British Film Festival announces its full programme. Tickets available from 30/10

Program is available here.

PDF version is available here.

‍

Lynne Ramsay Retrospective and Director’s Visit to Poland

This year’s retrospective honours the acclaimed Scottish director Lynne Ramsay celebrated for her award-winning work at Cannes.

The programme includes four of her feature films—MORVERN CALLAR, RATCATCHER, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE —along with a dedicated set of her short films, previously unreleased in Poland. With her long-time collaborator, editor Lucia Zucchetti, Ramsey will join audiences for Q&A sessions at the British Film Festival following the screenings.

‍

‍

Premieres and Classics

One of the most thrilling sections of the festival is FIRST THINGS FIRST—a showcase of preview screenings for films soon to debut in Polish cinemas and Polish premieres of films that have just made their mark at major international festivals.

The programme features ON FALLING by Laura Careira (awarded for Best Direction at the San Sebastián Film Festival, Best Debut at the London Film Festival, and the opening film for BFF), WE LIVE IN TIME starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, THE OUTRUN with a stunning performance by Saoirse Ronan, KNEECAP—an Irish Oscar contender, the Berlinale award-winning LAST SWIM, and a host of other Polish premieres, including SEBASTIAN, THE WITCHES, REAWAKENING, and the first-ever BAFTA Shorts screening in Poland, organised in collaboration with the British Council and BAFTA.

‍

‍

CLASSICS Section—a tribute to iconic films that have shaped generations—is dedicated this year to Alfred Hitchcock in honour of the 125th anniversary of his birth. Prepare for films that begin with an earthquake and only build tension from there.

Festival organisers invite audiences to revisit both early works from the celebrated Londoner, such as the silent THE LODGER  - A STORY OF THE LONDON FOG (1927) and THE LADY VANISHES (1938), as well as his famous classics: THE BIRDS, PSYCHO, and NORTH BY NORTHWEST.

‍

‍

The United Kingdom under a Critical Lens

Social realism is fundamental to the tradition of British cinema—a lens through which diversity, individual agency, and identity are explored while offering commentary on the socio-political past and present.

In the MIND THE GAP section, audiences will encounter quintessentially British films, though not the Britishness known from accounts of the royal family. The line-up features MADE IN BRITAIN, with Tim Roth’s breakout role; MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE, one of Daniel Day-Lewis’s earliest performances; THIS IS ENGLAND, delving into the skinhead subculture; and RAY & LIZ, depicting the harsh realities of Thatcher-era Britain.

The section’s title nods to the iconic “Mind the Gap” warning, first broadcast on the London Underground in 1969. Using colloquial and metaphorical language, this highlights the gaps that define social divisions in British daily life.

‍

‍

And at 5:00 PM is a tea time!

‍THE FIVE O’CLOCK section honours Britain’s heritage cinema, steeped in the country’s imperial and colonial past. Here, we invite viewers to experience the charm of period dramas, adaptations of classic literature, and the evocative nostalgia of bygone eras.

This year’s programme includes two James Ivory classics: MAURICE, featuring Hugh Grant in a groundbreaking role, and A ROOM WITH A VIEW, starring a young Helena Bonham Carter alongside the late Maggie Smith. Also showcased is the incomparable ORLANDO, with Tilda Swinton and CHARIOTS OF FIRE marking the centenary of the historic events it depicts.

‍

‍

Unexpected Cinema in Unexpected Places

When we think of British cinema, the first image that often comes to mind is a stately and serious body of work – socially engaged dramas, costume films, or intricate thrillers populated by impeccably dressed detectives and equally stylish murderers. However, if we dig a little deeper, we’ll discover a wealth of madness, fun, and productions that defy bourgeois tastes among the films from the Isles.

The British Film Festival joins forces with the Octopus Film Festival in Gdańsk to lift the veil of convention and present audiences with titles that would have left true ladies and gentlemen in a huff. Over four festival evenings, the Bloody Hell! section will showcase audacious films that boldly flirt with genres while winking at the traditions of exploitation cinema.

This exhilarating journey spans five decades of British experimentation, featuring THE REPTILE a favourite of Tomek Beksiński; THE DEATH WHEELERS (1973) featuring motorbike-riding zombies, XTRO (1982) and AVALON (1989), which will be screened with a live narration; and HARDWARE (1990), known for its outstanding soundtrack.

