London Palestine Film Festival 2026: Lovely Butterfly + For Life

London Palestine Film Festival 2026

Lovely Butterfly (Palestine, 2026, Fairouz Hasan, 20')

Fairouz Hasan revisits her childhood through letters exchanged with her father during his years in Israeli prisons, tracing the emotional and psychological impact of his absence and imprisonment.

For Life (Turkiye, 2025, Ahmet Seven, 88’)

A Palestinian woman whose husband is serving a life sentence in an Israeli prison attempts to conceive a child by secretly smuggling his sperm out of prison, turning an intimate act into a quiet form of resistance.

The annual festival’s 2026 edition brings together some of this year’s most compelling new films, from UK premieres and Oscar-nominated titles to archival footage and retrospective screenings, creating a vital space to showcase the richness of Palestinian life through its lived experiences and everyday realities.

At Riverside Studios, LPFF pays tribute to Mohammad Bakri, bringing together three films made across two decades of the Palestinian actor and filmmaker’s career. The programme also explores the enduring power of creativity in the face of displacement, The Clown of Gaza and One More Show follow performers bringing laughter to children across Gaza, while Lovely Butterfly and For Life trace the lasting effects of imprisonment and separation.

Age Rating: 18

Trailers: 20 minutes

London Palestine Film Festival 2026: Lovely Butterfly + For Life London Palestine Film Festival 2026Lovely Butterfly (Palestine, 2026, Fairouz Hasan, 20')Fairouz Hasan revisits her childhood through letters exchanged with her father during his years in Israeli prisons, tracing the emotional and psychological impact of his absence and imprisonment. For Life (Turkiye, 2025, Ahmet Seven, 88’)A Palestinian woman whose husband is serving a life sentence in an Israeli prison attempts to conceive a child by secretly smuggling his sperm out of prison, turning an intimate act into a quiet form of resistance. The annual festival’s 2026 edition brings together some of this year’s most compelling new films, from UK premieres and Oscar-nominated titles to archival footage and retrospective screenings, creating a vital space to showcase the richness of Palestinian life through its lived experiences and everyday realities.At Riverside Studios, LPFF pays tribute to Mohammad Bakri, bringing together three films made across two decades of the Palestinian actor and filmmaker’s career. The programme also explores the enduring power of creativity in the face of displacement, The Clown of Gaza and One More Show follow performers bringing laughter to children across Gaza, while Lovely Butterfly and For Life trace the lasting effects of imprisonment and separation. Age Rating: 18Trailers: 20 minutes 18 Cinema Events