The 70th edition of the BFI London Film Festival (LFF) is wrapping up Sunday night with the U.K. premiere of Jesse Eisenberg’s star-studded The Debut, following the afternoon unveiling of this year’s award winners. The 2026 honors were led by Sergei Loznitsa‘s Imperium, which won the best film award in the official competition, and Asmahan Bkerat’s Concrete Land, which was named the winner of the Grierson Award in the LFF documentary competition.
Imperium brings together Italian footage from the early 1970s that was shot across what was then the USSR. The result is a look at the diversity of the country in contrast with official Soviet portrayals and productions from the same era.
“Imperium is 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,” the LFF jury said. “The film is richly evocative and emotionally engaging on all levels, giving us a visually arresting perspective of life before the Soviet Union was broken apart.”
Palestinian-Jordanian director Bkerat’s Concrete Land tells the story of a Palestinian Bedouin family displaced in Jordan. The young filmmaker told THR in a recent interview that the family featured in the film helped her discover her love for documentary filmmaking.
“This was a beautifully observed portrait filmed with mastery and confidence,” highlighted the LFF jury. “In image creation, sound design, scene building and, most importantly, the deep and trusting relationship with the films’ characters, the filmmaker proved themselves a worthy recipient of the Grierson award. It takes a tremendous cinematic skill and maturity to bring the audience to feel so close to each and every character of this remarkable family, across generations and in a very different part of the world, yet the warmth we feel for each is profound. In a noisy and often polemical world, it was refreshing, humbling and deeply relevant to see the quiet resilience and dignity of this family in the face of the erasure of their culture and traditions. This is filmmaking which never gets in the way of itself and will surely take its place in the annals of observational greats.”
A special mention in the doc competition was awarded to Queer Edward II from director Theo Rollason, who recently discussed their archival look behind the scenes of Derek Jarman’s Edward II film set, against the backdrop of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in 1980s Britain, with THR. “This was a spirited and tightly constructed portrait of Jarman as both an artist and an activist,” the jury noted. “Along with the luscious making-of footage, the integration of wider political archive was skilfully and heart-fully done, making it a fitting and timely tribute to Jarman in its defiant call for tolerance and against prejudice.”
Meanwhile, 9 Temples to Heaven, directed by Sompot Chidgasornpongse, won the Sutherland Award in the first feature competition. In the road movie, which is Thailand’s international Oscar feature film submission, a prophecy prompts an aging grandmother to embark on a nine-temple pilgrimage with her children and grandchildren.
“An accomplished first feature paving his own path in the well-established tradition of filmmaking in the Southeast Asian region,” said the jury about the winning project. “The film is visually outstanding, spiritual, and meditative, where a story about life and death transcends borders and generations.”
A special mention in the first feature program went to Bertil Nilsson’s MASC, following Robin as he moves through temporary jobs and tentative relationships in search of a place to belong. The jury called the filmmaker “a strikingly original new voice in British cinema, using innovative storytelling, notable performances, and artistically crafted scenes. We were impressed by Bertil’s highly unique concept coupled with capable new talent and a humorous script.”
Finally, Aman, from director Rahul Roye, received the Short Film Award in the LFF short film competition. It follows a trans man whose journey takes an unexpected turn on the eve of his gender-affirming surgery, when he discovers that he is pregnant.
“We were deeply impressed by Aman’s accomplished filmmaking, tackling knotty themes through authentic and nuanced characters we felt compelled to follow,” shared the LFF jury. “We were struck by the film’s painterly cinematography and expansive and assured storytelling, which guided us through the world with care. Aman’s finely drawn narrative is made all the more engrossing by the film’s refusal to provide easy answers to the complexities it presents us with.”
Elizabeth Hobbs’ Daughters of the Late Colonel received the short film special mention. The film sees two middle-aged sisters finding themselves at a loss after the death of their ill-tempered and controlling father. Said the Short Film Competition jury: “We would like to give a special mention to Daughters of the Late Colonel for its singular and inventive visual style, and its deft balance of humor, pathos and provocation.”
Voting for the LFF Audience Awards closes on Wednesday.