The 70th London Film Festival opened October 7 with 251 titles from 88 countries, bringing films, television projects and immersive works to audiences across London. Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Cynthia Erivo and Robert Pattinson are among the major stars connected to this year’s festival, which runs through October 18.
Key Takeaways
- The 70th London Film Festival opened October 7 and runs through October 18.
- The festival features 251 titles from 88 countries.
- Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Cynthia Erivo and Robert Pattinson are among the prominent stars connected to the event.
- Simon Stone’s Elsinore opened the festival.
- Jesse Eisenberg’s musical comedy The Debut is scheduled to close the festival.
London Film Festival 2026 Opens With 251 Titles
The 70th London Film Festival began October 7 with a lineup of 251 titles representing 88 countries. The festival brings together films, television projects and immersive works as part of its 2026 schedule.
The festival is scheduled to continue through October 18. Its 2026 edition therefore spans 12 days of screenings and other festival activities across London.
The scale of the lineup places films from dozens of countries within the same festival schedule. The selection includes different forms of screen and immersive work rather than feature films alone.
The festival’s 251-title lineup also provides the central structure for its 2026 edition, with international films appearing alongside television projects and immersive works. The broad format follows the approach seen at other major film events, including the Sundance Film Festival’s 2026 lineup.
Major Stars Join the London Film Festival Lineup
Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Cynthia Erivo and Robert Pattinson are among the major stars connected to the 2026 festival.
Their participation adds prominent Hollywood names to an event whose lineup includes titles from 88 countries. The four actors are part of the festival’s broader group of recognizable performers associated with this year’s schedule.
The lineup gives audiences access to films and projects connected with established performers while also bringing together work from a wide range of countries.
Johansson, Driver, Erivo and Pattinson represent four of the most prominent names identified in the festival’s 2026 lineup. Their involvement is among the details drawing attention to the current edition.
The festival’s star presence sits alongside its international selection, which includes 251 titles across films, television projects and immersive works. Similar attention to performers and filmmakers has also featured in coverage of Venice Film Festival events.
Simon Stone’s Elsinore Opens the Festival
Simon Stone’s Elsinore opened the London Film Festival on October 7, serving as the first film presented during the 70th edition. Its screening marked the start of the festival’s 2026 schedule, which continues through October 18 with films, television projects and immersive works.
The opening selection placed Stone’s film at the beginning of a 251-title lineup representing 88 countries. The festival’s schedule includes productions from a wide range of national markets, with Elsinore providing the first major screening of the 2026 event.
Stone is the filmmaker behind Elsinore, which began the festival’s run on its opening day. The film’s position as the opening selection distinguishes it from the other titles scheduled across the remainder of the festival.
The first screening also introduced audiences to the broader format of this year’s event. In addition to feature films, the festival includes television projects and immersive works within its overall selection.
The festival continues after the opening-night screening with its wider schedule of titles from international filmmakers and production teams. The 88 countries represented in the lineup form part of the festival’s international scope, while the range of formats extends beyond conventional film screenings.
The October 7 opening establishes the first point in the festival’s 12-day schedule. Additional screenings and festival activities will continue through October 18, when Jesse Eisenberg’s musical comedy The Debut is scheduled to close the event.
International Films Expand the 2026 Festival Schedule
The London Film Festival’s 2026 edition includes 251 titles representing 88 countries, giving the event an extensive international selection. The titles form the central film schedule for the festival, which runs from October 7 through October 18.
The international lineup brings productions from a large number of national markets into the same festival. The selection is not limited to feature films, with television projects and immersive works also included in the 2026 schedule.
Films make up part of a wider collection of screen and immersive projects presented during the festival. The different formats allow the October 7-18 schedule to include multiple types of work rather than relying exclusively on traditional film screenings.
The 88 countries represented in the lineup provide the geographic scope of the festival’s selection. Each title contributes to a schedule that brings international productions together during the 70th edition.
The festival’s activities continue after the October 7 opening, with screenings and other scheduled events taking place through October 18. The extended schedule gives the 251 selected titles space to be presented across the duration of the festival.
The international selection also sits alongside the event’s major star presence. Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Cynthia Erivo and Robert Pattinson are among the prominent names connected to the 2026 edition, while the overall lineup extends well beyond those performers.
The combination of films, television projects and immersive works means the festival’s selection covers several forms of visual entertainment. The schedule continues to bring those works before audiences through the closing date on October 18.
Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut Set for Closing Night
Jesse Eisenberg’s musical comedy The Debut is scheduled to close the London Film Festival on October 18. The film will serve as the final scheduled selection of the 70th edition.
The closing-night film follows Simon Stone’s Elsinore, which opened the festival on October 7. The two films therefore bookend the festival’s 12-day schedule, with Elsinore beginning the event and The Debut scheduled to conclude it.
The Debut adds a musical comedy to a festival lineup that includes films, television projects and immersive works. Its placement on the final day gives the film a specific position within the overall 2026 schedule.
The October 18 screening will bring the festival’s scheduled activities to an end after nearly two weeks of screenings and related events. By that point, the festival’s 251-title selection will have been presented across the October 7-18 run.
The closing selection also forms the final part of a schedule that spans 88 countries. Its position contrasts with Elsinore, which opened the festival on the first day and introduced audiences to the 2026 edition.
The closing date completes the festival’s published timeline, beginning with the October 7 opening and ending with the scheduled October 18 presentation of The Debut. The festival’s international selection and range of formats remain part of the schedule throughout the event.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the London Film Festival 2026 run?
The 70th London Film Festival opened on October 7, 2026, and is scheduled to run through October 18, 2026.
How many titles are included in the London Film Festival 2026 lineup?
The 2026 festival features 251 titles representing 88 countries. The lineup includes films, television projects and immersive works.
Which stars are appearing at the London Film Festival?
Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Cynthia Erivo and Robert Pattinson are among the major stars connected to the 2026 festival lineup.
What film opened the London Film Festival 2026?
Simon Stone’s Elsinore opened the 70th London Film Festival on October 7.
Which film is scheduled to close the London Film Festival?
Jesse Eisenberg’s musical comedy The Debut is scheduled to close the festival on October 18.
