Sergei Loznitsa’s “Imperium” took the top prize at the 2026 BFI London Film Festival awards, winning Best Film in the official competition as the 70th edition of the festival wrapped on Sunday. The BFI London Film Festival 2026 winners were announced in the afternoon, ahead of the U.K. premiere of Jesse Eisenberg’s “The Debut” that evening.
“Imperium” assembles Italian footage shot across the USSR in the early 1970s, offering a look at the diversity of the country that stands apart from official Soviet-era portrayals. The jury called it “an extraordinary film that explores the Soviet Union in the early 1970s from a rich archive with a wide-ranging perspective that looks at life in a country with an extraordinary social and cultural landscape that has rarely been seen,” adding that it is “richly evocative and emotionally engaging on all levels, giving us a visually arresting perspective of life before the Soviet Union was broken apart,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Major Categories: Winners And Special Mentions
The documentary, first feature and short film competitions also handed out honors alongside the best film prize. Here is the full list of winners and special mentions from the ceremony, according to The Hollywood Reporter:
- Best Film (Official Competition): “Imperium,” directed by Sergei Loznitsa
- Grierson Award (Documentary Competition): “Concrete Land,” directed by Asmahan Bkerat
- Sutherland Award (First Feature Competition): “9 Temples to Heaven,” directed by Sompot Chidgasornpongse
- Short Film Competition: “Aman”
- Special Mention (Documentary Competition): “Queer Edward II,” directed by Theo Rollason
- Special Mention (First Feature Program): “MASC,” directed by Bertil Nilsson
- LFF Special Mention: “Daughters of the Late Colonel,” directed by Elizabeth Hobbs
Records And Firsts
“Concrete Land” tells the story of a Palestinian Bedouin family displaced in Jordan. The jury praised it as “a beautifully observed portrait filmed with mastery and confidence,” noting the “deep and trusting relationship” between the filmmaker and the family at its center, The Hollywood Reporter reported. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the jury said the documentary brings “the quiet resilience and dignity of this family in the face of the erasure of their culture and traditions” to the screen and will “surely take its place in the annals of observational greats.”
“9 Temples to Heaven,” a road movie following an aging grandmother on a nine-temple pilgrimage with her children and grandchildren, serves as Thailand’s international Oscar feature film submission. Jurors described it as “an accomplished first feature paving his own path in the well-established tradition of filmmaking in the Southeast Asian region,” calling it “visually outstanding, spiritual, and meditative.”
Notable Moments And Special Mentions
“Queer Edward II,” a special mention in the documentary competition, offers an archival look behind the scenes of Derek Jarman’s “Edward II” film set, against the backdrop of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in 1980s Britain. The jury called it “a spirited and tightly constructed portrait of Jarman as both an artist and an activist.”
“MASC,” which received a special mention in the first feature program, follows Robin as he moves through temporary jobs and tentative relationships in search of a place to belong. The jury praised the filmmaker as “a strikingly original new voice in British cinema.”
“Aman,” directed by Rahul Roye, won the Short Film Award. The film follows a trans man whose journey takes an unexpected turn on the eve of his gender-affirming surgery when he discovers he is pregnant. The jury called it “an accomplished filmmaking” work that tackles “knotty themes through authentic and nuanced characters.”
“Daughters of the Late Colonel,” directed by Elizabeth Hobbs, received the short film special mention. The film sees two middle-aged sisters at a loss after the death of their ill-tempered and controlling father. The jury praised its “singular and inventive visual style, and its deft balance of humor, pathos and provocation.”
What’s Next
The awards capped the 70th edition of the BFI London Film Festival, with the U.K. premiere of “The Debut,” directed by Jesse Eisenberg, following the ceremony Sunday evening.
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