BFI's archive for more details.

Access and public services

Alongside preservation, the BFI offers public programmes, educational projects and online resources to widen access to film culture. Its activities aim to make film heritage available for research and enjoyment, and to support an active, diverse independent film culture in the UK.