Rentals
Sonic
Personal, powerful and lyrical, this is where music and film collide, a meeting place for rock biopics, probing documentaries, groundbreakers and old stagers.
The hugely popular sonic cinema strand from the BFI London Film Festival and BFI Southbank can now be enjoyed on BFI Player.

Sisters with TransistorsSisters with Transistors
Documentary202086 minsDirector: Lisa Rovner
The remarkable untold story of electronic music’s female pioneers, who embraced machines and their liberating technologies to transform how we produce and listen to music today.

White RiotWhite Riot
Documentary201981 minsDirector: Rubika Shah
Revolution rock! Rubika Shah’s vital documentary profiles punky reggae protest movement Rock Against Racism, from grassroots beginnings through to a major multicultural event.

Poly Styrene: I Am A ClichéPoly Styrene: I Am A Cliché
Documentary202196 minsDirector: Paul Sng
The death of punk icon and X-Ray Spex frontwoman Poly Styrene sends her daughter on a journey through her mother’s archives in this intimate documentary.

Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowanCrock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan
Documentary2020124 mins
Julien Temple’s sometimes celebratory, sometimes sobering profile of The Pogues famed frontman.

Amazing GraceAmazing Grace
Documentary201989 minsDirector: Alan Elliott
Aretha Franklin, at the height of her powers, returns to the music which nurtured her prodigious talent.

Grace Jones: Bloodlight and BamiGrace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami
Documentary2017115 minsDirector: Sophie Fiennes
Grace Jones is laid bare in this intimate and electrifying insight into the fascinating world of a pop-cultural phenomenon.

20 Feet from Stardom20 Feet from Stardom
Documentary201387 minsDirector: Morgan Neville
This moving documentary shines a spotlight on the backing singers behind some of the great musical hits of the 21st century.

Whitney: Can I Be MeWhitney: Can I Be Me
Documentary2017101 minsDirector: Nick Broomfield
Documentary titan Nick Broomfield turns his gaze to the troubled pop star whose sensational voice masked an inner identity crisis.

WhitneyWhitney
Documentary2018120 minsDirector: Kevin Macdonald
Stunning revelations and captivating reminiscences paint a picture of the extraordinary life of singer Whitney Houston, in this in-depth portrait by acclaimed filmmaker Kevin MacDonald (Touching the Void, Marley).

Laurent Garnier: Off the RecordLaurent Garnier: Off the Record
Documentary202193 minsDirector: Gabin Rivoire
Exhilarating documentary exploring the birth and rise of techno music through the eyes of one of its pioneers.

Mystify: Michael HutchenceMystify: Michael Hutchence
Documentary2019102 minsDirector: Richard Lowenstein
Capturing his rise to super-stardom and subsequent tragic fall, Mystify gives remarkable insight into INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence and a truth he took to the grave.

Chi-RaqChi-Raq
Musical2015127 minsDirector: Spike Lee
Spike Lee’s bold and vivacious hip-hop musical restages an ancient Greek battle-of-the-sexes in 21st-century Chicago.

FrankFrank
Comedy201395 minsDirector: Lenny Abrahamson
Michael Fassbender is the man inside the papier-mâché head, in this fictionalised reimagining of the story of northern entertainer Frank Sidebottom.

Some PeopleSome People
Drama196290 minsDirector: Clive Donner
Cult 1960s musical drama about a leather boy who forms a Shadows-style guitar band.

The Stone Roses: Made of StoneThe Stone Roses: Made of Stone
Performance201396 minsDirector: Shane Meadows
Avid Stone Roses fan Shane Meadows records the reunion of the pivotal 1990s rock band, in this heartfelt and inspiring documentary

Pulp: A Film about Life, Death and SupermarketsPulp: A Film about Life, Death and Supermarkets
Documentary201490 minsDirector: Florian Habicht
Jarvis and co’s farewell concert is captured in Florian Habicht’s affectionate and intriguing documentary, which also acts as a profile of Pulp’s home city of Sheffield and its residents.

We Are the Best!We Are the Best!
Drama201398 minsDirector: Lukas Moodysson
A raucous coming-of-age comedy about three schoolgirls who form a punk band in 1982 Stockholm, from director Lukas Moodysson (Show Me Love).

The Possibilities Are EndlessThe Possibilities Are Endless
Documentary201483 minsDirector: Edward Lovelace
A moving and haunting account of singer Edwyn Collins’s long and difficult recovery from a stroke.

