Founded in 1933, the British Film Institute is a London charity that runs the BFI National Archive and publishes Blu-rays for the UK market. Releases lean on archive restorations of British cinema, silent film, documentary and world classics, usually with booklets and short films as extras. The BFI Flipside line, launched in 2009, revives overlooked British films, and UHD discs began with The Seventh Seal in 2021.
BFI
149 films on Best BluraysBest video release: 19 in 4K125 in HD4 in SD1 with no official release3 more for audio only2 more announced
Best 4K release by tier:
- Excellent13
- Solid3
- Disappointing2
Films where BFI's release is the pick. How picks are made
125 of 149 films match · Page 5 of 7
Films where BFI's release is the pick. How picks are made
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Sources: bfi.org.uk (opens in a new tab)
Best English-Friendly & Video:
BFI Chantal Akerman: Volume 2 Blu-ray
Director: Alf Sjöberg
Best English-Friendly & Video:
BFI Ingmar Bergman Volume 1 Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Directors: Kevin Brownlow & Andrew Mollo
Best English-Friendly & Video:
BFI Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Director: Kenneth Anger
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Flicker Alley Masterworks of American Avant-garde Experimental Film 1920-1970 boxset OOP Blu-ray extras
or BFI Magick Lantern Cycle: Kenneth Anger Blu-ray extras
Video Notes:
No comparison available
Best English-Friendly & Video:
BFI Blu-ray
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Director: Anand Tucker
Director: Frank Capra
Best English-Friendly & Video:
BFI Blu-ray
Sources: DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
BFI significantly better than Kino Lorber even though same restoration http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_64/pocketful_of_miracles_blu-ray.htm
Director: Frank Borzage
Best English-Friendly & Video:
BFI Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
BFI Blu-ray with minimal encoding improvement compared with Kino Lorber Blu-ray see DVDBeaver caps
Additional Info:
BFI has alternative ending as extras that's not present on Kino Lorber
Director: Oscar Micheaux
Best English-Friendly:
BFI Pioneers of African American Cinema Blu-ray
Best Video:
BFI Pioneers of African American Cinema boxset
Video Notes:
BFI Pioneers of African American Cinema boxset is much better than Kino Lorber Blu-ray boxset
Director: Oscar Micheaux
Best English-Friendly & Video:
BFI Pioneers of African American Cinema boxset Blu-ray
Video Notes:
BFI Pioneers of African American Cinema boxset Blu-ray should be better than Kino Lorber boxset
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:
BFI The Complete Humphrey Jennings Collection Vol. 2 Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:
Kino Lorber or BFI Blu-ray
Best Video:
Kino Lorber, BFI, Elephant Films (no EN subs)
Video Notes:
Kino Lorber, BFI, Elephant Films (no EN subs) are likely all from the same 1080p transfer
Best English-Friendly & Video:
BFI Blu-ray
Sources: DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
> Kino Lorber, see DVDBeaver comparisons http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_70/the_knack_and_how_to_get_it_blu-ray.htm
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