London Film Festival – Spotlighting 5 Films That Need UK Distribution

London Film Festival is in full swing and is currently hosting some of the world’s biggest stars and directors. Audiences have been treated to massive screenings of films that will be competing for the big awards come next year. There’s something tantalising about the prospect of seeing these films before their wider releases, an exclusive opportunity to get your eyes on your most anticipated film before the rest of the country. I love doing it, I’m not knocking it, but the thing is — these films will come out. 

If you dig a little deeper, London Film Festival has an incredible programme full of exciting new filmmakers who deserve your attention. Not only that, but a number of these films don’t currently have UK Distribution. So as of right now, your only opportunity to see those films are at the festival. One of the things I love most about LFF is finding a new filmmaker to be inspired by, a new actor to follow, to gamble on something you’ve never heard of and be rewarded tenfold. I want to highlight five films I’ve seen so far that I desperately hope land a UK Distribution deal. It’s so important we continue to cultivate a diverse, rich cinema landscape in this country and I think audiences would connect with these movies. 

A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra (Jacqueline Lentzou, 2026)
Jacqueline Lentzou’s (Moon, 66 Questions) Venice winner follows fifteen-year-old Jo, who makes an unexpected connection with her classmate Phaedra. Lentzou captures everyday adolescence while hinting at something otherworldly through her distinctive visual language. This is a film that will benefit from your faith — try to read as little as possible about the plot and let it wash over you. I sat up straight at that moment and was completely mesmerised by the final third. I haven’t had a film take my breath away like that for a long time. What proceeds it is thoughtful and distinctive filmmaking, but it’s where Lentzou takes this that makes it feel so special. She finds a way to make everything we’ve seen mean more. I got that flood of emotion I’m always craving and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I watched it. A film that audiences need. Evita Andriopoulo and Eleni Vergeti are magnificent. 

Concrete Land (Asmahan Bkerat, 2026)
Concrete Land is an intimate story of three generations of a Palestinian Bedouin family in Jordan, who are facing displacement, racism and internal conflict. Whenever I dig into the Documentary Competition at London Film Festival, I am in awe of the access the filmmakers get. Shot over eight years, Asmahan Bkerat clearly has the trust of his subjects, who are comfortable to let him document incredibly personal and tender moments in their lives. Bkerat captures the everyday transcendence of a family who find plenty to love and cherish during adversity. One of the film’s biggest strengths is the natural moments of just being between husband and wife, father and daughter, and so on between the three generations. The politics of past and present serve as the brutal backdrop of the film – displacement, racism and genocide shape the every day of the Najars. Concrete Land watches different generations grieve their losses – their homeland, their way of life, their current home, their schooling and more. There’s so much loss. It’s a massive credit to Bkerat and the Najar family that this film is both poignant and heartbreaking while showing the beauty that can co-exist with that.

Too Many Beasts (Sarah Arnold, 2026) 
After winning an award at Cannes Director’s Fortnight, Sarah Arnold’s pitch black comedy will delight audiences later this week. Hunters and farmers are at war in Too Many Beasts as wild boars, used for a great yearly hunt, are ruining local crops. One farmer takes violent, drastic action and then disappears. A year later it looks like he has returned, so Fulda (Alexis Manenti, Athena) a volatile cop who has recently transferred to the countryside, leads an investigation. With the help of therapist Stephane (Ella Rumpf, Raw) they dive into a case which descends into madness. Manenti and Rumpf shine in this deadpan delight, a well-pitched droll take on a countryside police procedural. I admire the way Arnold has such confident handling of the material as things escalate, it never feels too knowing or too engineered. There are big swings and lots of fun to be had — a brilliantly silly time with a great climax. This would go down so well with audiences, I’m surprised it hasn’t been picked up already. 

Once Upon A Time In Harlem (William Greaves, David Greaves, 2026) 
In 1972 filmmaker William Greaves invited the living members of the Harlem Renaissance to spend an afternoon together to reflect on the cultural arts and intellectual movement of the 1920’s and 30’s. Over fifty years later, Greaves’ son David has pieced together the footage to create an important document that serves as a wonderful time capsule. I am so glad this footage has seen the light of day, William Greaves’ footage invites you into the room and the assortment of artists, scholars and many others make for such warm company. David Greaves’ assembly of the footage clearly captures a rich sense of history, lovingly platforming the people his father so obviously admired. It is a joy to spend time with such charismatic, thoughtful and groundbreaking individuals. An invigorating experience, I could’ve watched this group for hours and hours. 

Forest High (Manon Coubia, 2026) 
In the northern Alps, Anne, Hélène and Suzanne take turns looking after a mountain hut. A beautifully shot evocation of place, Manon Coubia’s carefully crafted story of solitude makes for an impressive first feature. I will forever adore films making their setting a character, and there’s something very rich about experiencing how the Northern alps exists and changes throughout the seasons. I appreciated the film’s casual pacing, comfort in mundanity and subtle observations. Although I’d love to have really felt this more on an emotional level, it’s still a very satisfying film to spend time with. This film will look stunning on the big screen and audiences deserve to be able to fall under its spell in the most immersive way possible. Forest High is nominated for the First Feature Prize at the London Film Festival, a competition which always delivers on introducing the work of exciting new filmmakers. I cannot wait to see what Coubia does next.