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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Lifestyle
Lowenna Waters

BFI Southbank Christmas Programme: What festive films are on offer and when are they showing?

Family favourites, like The Muppet Christmas Carol, are on offer

(Picture: Disney)

As the festive season is upon us, for some, the thought of watching movies outside is somewhat unappealing, so it’s a relief that the BFI Southbank has revealed its Christmas programme, which will be in the toasty surroundings of its inside screens.

Each year, the BFI puts on a series of Christmas films, offering an eclectic range of family favourites, and international features, with films including Frank Capra’s 1946 It’s A Wonderful Life, to Tim Burton’s stop-motion movies such as A Nightmare Before Christmas.

The BFI’s Christmas Programme goes back to 1944, when the Christmas movie season started with a screening of Meet Me In St Louis, with Judy Garland’s rendition of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

On December 11, the Family Funday will mark the 30th-anniversary screening of The Muppet Christmas Carol and, before the film, ticket holders will be able to celebrate Christmas at the BFI Southbank’s drop-in workshop, to draw some festive pictures and create a yuletide animation, as well as visiting their arts and crafts zone.

A relaxed screening of the film also plays on December 12, for those in the neurodiverse community, their assistants and carers.

But what are the BFI’s Christmas movies and how can I get tickets?

Here’s everything you need to know.

Dates and times for BFI Southbank’s Christmas programming

  • Elf (Jon Favreau, 2003) - December 4
  • Meet Me In St Louis (Vincente Minnelli, 1944) - December 18 - December 22
  • It’s A Wonderful Life (Frank Capra, 1946) - December 18 - December 23
  • The Bishop’s Wife (Henry Koster, 1947) - December 17, 19, and 21
  • Scrooge (Brian Desmond Hurst, 1951) - December 17 and 21
  • The Apartment (Billy Wilder, 1960) - December 14, 21, 23, and 27
  • Gremlins (Joe Dante, 1984) - December 20 and 22
  • Scrooged (Richard Donner, 1988) - December 17 and 22
  • The Muppet Christmas Carol (Brian Henson, 1992) - December 11 and 12
  • Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (Henry Selick, 1993) - December 18
  • Tangerine (Sean Baker, 2015) - December 16 and 20
  • Tokyo Godfathers (Satoshi Kon, 2003) - December 17 and 23 (two screenings on the 17)
  • Carol (Todd Haynes, 2015) - December 17 and 20

How can I get tickets for the BFI Southbank’s Christmas programming?

For tickets, please visit the BFI website for more information.

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