Idris Elba, Tilda Swinton and Steve McQueen among stars supporting BFI’s Back the Future campaign

Oscar-winning actor Tilda Swinton, guest speaker at this year’s LUMINOUS gala at the BFI National Archive, August 2017

Idris Elba, Tilda Swinton and Steve McQueen are among the leading lights from the world of film lending their support to the BFI’s ambitious new fundraising campaign, Back the Future, which will ensure it can invest in the talent of tomorrow through film education. The BFI LUMINOUS online auction is now available to bidders across the globe, offering exclusive, bespoke and truly money-can’t-buy experiences and unique prizes. Open now at www.bfiLuminousAuction.com, the online auction closes at noon on 3 October 2017.
    
LUMINOUS, the BFI’s biennial fundraising gala presented in partnership with IWC Schaffhausen, welcomes Tilda Swinton as its special guest speaker and will again be hosted by Jonathan Ross in the gothic splendor of the Guildhall in London on 3 October 2017. It will see the most celebrated figures in the world of film and television come together to raise funds for the year-long campaign, which has film’s next generation at its heart. Back the Future will raise vital funds to enable the BFI to inspire the young people today, giving them the opportunities to grow and succeed through film.
    
“Ultimately, what is film for but education?” comments actor and director Idris Elba. “Every time you sit down to watch something, whatever it may be, you’re learning – not just about the world around you, but about yourself. The BFI sees moving image as a wonderful tool for self-expression, and through it, people learn to engage with film in so many amazing ways. Without their efforts, the landscape of our industry would be much more barren.”
    
“Film needs new voices in order to reflect our richly varied, diverse and challenging society,” says Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen. “It is crucial for our culture to be a representative one, and for the stories people see to resonate deeply with them. We must support the BFI, whose education programmes widen access to film, and enable more people to share their stories.”
    
Other LUMINOUS Gala Champions proudly supporting the campaign are Florence Pugh, Michael Sheen, Romola Garai, Tuppence Middleton, David Morrissey, Paul Greengrass, Julian Fellowes, Francis Lee plus many others.

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