The BFI London Film Festival, which runs from 10 to 21 October, will include an industry program featuring the Works-in-Progress Showcase. This event will highlight eight new fiction films and documentaries by British and Irish filmmakers. The showcase will take place at Picturehouse Central on Friday 11 October as part of the Industry Forum. It will include exclusive previews of each project, with filmmakers introducing their work to an invited audience of international buyers, UK sales agents, distributors, and festival programmers. Following the screenings, there will be round-table discussions and networking opportunities for filmmakers and industry guests. An online version of the showcase will be available for one week on a secure platform, accessible to a broader group of international professionals. The showcase is part of the UK Talent Days, organized in partnership with the British Council. This initiative connects international industry professionals with UK creative talent and emerging professionals in the film and television sectors. The goal is to support the development of new British films and create opportunities for investment and collaboration. The UK Talent Days also include the return of the Buyers and Sellers event, where international sales agents and UK distributors can meet. Additionally, the BFI NETWORK@LFF will welcome 15 new UK-based writers, directors, and producers to participate in masterclasses, screenings, and events with leading professionals. It will also host the Writers' Roundtables, offering emerging screenwriters the chance to meet with UK and international producers and network with British filmmakers. The UK Talent Days are supported by major industry backers, including Amazon MGM Studios, Apple TV, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, The Walt Disney Studios, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros Discovery. These companies help fund and promote the initiatives aimed at nurturing new talent and fostering international partnerships. The Works-in-Progress Showcase continues to support projects aiming to reach both domestic and international audiences. Last year’s showcase included several films that went on to screen at major festivals. For example, At Night by Beatrice Gibson premiered at the 2026 Locarno Film Festival and earned Gibson the Best Emerging Director award. Simon Ryninks’ Out There premiered at the 2026 Edinburgh International Film Festival and was shortlisted for the Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence. Birds of War by Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and received a Special Jury Award for Journalistic Impact. Dogwoof acquired sales and distribution rights for this film. The full list of projects participating in this year’s showcase includes Switch, a fiction film directed by Taisia Deeva; Mid Wif, a documentary directed by Mia Harvey; Landlines, a fiction film directed by Tristan Heanue; Echolalic, a fiction film directed by Peter Mackie Burns; 40 Years of Silence, a documentary directed by Maythem Ridha; The Last Picture Shop, a documentary directed by Liam Saint-Pierre; Gol-e Sorkh, a hybrid film directed by Maryam Tafakory; and Leopard Spots, a fiction film directed by Joshua Trigg. Each project is supported by a range of producers and collaborators.