Fauzia moves to Belgium after marrying a stranger, Ali, over the phone. She is stuck in a house with her mother-in-law, Ruxana, who insidiously keeps her captive and is suspiciously tight-lipped about Ali and his whereabouts. Soon, she finds out that everything she had been told about her husband was a lie and her parents refuse to take her back. Ruxana offers her money and a potential shot at a better future but in exchange, she must keep her head down and play the part. Fauzia is about to give in to despair until a French tutor is hired to teach her the bare minimum.

Set in the newsroom of a failing newspaper in 1990s Pakistan, this story uncovers the cruel reality of child labor and the disparagement of wealth that drives it. With his words, the child activist at the center of the story brought down the country’s carpet industry. As it remains true today worldwide, those wielding the levers of power determine what truth is and who gets justice. This film considers Shahbaz’s transformation during his research as he grows from journalist to advocate.

Aravind, a high school teacher, wants to transition from male to female while working for a school in a small town in South India. When Aravind’s parents force a marriage upon them, they gain courage under pressure and, with the help of their friend Haritha, begin to live as a woman named Bhanu.

In Queering Normativity and South Asian Public Culture – Wrong Readings Only, J. Daniel Luther explores a wide range of issues, from the construct of canon and notions of nation, marriage and home, to woman as a post-colonial subject, same-sex sexuality and identity. Sunny Singh’s A Bollywood State of Mind is a personal, intellectual and emotional journey that crosses five continents and 50 years of modern Indian history and cinema to explore why Bollywood means so much to so many across the globe.

Playwright Tanika Gupta’s taut, absorbing drama, an original screenplay for BBC Screen Two scored by Nitin Sawhney, is set among a South Asian community in the north of England. It details a journey of discovery after a teenager falls passionately in love. In doing so, she challenges the tyranny of her embittered father and the toxic patriarchy of wider society.

Five short films made within 48 hours as part of an emerging filmmakers’ challenge, these dramas focus on themes relating to the environment and climate change. It was organised as part of CMOT (Creative Minds of Tomorrow) by the National Film Development Corporation, in association with Shorts TV.

After an attempted suicide, Saif is forced to move in with his troublesome brother, Ameen. As their opposing views and lifestyles escalate, each brother is finally forced to confront his own individual purpose, and whether he is prepared for the consequences of his actions.‍

An enchanting evening, celebrating the incredible 100-year musical journey of the legendary Mohammad Rafi. Recognised as one of the most revered Indian playback singers, Rafi’s soulful melodies have left an everlasting impact, featuring an exclusive and insightful conversation with Anami Bose and Rizwan Rafi, Mohammad Rafi’s grandson.

A programme of unmissable short films from new and established directors, working across documentary, drama and artists’ experimental work.

Kaju, a 21-year-old Indian American woman, returns to India to visit her family and discover her birthplace, only to stumble upon secrets and lies from her past. A horrifying genocide that took place 20 years ago turns out to hold the key to her mysterious origins. Amu is a 2005 drama film directed by Shonali Bose, about the tragic 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The film is based on Bose's novel of the same name. It stars Konkona Sen Sharma, Brinda Karat, and Ankur Khanna.

The film is about Sanjay, a UK university student decides to go to Washington through a fellowship program to pursue his love of life. A twist in the tale causes him to end up in Hyderabad, India while he teaches football and ends up learning a lot about himself.

Priya, India's first female superhero returns with her magical flying tiger in a series of short, animated films focused on the Covid-19 pandemic to climate change. She was named by UN WOMEN as a “gender equality champion,” and is a survivor of gender-based violence. Using the power of persuasion, she challenges and inspires others to take positive action. The films vary from traditional cartoon animation to puppets to augmented reality.

With a long and illustrious career that spans over 160 films and stretches across independent, parallel and mainstream Hindi cinema as well as international projects, Shabana Azmi’s distinctive body of work has continually shaped, defined and enriched cinema in a uniquely powerful and cogent way.

Set in the 18th century, the film follows mountaineer Abhimanyu who slips from a cliff while leading a tour of the Himalayas of India. Left for dead by the group, he in-fact survives, finding himself in a strange valley where all the inhabitants are blind.

Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das give superb performances as two unhappily married women living in Delhi who fall in love in Deepa Mehta’s powerful melodrama. Radha (Shabana Azmi) is unwavering in her devotion to her husband, Ashok (Kulbushan Kharbanda), despite their passionless arranged marriage. Meanwhile, Ashok’s brother Jatin (Jaaved Jaaferi) has brought home his new wife, Sita (Nandita Das), but is unwilling to give up his relationship with his Chinese girlfriend. Gradually, a slow-burning love blossoms between the two women. Followed by Shabana Azmi in conversation with J. Daniel Luther

Snow Leopard, is set in the vast and stunning Tibetan terrain, and uses the fabled creature to pose and probe the universal question of tradition versus modernity. An unexpected incident causes a snow leopard to break into the sheep pen of a local herder and kill nine rams not only causing a generational row in the family and attracting a TV crew into the village, but also triggering a heated debate on whether to honour or abandon traditional values in modern day Tibet.

Jako, a small-time gambler and Vasu, a petty robber around Goa, cross paths at BlueBird Shack. Jako, looking for his ex-wife Maria owes a huge sum of money to the local Goan Mafia and needs Maria to sign off on their property. Vasu needs money to marry his hooker girlfriend who has served him an ultimatum.

Traditional and strict monk Khenpo Tempa is sent out of the monastery by the Head Lama in order to work with three troubled young people.‍As Tempa gets to know their issues with anger, childhood trauma and lack of courage – he slowly helps them find a purpose in life through mindfulness.

