Tom Cruise Set to Be Honored With BFI Fellowship; U.K. Film Institute's Highest Honor Explained

Tom Cruise will receive the BFI Fellowship, the highest accolade presented by the British Film Institute. Read on to know the details.

Written by Ipshita Chakraborty , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 20, 2025 | 04:49 PM GMT | 4.5K

CC: Getty Images

Hollywood legend Tom Cruise will receive the highly coveted British Film Institute (BFI) Fellowship, positioning him among a rare category of cinematic icons, including Christopher Nolan, Satyajit Ray, Martin Scorsese, Tilda Swinton, Spike Lee, Akira Kurosawa, Ridley Scott, and more.

On Monday, May 12, BFI Chair Jay Hunt will present Cruise with the honor at the BFI Chair's Dinner in London, according to Deadline. In the lead-up to the evening, Cruise will participate in an In Conversation event at BFI Southbank, where he will discuss his remarkable career.

Established in 1933, the BFI Fellowship is awarded to artists in recognition of their outstanding contributions to film or television culture.

Cruise expressed his gratitude for the honor, stating, "I am truly honored by this acknowledgment. I’ve been making films in the UK for over 40 years and have no plans to stop."

The Mission: Impossible star added, "The UK is home to incredibly talented professionals—actors, directors, writers, and crews—as well as some of the most stunning locations in the world. I’m grateful for all the BFI has done to support UK filmmaking and this incredible art form we share."

To mark the occasion, the BFI will present a month-long retrospective showcase of 27 of Cruise's most memorable films at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX. BFI Chair Jay Hunt praised Cruise not only for his work as an actor but also as a producer who consistently chooses the UK as a filmmaking location.

Hunt highlighted Cruise's enormous contributions to the UK film industry, from supporting domestic studios to promoting UK locations on the international stage—creating jobs and inspiring the next generation of filmmakers along the way. Hunt stated that the Top Gun star "supports our studios and puts our locations on a world stage, in the process creating jobs and inspiring the next generation of film talent."

Hunt further added, "[Cruise] is, of course, also simply one of the world’s great actors and a true movie star, delighting audiences as an action hero and romantic lead, and then surprising us with brave, left-field roles where his versatility and talent shine through."

Tom Cruise is currently filming an untitled project produced by Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, in the UK.