Hong Kong Film Festival will return to London this autumn with its largest programme to date.
The fourth edition will run from September 25 to October 4. It will feature 40 films across 11 venues throughout the capital. Organisers have scheduled 17 UK premieres alongside 21 screenings and special events. The programme will cover contemporary cinema, restored classics and experimental filmmaking.
Migration and diaspora will also feature prominently throughout the festival. These themes will explore Hong Kong’s connections with communities beyond the city. Mary Stephen will take centre stage as this year’s Filmmaker in Focus. The Hong Kong-born filmmaker and editor has built an extensive international career. The festival will open at the Barbican with Palimpsest: The Story of a Name. Stephen directed the film and investigates the history of an English surname.
Her documentary explores identity, family history and cultural memory. The film will receive its UK theatrical premiere during the opening event. The festival will also present several works from Stephen’s earlier career. Her first feature film, Shades of Silk, will receive a UK premiere. Three early experimental shorts will also feature in the retrospective. Meanwhile, audiences can watch two films linked to her work with Éric Rohmer.
The selected films include The Aviator’s Wife and A Summer’s Tale. Stephen worked with Rohmer for more than two decades. She served as his editor and co-composer during that period. Stephen will also participate in question-and-answer sessions during the retrospective. Elsewhere, Kiwi Chow will present the UK premiere of Deadline. The director previously gained attention for the film Ten Years.
Deadline follows an unsettling mystery involving an anonymous message. The message predicts a student’s suicide at a prestigious school. The story creates an atmosphere of uncertainty while examining wider social pressures. It will form another major highlight within the contemporary cinema programme. The festival will also look back at influential Hong Kong films. Its Classics Revisited strand will showcase newly restored works.
A new 2K restoration of Angie Chen’s My Name Ain’t Suzie will feature in the section. Patrick Tam’s My Heart Is That Eternal Rose will also receive a restored screening. Christopher Doyle worked as cinematographer on My Heart Is That Eternal Rose. The restoration will introduce the film to audiences in a renewed presentation. However, the festival will offer more than conventional cinema screenings. Organisers have planned discussions, experimental moving-image projects and interactive activities.
A special walking tour will examine Hong Kong’s distinctive walkway culture. A separate game workshop will also invite audiences to participate. Migration will provide another important focus during the festival. The Narrating Migration strand will run in partnership with Amnesty International UK. The programme will examine experiences of exile, displacement and movement. It will also explore how filmmakers portray identity across different communities.
Meanwhile, audiences outside the main London events can access the free Online Panorama. The digital programme will remain available until October 31. The festival will also introduce a more year-round approach to its activities. Organisers have planned two additional seasons between late 2026 and early 2027.
This expansion will create more opportunities for audiences to discover Hong Kong cinema. It will also strengthen connections between filmmakers, communities and international audiences. The programme reflects a wider understanding of Hong Kong’s cinematic identity. Organisers will explore stories that extend beyond the city’s geographical boundaries.
Migration and diaspora will therefore connect many of the festival’s different strands. These themes will highlight the experiences of Hong Kong communities around the world. At the same time, the festival will balance new productions with important cinematic classics. Experimental projects will add further variety to the programme.
The Mary Stephen retrospective will remain one of the festival’s main attractions. Her career demonstrates strong connections between Hong Kong and European filmmaking. Overall, the festival will combine premieres, retrospectives, discussions and cultural events. The diverse programme aims to introduce audiences to different aspects of Hong Kong cinema.
With 40 titles and 17 UK premieres, this year’s edition marks a significant expansion. The event will also provide opportunities to discover both established and emerging filmmakers. The Hong Kong Film Festival will take place across London from September 25 to October 4. Its online programme will continue through October 31.
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