BFI Southbank

Tucked almost out of sight under the arches of Waterloo Bridge is the British Film Institute, containing four cinemas that screen thousands of films each year, a gallery devoted to the moving image and the Mediatheque, where you watch film and TV highlights from the BFI National Archive. There’s also a gallery space with shows relating to film, a well-stocked film- and bookshop, a restaurant and a gorgeous cafe. The BFI is largely a repertory or art-house theatre, runs regular retrospectives and is the major venue for the Times BFI London Film Festival, which screens 300 films from 60 countries in the second half of October.