This month, you’re invited to a big screen party in London

THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE turns 75 this month, and the cinematic institution on London’s South Bank, formerly the National Film Theatre, is marking the occasion with a month of special events. Take part in star-studded gala evenings, rare screenings of early films accompanied by live scores and free showings of movies from the Bfiarchive in the Mediatheque.

Special art events during September include the first public exhibition of paintings by French actress Juliette Binoche, who’ll give an onstage interview to The Guardian with an audience question-and-answer session. There’s also a new video installation created by Oscar-winning film-makers Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) called The All-Seeing Eye.

And don’t think that the film-fest is only aimed at smoochy couples or intellectuals; family-friendly events abound. On 28 September children and adults alike can bring out their inner comedian with a slapstick Charlie Chaplin workshop, and watch his silent movie classics. There are ‘parent and baby screenings,’ where you can choose from the likes of The Simpsons Movie or the distinctly more adult Billy Wilder classic from 1950, Sunset Boulevard.

Throughout the month you can catch film retrospectives of Juliette Binoche, Clint Eastwood and the best of British silent film. Meanwhile, online you can download short films from directors such as Stephen Frears, Ridley Scott, Gurinder Chadha and Peter Greenaway for just 75p each during September at www.bfi.org.uk/filmdownloads. The Bfishop will also have big discounts on more than 75 DVDs, such as the martial arts classic The Seven Samurai.

Looking beyond its 75th anniversary, the Bfihas plans for a new centre to allow greater public access to its vast film archives as well as to showcase rare film and television memorabilia. Soon to be on view are Marilyn Monroe’s dress from Some Like it Hot and Derek Jarman’s annotated shooting script for Jubilee.
BfiSouthbank, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London, SE1, +44 (0)20 7633 0274; visit www.bfi.org.uk