Facebook post by Showroom Cinema

From dancehall dramas to unhinged Hollywood starlets, we can't wait for this year's BFI Young Programmers' Takeover! Five nights of double bills from Wed 18 - Sun 22 Feb. Along the way, enjoy short films, specialist intros, quizzes and red carpets as this year's brilliant group of Young Programmers pull out all the stops for a fantastic week of cinema! 📽️ BFI Young Programmers' Festival 2026 📅 Wed 18 - Sun 22 Feb 🔗 https://bit.ly/4pnz7Wl Common People - Wed 18 Indulge yourself in two decades of youthful excess and step onto the floor, with the dancehall-drama Babymother (15) and nostalgia-inducing Northern Soul (15). The short film 'King Ponce' screens ahead of Northern Soul, while Babymother is followed with a pre-recorded Q&A from Writer/Director Julian Henriques. Bloodlines/Motherhood - Thu 19 Two provocative stories about the pressure of parental expectations, ending in explosions of violence in Carrie (15) and We Need to Talk About Kevin (15). The short film 'Dancing with my Mother' screens ahead of We Need to Talk about Kevin. Enjoy a 'colour barcode' game after the screening of Carrie. AI through Female Eyes - Fri 20 What do expectations of beauty mean in the AI age, with the built-in bias of AI models and the churn of ‘slop’ content? Ex Machina (15) and I’m Your Man (15) may provide some clues. This double-bill includes a half-time AI quiz with dystopian Sci-Fi prizes and an intro and post-film discussion with Dr Maria Luisa Davila Garcia. To Be Loved is To Be Celebrated - Sat 21 Explore relationships in black media, through two unapologetically joyful breakout features by black, women directors. Love & Basketball (12A) and Rye Lane (15). The short film 'The Sink' screens ahead of Rye Lane. Fame is a Gun - Sun 22 Two features of unhinged women in old-time America, driven to madness and murder by the desire to be a star. Roll out the red carpet for Sunset Boulevard (12A) and Pearl (15). Professor Angelos Koutsourakis introduces Sunset Boulevard. Dress up as classy as you like for this red carpet screening!