Carl Roberts 
LONDON - OCTOBER 23: Director David Lynch hosts a Q & A 'Catching The Big Fish' at the National Film Theatre as part of the BFI 51st London Film Festival on October 23, 2007 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart Wilson / Getty Images)
The BFI in London plans to honour the late and legendary David Lynch with a major season early next year. Get the details here.
Last night, the second edition of the BFI Film on Film Festival came to a close at BFI Southbank. The closing event featured a screening of the pilot episode of David Lynch’s masterful mystery series, TWIN PEAKS. It was shown on a 35mm print for the first time ever in the UK. This closing night presentation marked the 35th anniversary of the show. It was from the very same pristine print used for the original BBC TV broadcast in October 1990. This print was later donated to the BFI National Archive. The screening was followed by a Q&A with special guest and star of the series, Kyle MacLachlan.
During the Q&A, chaired by BFI Chief Executive Ben Roberts, it was revealed that the BFI would honour David Lynch’s remarkable legacy with a season dedicated to his work, taking place throughout January 2026.
Responding to the prospect of a forthcoming BFI season. And the need for audiences to continue to be able to experience Lynch’s work on the big screen, Kyle MacLachlan said:
“It’s absolutely essential. There’s nobody like him and there will never be anyone like him. He saw the world in a very particular way. I had my personal relationship with him, and I love him dearly and I miss him dearly, and he really started me off. His message, his art – film, art, television, painting, sculpture, everything – is so special and I think speaks to a deeper part of us in a way that no one else does. He’s just magic.”
THE DAVID LYNCH SEASON
The BFI’s David Lynch season will include screenings of a wide spectrum of Lynch’s features, shorts, music videos, and other works. The season will celebrate him as an artist who, in addition to working in film and television, pushed boundaries in other creative mediums. It will showcase personal responses from those who worked alongside him and were influenced by him. This will happen during special Q&A sessions. Additionally, it will provide a space for audiences to share their reflections 12 months on from his passing. This sharing will occur through salon events, discussions, and transcendental meditation sessions. Furthermore, the season will feature playful and engaging events. These will range from DJ nights and VJ sets to quizzes and social mixers. These events will be complete with Lynchian cocktails. We will reveal the full details this autumn.
THE BFI FILM ON FILM FESTIVAL
This year’s BFI Film on Film Festival opened on 12 June with an unmissable treat for Star Wars fans. It included screening a precious dye transfer IB Technicolor print of STAR WARS to two full houses of fans. Many of whom had travelled from across the globe to be there. Large numbers queued from the early hours of the morning for a chance at a last-minute ticket to this one-off historic screening. This remarkable and rare print was produced for the first British release in 1977, including the original opening crawl.
This was before it was renamed for re-releases as Episode IV: A New Hope. It has been preserved in the BFI National Archive since the 1990s. The first screening was introduced by the President of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy. She was accompanied by BFI Chief Executive Ben Roberts and Executive Director of Knowledge, Learning, and Collections Arike Oke. Ann Skinner, script supervisor on the original film, was also present. She showed excited audiences material from the original continuity script for STAR WARS. It includes rare on-set Polaroids, annotations, and deleted scenes, which are also cared for by the BFI National Archive.
It has been preserved in the BFI National Archive since the 1990s. The first screening was introduced by the President of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy, alongside BFI Chief Executive Ben Roberts and Executive Director of Knowledge, Learning and Collections Arike Oke. Ann Skinner, script supervisor on the original film, was also present. She showed excited audiences material from the original continuity script for STAR WARS. It includes rare on-set Polaroids, annotations, and deleted scenes, which are also cared for by the BFI National Archive.
ALSO SCREENED
Elsewhere during the weekend, audiences flocked to the festival to celebrate the medium of ‘film’ itself. They took in a wealth of both familiar and rare, discovery titles, (almost) all of them taken from the vast collections of the BFI National Archive, which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. From the oldest print ever projected to UK audiences, the 96-year-old print of UN CHIEN ANDALOU (Luis Buñuel and Salvador DalÃ, 1929) and unique prints of early Stanley Kubrick classics. DAY OF THE FIGHT (1951) and THE KILLING (1956) were loaned from Stanley Kubrick’s personal print collection.
Also shown were a 15 perf/70mm IMAX print of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968), created under the supervision of Christopher Nolan, and brand new 35mm prints created by the BFI including LOCAL HERO (1983), STRONGROOM (1962), JOURNEY TO ITALY (1954) and I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (1943). The programme spanned fiction features, documentaries, artists’ work, and much more in between, as well as workshops, talks and free events, including the chance to hear from expert voices from the BFI’s world-leading conservation, curatorial and projection teams.
The festival included 38 features, 36 shorts, and 1 Television work, screening from 2 8mm, 20 17mm prints, 52 35mm prints (including 5 nitrate; 4 x scope formats) and 3 70mm prints. The combined length of these prints is around 380,000 feet.
Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter. The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Jay Hunt, OBE.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
