The BFI today announce details of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH SPIELBERG,a bespoke BFI IMAX programme of Steven Spielberg classics to celebrate the release of the singular cinematic visionary’s return to science fiction with DISCLOSURE DAY (2026), coming to the UK’s largest screen at BFI IMAX in IMAX with Laser from 10 June.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH SPIELBERG, a limited engagement at BFI IMAX will feature a tailored programme of five classic titles including CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977), E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL (1982) and READY PLAYER ONE (2018). Meanwhile, to mark the BFI’s extended celebration of London Climate Action Week, a screening of JAWS (1975) on 31 May will be introduced by ZSL’s (Zoological Society London) Dr David Curnick, Head of the Ocean Predator Lab, and Joanna Barker, Aquatic Species and Policy Programme Manager, following a separate screening of IMAX documentary SHARK KINGDOM 3D (Dave Duce, Matt Tomaszewski, 2025) featuring a Q&A with the pair. Together they will discuss the impact that nature representation on screen can have for wildlife, fifty-one years after JAWS. Elsewhere, a 3D screening of JURASSIC PARK (1993) on28 June will be introduced by The Wildlife Trusts chief executive Craig Bennett, who will explore how this science fiction classic is far closer to fact for modern-day conservationists. This will follow a separate screening of IMAX documentary DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D (David Clark, 2020) and a Q&A with University College London’s Dr Cassius Morrison, former student of the Natural History Museum,who will discuss how the film inspired his career as a scientist and his subsequent research on the brains and diets of dinosaurs.
Steven Spielberg’s wholly original new event film DISCLOSURE DAY (2026), his long awaited return to science fiction, opens at BFI IMAX in IMAX with Laser from 10 June. We have long considered the possibility that there may be intelligent life somewhere in the universe. But how would we react if we knew it to be true? There is arguably no filmmaker more suitable than Steven Spielberg to answer this question. Based on a story by the director, and with a script by his regular collaborator David Koepp (JURASSIC PARK, WAR OF THE WORLDS), DISCLOSURE DAY will be unmissable on the UK’s largest screen at BFI IMAX.
Tickets for CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH SPIELBERG at BFI IMAX will beon sale to BFI Patrons on 5 May, BFI Members on 6 May, and to the general public on 8 May. Details of ticket on sale for DISCLOSURE DAY at BFI IMAX will be announced soon.
FURTHER DETAILS OF CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH SPIELBERG
https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/imax/Online/article/steven-spielberg-imax
SHARK KINGDOM (Dave Duce, Matt Tomaszewski, 2025) + Q&A
IMAX with Laser 3D
Come face to face with these ancient and awe-inspiring animals and learn how our future is intertwined with theirs. Marine scientists Dr David Curnick and Joanna Barker from ZSL will discuss their research on these apex ocean predators and the fascinating sharks found in the waters off our own coastline.
SUN 31 MAY 11:00, BFI IMAX
JAWS (Steven Spielberg, 1975) + extended intro
IMAX with Laser
When a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Long Island, a local sheriff, a marine biologist and a grizzled fisherman join forces to hunt the beast down. Introduced by marine scientists Dr David Curnick and Joanna Barker from ZSL, JAWS helped usher in the modern blockbuster and won three Academy Awards®, including the second of five for John Williams’ iconic and unsettling score.
SUN 31 MAY 13:00, BFI IMAX
E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL (Steven Spielberg, 1982)
IMAX with Laser (BFI IMAX), Digital 4K (BFI Southbank)
Often hailed as one of the greatest family films of all time, E.T. tells the story of an alien left on Earth who befriends a boy named Elliott. After taking him back to his suburban home and introducing E.T. to his brother and sister, Elliott must race against time to ensure that E.T. finds his way back to his own planet before the nefarious government agents on their trail close in.
SUN 07 JUN 11:00, BFI IMAX / THU 11 JUN 20:45, BFI SOUTHBANK NFT3 / SAT 13 JUN 12:15, BFI SOUTHBANK NFT3
DISCLOSURE DAY (Steven Spielberg, 2026)
IMAX with Laser
If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? This summer, the truth belongs to seven billion people… This wholly original event film, created and directed by Steven Spielberg, stars Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson and Colman Domingo.
FROM WED 10 JUN, BFI IMAX
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (Steven Spielberg, 1977)
Digital 4K
One of Steven Spielberg’s finest films is both a wondrous encounter with an alien species and a finely wrought family drama. In rural America, electrician Roy Neary is investigating a power outage when he witnesses an alien visitation. This encounter fuels an obsessive interest in UFOs, sparking a journey for him and a number of others caught up in extra-terrestrial activities. Close Encounters finds Spielberg at his most profoundly humane.
SUN 14 JUN 11:00, BFI IMAX
READY PLAYER ONE (Steven Spielberg, 2018)
IMAX with Laser
In the near future, eccentric games designer James Halliday offers respite from the harsh realities of life via his virtual world The OASIS. Leaving control of his vast empire to the winner of a complex, multi-layered challenge, a group of young players join together to win the game but face the threat of a mega-corporation hell bent on ruling everyone’s real and virtual lives. Spielberg’s adaptation of Ernest Cline’s bestseller is a thrill like no other.
SUN 21 JUN 20:00, BFI IMAX
DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA (David Clark, 2020) + Q&A
IMAX with Laser 3D
In ancient times, dinosaurs and other creatures roamed freely across Antarctica’s lush landscape. Today, the continent holds evidence of that world, frozen beneath its ice and snow. This screening will include a Q&A with University College London’s Dr Cassius Morrison, former student of the Natural History Museum,who will discuss how JURASSIC PARK inspired his career as a scientist and his subsequent research on the brains and diets of dinosaurs.
SUN 28 JUN 11:30, BFI IMAX
JURASSIC PARK (Steven Spielberg, 1993) + extended intro
IMAX with Laser 3D
In Steven Spielberg’s landmark blockbuster, two palaeontologists and a brilliant chaotician are among a select group chosen to tour an island theme park populated by dinosaurs created from prehistoric DNA. The park’s billionaire mastermind assures everyone the facility is safe. But a disgruntled employee and a stormy night prove him wrong. State-of-the-art technology and old-school thrills combined to produce one of 90’s Hollywood’s best and biggest blockbusters. In an extended intro, Chief Executive of the UK-wide Wildlife Trusts movement Craig Bennett will explore how this science fiction classic is actually closer to fact for modern-day conservationists.
SUN 28 JUN 13:00, BFI IMAX
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