The BFI has announced that Ingmar Bergman’s 1957 masterpiece, The Seventh Seal, will be the label’s very first Ultra High Definition (UHD) Blu-ray release on 18 October 2021.

Available in this format for the first time anywhere in the world, the 4K UHD edition offers audiences the chance to experience this timeless classic like never before. This first Ultra High Definition Blu-ray title from the BFI marks an exciting new venture for the home entertainment label, with further UHD editions set to be announced over the coming months.

Also revealed today is the full line-up of Blu-ray releases for October-November 2021. On a customarily eclectic slate, other highlights include the second Ingmar Bergman box set, an American sci-fi classic from 1956, Dennis Hopper and Mike Leigh remasters, and a new Flipside archive collection.

18 OCTOBER

The second of a four volume collection celebrating the work of Ingmar Bergman features eight of the director’s most celebrated films across six discs, including Summer with Monika, (1953), The Seventh Seal (1957) and Wild Strawberries (1957). Ingmar Bergman: Volume Two will be accompanied by newly recorded special features, a 100-page perfect-bound book with new essays on the featured films, and new artwork by designer Andrew Bannister.

25 OCTOBER

October sees the US sci-fi horror milestone Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) receive its UK Blu-ray debut. Released in time for Halloween, this enduring and suspenseful classic, directed by Don Siegel (Dirty Harry), will be accompanied by a selection of new and archive material that sheds light on the film’s production and legacy.

BFI Flipside also returns for Halloween with Short Sharp Shocks: Volume 2, a second dose of strange, striking, thrilling, horrific, eerie and eccentric short films from the archives, after the popularity of Volume 1. This carefully-curated 2-disc collection includes a plethora of sought-after titles, many newly remastered in HD for the very first time.

8 NOVEMBER

The punk-fuelled, cult classic Out of the Blue (1980) is released on Blu-ray. Directed by Dennis Hopper and featuring an astonishing performance by Linda Manz, this limited edition 2-disc set includes a 4K restoration of the film and a host of fascinating extras.

22 NOVEMBER

November also sees Mike Leigh’s directorial debut arrive on Blu-ray for the very first time worldwide. A true landmark in the history of British cinema, Bleak Moments (1971) has been newly remastered by the BFI and features sleeve artwork based on the film’s original poster.

Leigh’s 1993 classic Naked  also arrives on BFI Blu-ray. Featuring an explosive, Cannes prize-winning central performance by David Thewlis, this masterful and controversial drama has been newly remastered by the BFI National Archive and is available on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK.

29 NOVEMBER

Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and based on Jean Cocteau’s celebrated novel, Les Enfants Terrible (1950) concludes the November slate. Combining the talents of two of French cinema’s most distinguished filmmakers, this hauntingly atmospheric adaptation is presented in a new 4K restoration.

6 DECEMBER

Following the release last January of the box set Marlene Dietrich at Universal 1940-1942, Marlene Dietrich, John Wayne and Randolph Scott’s dazzling performances in two glittering Universal dramas from the Golden Age of Hollywood – Pittsburgh (1942) and The Spoilers (1942) – become available as standalone Blu-ray releases.

Full details of each of these releases will be posted closer to the individual release dates.