Song of GraniteSong of Granite
Biopic201797 minsDirector: Pat Collins
A formally audacious account of the life and times of traditional Irish folk singer Joe Heaney, combining ‘fictional’ drama, documentary footage and musical sequence

The Big MeltThe Big Melt
Documentary201371 minsDirector: Martin Wallace
Jarvis Cocker and acclaimed director Martin Wallace's feature-length elegy to the men and women who toiled in Sheffield's steelworks is a hymn to Britain's proud industrial past.

Sing StreetSing Street
Drama2015106 minsDirector: John Carney
The third in John Carney’s trilogy of musical films is the utterly charming story a boy who escapes his troubles through fronting a pop band.

Only Lovers Left AliveOnly Lovers Left Alive
Romance2013123 minsDirector: Jim Jarmusch
Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton star as ageless, blood-drinking lovers in Jim Jarmusch’s clever, funny and sexy vampire tale.

BabymotherBabymother
Musical199877 minsDirector: Julian Henriques
Neeta and her crew rise to dancehall fame in North West London's Caribbean community, in the first Black British musical.

Searching for Sugar ManSearching for Sugar Man
Documentary201286 minsDirector: Malik Bendjelloul
The BAFTA and Oscar-winning documentary sensation uncovers the mystery behind Sixto Rodriguez, a forgotten musical hero of apartheid-era South Africa.

Bros: After the Screaming StopsBros: After the Screaming Stops
Documentary201897 minsDirector: David Soutar
Matt and Luke Goss take on the big screen – and each other – in this candid documentary charting the reunion of 80s pop sensations Bros; an affectionate portrait that generates more than a touch of Spinal Tap-esque hilarity.

On the RecordOn the Record
Documentary202097 minsDirector: Kirby Dick
A searing exploration of the costs of coming forward, turning up the volume on one of the biggest #MeToo stories in the music industry.

I've Gotta HorseI've Gotta Horse
Musical196592 minsDirector: Kenneth Hume
Great British rock and roller Billy Fury buys himself a racehorse in this colourful musical for all the family.

The Music MachineThe Music Machine
Drama197990 minsDirector: Ian Sharp
Get Saturday night fever - North London style - with Patti Boulaye and Gerry Sundquist in this bubbly British disco drama.

The Man from Mo'WaxThe Man from Mo'Wax
Documentary2017116 minsDirector: Matthew Jones
The exhilarating, no holds-barred story of Mo'Wax records founder James Lavelle, one of the most enigmatic yet influential figures in British music culture.

Ryuichi Sakamoto: CodaRyuichi Sakamoto: Coda
Documentary2017101 minsDirector: Stephen Schible
A graceful, intimate study of the legendary Japanese musician, composer, actor, writer and activist.

Midnight BreaksMidnight Breaks
1988113 minsDirector: Laurens C. Postma
Big Audio Dynamite’s Don Letts made his acting debut in this gripping, gritty 1990 drama of dreads, drugs, and music business corruption.

Oh Boy!Oh Boy!
195925 minsDirector: Rita Gillespie
Rock ‘n’ roll fuels Jack Good’s groundbreaking music TV show, with songs by Billy Fury, Cliff Richard and Marty Wilde.

Jimi All Is by My SideJimi All Is by My Side
Biopic2013118 minsDirector: John Ridley
OutKast’s André Benjamin stars as Jimi Hendrix on the cusp of greatness, honing his act in Swinging London, in this revealing and alternative take on the rock biopic.

VS.VS.
Drama201899 minsDirector: Ed Lilly
A foster teen channels his rage into rap in Ed Lilly’s urgent freestyling drama.

Expresso BongoExpresso Bongo
Drama1960111 minsDirector: Val Guest
Val Guest's 1959 London-shot Brit Beat classic charts the fortunes of aspiring musician Bert Rudge (Cliff Richard)

Cleo and JohnCleo and John
198255 minsDirector: Vernon Lawrence
Cleo Laine and Johnny Dankworth cook up red hot jazz together live on stage, chat about married life together, and recall lengthy musical careers.

On the RoadOn the Road
Drama-documentary2016121 minsDirector: Michael Winterbottom
Michael Winterbottom’s sexy and idiosyncratic tour film follows 2018 Mercury Prize winners Wolf Alice, merging thrilling live footage with a fictional backstage romance.