BFI Southbank is putting three newly struck 35mm prints into its Billy Wilder season in November. Before then, Light House in Dublin has two bookable 35mm sessions this week, Showroom has three Akira dates next month, and the Prince Charles Cinema has opened booking for two all-night theatrical-edition marathons in December.
Peter J. Knight
MCP | Creative Labs
There is a useful difference between finding another date for an existing print and creating a new exhibition asset. Both matter, but the second gives programmers something that can continue to work after a season has ended.
That makes BFI Southbank’s November Billy Wilder programme the lead item this week. Three new 35mm prints have public dates, each alongside a digital version rather than hidden behind a general claim that the venue can show film. The performance-level information is clear enough for an audience to choose the presentation it wants.
London: three new Billy Wilder prints enter circulation
The BFI identifies new 35mm prints of Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard and Some Like It Hot. Each was made with National Lottery funding and support from donors to the BFI’s Keep Film on Film campaign. The supplying collections differ: UCLA Film & Television Archive for Double Indemnity, Paramount for Sunset Boulevard and MGM for Some Like It Hot.
| Film | Venue and town | Format | Date and time, 2026 | Official information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double Indemnity | BFI Southbank, London, NFT1 | New 35mm print | Wednesday 4 November, 20:35 Sunday 22 November, 15:10 |
Film and print details |
| Sunset Boulevard | BFI Southbank, London, NFT1 | New 35mm print | Saturday 7 November, 15:00 Saturday 28 November, 12:00 |
Film and print details |
| Some Like It Hot | BFI Southbank, London, NFT1 | New 35mm print | Tuesday 10 November, 20:35 | Film and print details |
The live BFI film-on-film listing showed each of those performances as bookable when checked on 21 October. No booking deadline is stated, and remaining seats need to be checked through the box office.
The encouraging part is not simply that the titles are familiar. These are new physical prints with named collection or studio relationships behind them. Two of the films have more than one 35mm performance, giving the projection team a chance to learn from the first run and giving the asset more than a single public outing.
There is also a sensible distinction between restoration and exhibition. A new print does not guarantee a wider tour, and the BFI has not announced one on these pages. It does create the possibility. The next practical question is whether the prints will be available to other suitable venues once the Southbank dates are over.
Dublin: two more chances to catch a current title on 35mm
Light House Cinema has three 35mm performances of Jane Schoenbrun’s Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. The first is on Wednesday 21 October at 20:30. The two remaining sessions after today are Thursday 22 October at 15:30 and Sunday 25 October at 15:45.
Venue: Light House Cinema, Dublin
Format: 35mm
Dates and times: Wednesday 21 October, 20:30; Thursday 22 October, 15:30; Sunday 25 October, 15:45
Booking: official film page and live sessions
The cinema’s page labels all three sessions at performance level. It also contains older copy about an Irish premiere in August, so this is best described as a current 35mm engagement, not a new premiere. No sold-out notice or booking deadline appeared when checked. Availability may change quickly because the run is already under way.
This is the short-notice item in the edition. It also shows why a weekly watch needs a live check close to publication. A title can acquire a print engagement after the publicity copy around the film has stopped being current.
Sheffield: Akira gets three 35mm dates with two different contexts
Showroom Cinema is using one 35mm booking in two strands. There are two Classics performances, followed by a Philosophy screening presented with the University of Sheffield.
| Programme | Venue and town | Format | Date and time, 2026 | Official booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classics: Akira | Showroom Cinema, Sheffield | 35mm, Japanese with English subtitles | Tuesday 24 November, 18:00 | Classics film page |
| Classics: Akira | Showroom Cinema, Sheffield | 35mm, Japanese with English subtitles | Wednesday 25 November, 20:15 | Classics film page |
| Philosophy: Akira | Showroom Cinema, Sheffield | 35mm, Japanese with English subtitles | Thursday 26 November, 18:00 | Philosophy film page |
The official pages showed booking links and no sold-out notice on 21 October. No booking deadline is given. The number 15 on those pages is the film’s certificate, not a quoted ticket price.
Running the same title on three consecutive days is useful for more than ticket choice. It lets the cinema place the format inside two editorial propositions without pretending that the print itself is the whole event. It also concentrates print handling, inspection and staffing into a defined run rather than scattering one-off dates across the calendar.
December diary: all three theatrical editions through 35mm
The Prince Charles Cinema has opened booking for two all-night presentations of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy using the theatrical editions on 35mm. The live programme lists Saturday 5 December and Saturday 12 December, both beginning at 23:30.
Venue: Prince Charles Cinema, London
Format: all three theatrical editions on 35mm
Dates and times: Saturday 5 December, 23:30; Saturday 12 December, 23:30
Published programme length: 558 minutes
Booking and conditions: official trilogy page
The cinema says there is no admission after midnight and that attendees at the all-night events must be 16 or over. Those conditions are not small print for this listing. Someone arriving late for a nine-hour programme cannot assume that a ticket guarantees entry after the cut-off.
From a booth point of view, the attraction is also the risk. Three long features in one continuous event mean more film, more joins, more opportunity for damage and a smaller margin for an unnoticed fault. The public page does not describe the reel or changeover arrangement, and it would be wrong to guess. What it does make clear is the scale of the presentation and the audience conditions.
What has changed this week
The main change is the arrival of three new exhibition prints with confirmed public dates. That is more consequential than another isolated repertory booking because it adds physical assets to the ecosystem. The Dublin and Sheffield dates then show two other parts of the picture: a current title getting a short 35mm engagement and an established title receiving a compact multi-date run.
For venues, the useful discipline is to keep format, session time and access conditions together. For distributors and archives, it is to keep provenance and handling records attached to the print as it moves. For audiences, it should remain possible to tell exactly what will be projected without deciphering a season page or relying on a social post.
That is the difference between advertising a cinema as film-capable and maintaining a programme that can actually use the capability.