Sam Pollard to lead main jury at 70th BFI London Film Festival
Sam Pollard will preside over the official competition jury at the 70th BFI London Film Festival, the panel that picks the best-film winner, The Hollywood Reporter reported on 30 September 2026.
Four juries. Four chairs. The festival has handed each of its competitive sections to a working filmmaker to lead.
Actor Amir El-Masry will head the first-feature jury, which presents the Sutherland Award for debut directors, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Writer-director Sandhya Suri will lead the documentary jury, which presents the Grierson Award. Helen Simmons will lead the short-film competition jury.
The Sutherland Award goes to a first feature, meaning the director’s opening cinema film. The Grierson Award goes to the festival’s best documentary. The main prize goes to the best narrative or creative feature in official competition.
Suri arrives as a former competitor. She is the writer-director of Santosh, described by the BFI as a north India-set thriller. The film previously competed in the festival’s First Film Competition for the Sutherland Award, according to WION. It was later scheduled for presentation at BFI Southbank on 4 April, the BFI said.
Pollard is also bringing work to London. His archival documentary 14th is described by the BFI as an incisive portrait of one of the most beloved public figures of the 20th century. Archival means built from existing film, photographs and recorded material rather than new scenes.
The jury announcements follow the reveal of the full programme for the 70th edition, set to play in cinemas, online and across the UK, according to the BFI. The milestone year keeps the festival’s usual mix of red-carpet titles, international discoveries and short-form work.
For audiences, this means the prizes will be decided by people who make films themselves. The winners will be announced during the festival’s awards stretch in October.