‍

‍

Another intriguing experiment in the BFF programme is the OUTSIDE THE BOX section, details of which were announced back in mid-October. This series of screenings takes place in unconventional venues such as a church, a museum, a car workshop, or a post-industrial photo studio. All are aimed at reminding us of the age-old truth that films are best enjoyed in the company of others. 

In just a few hours, tickets for the screenings of THE LODGER at the Evangelical Methodist Church, accompanied by live music from Michał Jacaszek, were completely sold out. Similarly, THE BIRDS in the industrial setting of a former factory in the Poznań Stomil area and THE ITALIAN JOB in the MINI Inchcape Poznań service bay quickly followed suit. The programme also includes TRAINSPOTTING, which will be screening at the iconic club Tama. MR.TURNER, featuring cinematography from the late Dick Pope at the National Museum in Poznań.

‍

‍

For children and those wishing to catch up

The NEVER GROW UP section highlights recent productions for younger audiences, as well as family-friendly films that resonate emotionally, entertain, and create lasting memories. The title of the section references the iconic character of Peter Pan, the boy who never wanted to grow up, created by J.M. Barrie.

Audiences will have the chance to experience the premiere of PADDINGTON IN PERU, along with a special live appearance from Paddington himself at Kino Muza! The programme also features the animated film KENSUKE'S KINGDOM, the premiere of ROBIN AND THE HOODS, and a selection of the finest British short films.

‍

‍

The HIGH SEASON section provides an opportunity for those looking to catch up on cinematic gems they may have missed or to revisit their favourite films from the past year. This segment will showcase the best and most intriguing British films currently gracing cinemas during the 2023/2024 season.

Among the selections are HOARD, BLUE JEAN, ALL OF US STRANGERS, SCRAPPER, ONE LIFE, and WICKED LITTLE LETTERS.

‍

‍

The British Film Festival also features an industry panel, educational screenings for schools, festive evenings at the festival club Ulotnie Bar & Street Art, and a classic British pub quiz.

Tickets

Tickets for the film screenings will go on sale this Wednesday, 30/10.

The festival’s main venue is Kino Muza (30 Święty Marcin Street), with additional screenings at Kino Apollo (18 Ratajczaka St.) and in various pop-up cinema locations under the OUTSIDE THE BOX section, including.

Evangelical-Methodist Church, Hala SZEROKO_Stomil, Tama Club, National Museum in Poznań, and MINI Inchcape Poznań.

‍

Ticket Prices

- 75 PLN – single ticket for THE LODGER screening with live music  

- 35 PLN – single ticket for TRAINSPOTTING screening  

- 35 PLN – single ticket for THE BIRDS screening  

- 35 PLN – single ticket for MR.TURNER screening  

- 35 PLN – single ticket for THE ITALIAN JOB screening  

- 22 PLN – standard single ticket for cinema screenings  

- 19 PLN – single concession ticket (students, seniors, people with disabilities)  

- 10 PLN – single ticket for an assistant of a person with disabilities

- 17 PLN – single ticket for films in the NEVER GROW UP section  

- 170 PLN – personal festival pass for ten selected films (entitling to purchase additional tickets at 17 PLN each).

‍

Ticket Sales

Tickets for all festival screenings are available at the box office and ticket machine in the Kino Muza lobby and online at britishfilmfestival.pl, kinomuza.pl and bilety24.pl

There’s no need to print tickets purchased online. Just show the QR code on your phone or tablet screen.

During the festival, individual tickets cannot be booked via email or telephone. Additionally, purchased tickets cannot be returned.

‍

Festival Passes

Passes will be available online and at Kino Muza’s box office in limited quantities.

Passes can be purchased from Wednesday, 30/10, priced at 170 PLN.

Starting from 13/11 at 1 p.m., passholders may collect a name badge at the festival office at Kino Muza upon presenting proof of pass purchase. This name badge entitles the holder to redeem up to 10 tickets for festival films (limited to one ticket per screening and excluding OUTSIDE THE BOX screenings), along with a festival gadget.

Passholders must collect their ticket for a screening at least 30 minutes before it begins. Please note that the pool of seats for passholders for a given screening is limited.

‍