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in the late 70’sDay At the BFI London Film Festival, Sergei Loznitsa’s Imperium won the Best Film award in the Official Competition and Asmahan Bkerat’s Concrete Land won the Grierson Award in the Documentary category. Theo Rollason received a special mention for Queer Edward II in the Doc Competition.
in empireSergei Loznitsa once again reconstructs Soviet history through the eyes of an Italian cameraman who captured Soviet life in the early 1970s.
The official competition jury said: “Our jury chose the work of Serge Loznitsa. empire It was selected as the best film at the 2026 BFI London Film Festival. empire <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<& It's moving and emotionally compelling. “Our panel of judges is very proud to have honored such a powerful and original work.”
The official competition jury consisted of President Sam Pollard (director of Tutu, MLK/FBI, Citizen Ashe), Mariano Llinás (filmmaker and writer, Life of Jorge Luis Borges, The Flower), and Julie La Bassiere (Chief Strategy Officer, DDA).
Won the Grierson Award in the documentary competitionAshman Bkerat’s feature-length directorial debutconcrete land An intimate, multi-generational portrait of a mixed-race family struggling against displacement and hostility in Jordan.
The documentary competition jury said: “This was a beautifully observed portrait, shot with skill and confidence. In the creation of the images, the sound design, the composition of the scenes and, most importantly, the deep and trusting relationships with the characters in the film, the filmmakers have proven themselves worthy of the Grierson Award. It takes enormous cinematic skill and maturity to allow the audience to feel close to all the characters of this remarkable family across generations and in very different parts of the world, but the warmth we feel for each is profound. Uproarious and often It’s refreshing, humbling, and deeply meaningful to see this family’s quiet resilience and dignity in a world where culture and traditions have been erased in a controversial world.
Special mention is given to Theo Rollason. queer Edward II, Derek Jarman takes us behind the scenes. Edward II, This work is set against the background of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in the UK in the 1980s.
The documentary competition jury commented: “This was a vibrant and solidly constructed portrait of Jarman as an artist and activist. The integration of the broader political archive with beautiful filmmaking was skillfully and heartfelt, making it a fitting and timely tribute to Jarman’s struggle for tolerance and resistance to prejudice.”
The Jury for the Documentary Competition (Grierson Award) consisted of Chairperson Sandhya Suri (Director Santosh, I for India), Kate Fitzpatrick (Chief Programmer, Melbourne International Film Festival) and Andee Ryder (BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker).