I am so envious of you guys who got to go see it tonight. 👍

^ from https://x.com/BFI/status/1933163666624356364

‘It was simply mind-blowing’: readers remember seeing Star Wars for the first time - a pre-BFI screening article at The Guardian.

As the original 1977 theatrical version screens in London this week, fans recall being ‘blown away’ by their first impressions of the mesmerising space opera

A few snippets from online from tonight’s showings…

• ‘Star Wars fans, Kathleen Kennedy wants to assure you the BFI screening of the original cut is not illegal’ - x.com/JacobStolworthy/status/1933241261718184413 (with 90 second video clip; plus George’s ‘tinkering over the years’)

• ‘Here’s Kathleen Kennedy doing a surprise intro at the @BFI earlier, ahead of the #FilmOnFilm opening night screening of ‘Star Wars’, on a rare, original 1977 35MM IB Technicolor dye-transfer print (which was unsurprisingly awesome). 😊’ - x.com/blackdieseluk/status/1933239994027778417

• ‘There’s two very rare screenings today of #starwars 1977 @bfilff Here’s some of the merch on sale. 📸 #fanthatracker @markbass_81 . A couple of Fanthas were lucky enough to get tickets.!!’ - x.com/FanthaTracks/status/1933201970132570420

• ‘Thanks to @BFI for giving us the opportunity to watch the 1977 print of Star Wars. Such was the rarity of this, the president of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy was at hand to intro it. Took my 12 yr old son who saw it for the first time and loved it! A brilliant screening!’ - x.com/maljutley/status/1933262082096480504

• ‘A massive thanks to @BFI for the incredible screening of the 1977 theatrical version of Star Wars as part of their BFI on Film, Film Festival (12th-15th June). The atmosphere was electric on the South Bank!!! #BFIOnFilm #BFI #StarWars’ - x.com/Kidzcoolit/status/1933490461953466648

• ‘Had a great day yesterday at @BFI. Firstly, I was part of an expert panel called the “Star Wars Influence”. Then I got to see an original dye transfer print of Star wars on 35mm (pre a New Hope). Then got to rub shoulders with people across the film industry at the after party.’ - x.com/jamieswb/status/1933428377408458944 (Jambe Davdar)

• ‘Information I’ve just had from a friend whose @BFI already this morning. If you are thinking of trying to get a standby ticket from Star Wars tonight - Get in the queue now! He was there at 7.30 am and he was already 5th.’ - x.com/Scare158Steve/status/1933058035108491731

• 'Tonight, thanks to the @britishfilminstitute’s ‘FILM ON FILM’ season, a packed NFT1 was treated to a glorious original 1977 dye transfer IB Technicolor British release print of ‘Star Wars’. Yes, the original version before it was ever retitled ‘Episode IV: A New Hope’.

I was lucky enough to see the original release back when I was 3. Indeed, it was my first cinema trip. Tonight’s screening was a glorious jump back in time to when this space opera was just one stand-alone film, and it was magical to witness the groundbreaking effects of the time, the sheer ambition of it all. And yes, there was a huge round of applause when Han shot Greedo first.

The 2nd BFI Film On Film festival is on all weekend and there are so many treasures playing, so do check it out if you can.’ - https://www.instagram.com/p/DK0QQjvIZ2B/ (Edgar Wright)

^ Please add your own experiences if you went - as well as any quality articles you see online etc.

Some online articles…

• ‘Star Wars’ Boss Says It’s ‘Remarkable’ the ‘First Print’ of George Lucas’ 1977 Original Was Found and Screened After Decades; Discovery Called a ‘Miracle’ - Variety

• ORIGINAL, UNALTERED STAR WARS (HATED BY GEORGE LUCAS) GOT FIRST THEATRICAL SCREENING IN 47 YEARS - Nerdist

• The “first print” of Star Wars just screened for the first time in decades: “There’s so much tinkering that’s gone on over the years […] and then everybody kind of lost track of what it was” - Total Film / GamesRadar

• “Star Wars” First Print Screened In London - Dark Horizons

• Original, Unedited Star Wars “First Print” Screens For The First Time In Decades, Introduced By Kathleen Kennedy - ScreenRant

• Star Wars boss calms fan concern as original cut disliked by George Lucas is screened - The Independent

• Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy Introduces BFI Screening Of Rare 1977 Star Wars Film Print - Forbes

• Ultra-Rare ‘Star Wars’ Print Screened For the First Time in Decades - Parade (no, not that one!)

• We May Be a Step Closer to Seeing the Original ‘Star Wars’ Again - Gizmodo

• Kathleen Kennedy Calls Discovery of Original ‘Star Wars’ Cut a “Miracle” - Collider

• Kathleen Kennedy Showed Up to the Rarest ‘Star Wars’ Screening To Prove It “Wasn’t Illegal” - MovieWeb

• Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy Assures Fans That Screening of Original Cut of 1977’s Star Wars Isn’t ‘Illegal’ - IGN

• It’s not illegal: Star Wars boss ends fear over BFI screening rare version of film - MSN

• Inside the Archive: Star Wars in Technicolor - blu-ray dot com

Kathleen Kennedy introduces a screening of the original 1977 print of Star Wars | BFI

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLtfTrI8qRo - a 7 minute video from the BFI youtube channel.

The blurb: 'LucasFilm President Kathleen Kennedy visits BFI Southbank to introduce a screening of George Lucas’ galaxy-shaking space fantasy, from a glorious original 1977 dye transfer IB Technicolor British release print.

A long time ago, before it conquered the galaxy, captivated countless imaginations and forever shifted popular culture, George Lucas’ phenomenon began life as the magical tale of a young Jedi named Luke Skywalker, who joins with a pair of droids, a pilot, a Wookiee and an elder Jedi to rescue Princess Leia and help defeat Darth Vader and the dark side of the Force. In these very special screenings, we present the film exactly as experienced by audiences on its original 1977 release.

Screening from one of the precious handful of dye transfer IB Technicolor prints produced uniquely for the first British release, and preserved in the BFI National Archive, this has some of the wear that comes with an archive print, but its colour is gloriously unfaded. Truly unmissable.

This screening is part of the BFI’s 2025 Film on Film festival: https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=foff25 ’

Did anyone attend the other Star Wars offerings from the BFI earlier today - what were they like?

Hopefully we’ll see some more videos or articles on the screenings (and the other SW events) from the BFI themselves, too. 👍