A small-time thief makes the robbery of a lifetime when he accidentally breaks into the house of the newly appointed Police Inspector. And so begins this game of cat and mouse with the Police trying to recover the stolen goods to save the face of their department and the community of thieves uniting to save one of theirs. The chaos and confusion that ensues is - KAMTHAAN.

'How She Moves' Director: Anya Raza & Aisha Linnea Akhtar 'The Dark Side of the Moon' Director: Dr. Sagarika Golder

A satirical comedy on politics and prostitution, helmed by Shyam Benegal and featuring Shabana Azmi in a brilliant ensemble cast. Rukmini Bai runs a brothel that is visited by some of the most prominent men in society. But when one of the prostitutes has an illicit affair, the establishment is put at risk.

A Bengali journalist and a wealthy Punjabi socialite must convince their families of their love in this heartwarming Hindi drama. Flamboyant Punjabi Rocky and intellectual Bengali journalist Rani fall in love despite their differences. After facing family opposition, they decide to live with each other's families for three months before getting married.

UK Asian Film Festival celebrates and honours one of Indian cinema’s most acclaimed and distinguished actresses, Shabana Azmi as she marks 50 years in cinema worldwide!

If Only - Based on true events, Abz and Yasmin are two young people groomed into a life of criminality by two older gang members Ghost and Kaydee. This film follows a chain of unfortunate events and the negative impact it has on young people, their families, loved ones and communities. Man To Man - Malcolm is embarrassed of his son, Dion’s, weakness as a man and drives him down to his old boxing gym to give them a lesson on the tough truth of manhood. But when both men push each other much further than they expect in the ring, their battle of fists turn into a battle of raw, honest words. How can 3 generations of men come to common ground about what it means to truly be a man, in a world that is constantly out to get them?

An immersive documentary love letter to the unique rocky terrain and culture of Hyderabad. Hyderabad is an Indian city with a distinct history, language, culture, cuisine, and physical features. This unique film considers how Hyderabad’s rich regional tapestry is fundamentally tied together by its famous rocks.

Brand Bollywood is the story of the ‘Bollywood-isation’ and globalisation of Indian popular cinema, from 1897 to 2023. In the 1990s, the outrageous, colourful, and musical Bollywood with its umbrella boys and star entourages arrived in iconic locations around the world. More than just new entertainment, Bollywood brought with it tremendous money, and quickly became a darling of the tourism, trade, and educational bodies thanks to the considerable export dollars for Western countries eager to tap into a booming consumer market in India.

The story centres around Fauzia, a newly-wed Indian woman who travels to Belgium following an arranged marriage, only to find herself trapped in a web of lies and misgivings. As she comes to terms with her mother-in-law Rukhsana’s insidious motives, her hopes and dreams are shattered. But aided by her French tutor, Laurie embarks upon a journey of self-discovery. As new friendships are formed and secrets revealed, Fauzia must learn to demand more than the bare minimum from life.

A small-time thief makes the robbery of a lifetime when he accidentally breaks into the house of the newly appointed Police Inspector. And so begins a game of cat and mouse with the police trying to recover the stolen goods to try and save face, while the community of thieves unites to save one of their own! The chaos and confusion that ensues is KAMTHAAN.

Four Desis (South Asians) in London meet over a thoroughly unplanned dinner. “There is a dead body in the trunk”, says Rohit to his guests on arrival. Ira laughs it off; her husband Basuki takes it seriously. The not-so-innocent joke will change their lives that very night! Q&A with: Anshuman Jha, Zoha Rahman, Rasika Dugal, Garrick Hagon, Anubhab

Kuch Sapney Apne is a sensitive heartwarming film about a loving gay couple in Mumbai and their struggles; as well as family members back home in a small town who are faced with new challenges, that forces everyone to redefine their relationships. Join us for a Q&A with director Sridhar Rangayan and producer Pragyesh Kumar Singh.

Both in need of money, small-time gambler Jako and Vasu, a petty thief, cross paths in Goa. When they find out that Jako’s ex-wife Maria is on the run having been accused of stealing 5 million rupees from her cranky old landlady Baby Crasto, the two crooks smell an opportunity to get their hands on Baby’s alleged fortune and decide to register as paying guests at Crasto Villa to try their luck. Darkly comic, with plenty of thrills and suspense, and a wonderful performance from Supriya Pathak Kapur as the unsuspecting Baby.

Khayam Khan’s coming-of-age drama focuses on UK-born childhood friends, Sanjay and Mia, who once dreamt of changing the world. But as graduation nears, Sanjay prioritises prestige over altruism and obtains a prestigious US teaching fellowship. Disappointed with this decision, Mia interferes with his arrangements and Sanjay is angry to find himself coaching football at a struggling school in Hyderabad instead.

Set in Mumbai, this sensitive heart-warming story follows a loving gay couple and their life’s struggles. As family members back in their small home town are faced with new challenges, everyone is forced to redefine their relationships. A sequel to the highly successful award-winning drama, Evening Shadows. Film screening followed by a Q&A with director Sridhar Rangayan.

Set in the newsroom of a failing newspaper in 1990s Pakistan, Gunjal is inspired by the true story of Pakistani child labour activist Iqbal Masih, who led a movement against child labour in 1990s before his tragic murder. The film uncovers the cruel reality of child labour and the disparity of wealth that drives it, whilst also inviting the viewers to a nuanced exploration of not only the investigative process, but also the sociopolitical milieu that shrouded Iqbal’s activism.

Ankur/Seedling is a landmark film that launched both director Shyam Benegal and actor Shabana Azmi on their illustrious and often intertwined cinematic careers representing a new wave movement of arthouse films recognized for their authentic storyline, treatment and sensibility recalling the modest realism of the pioneering Satyajit Ray.

The 2024 UK Asian Film Festival closing gala and awards is a celebration in style with plenty of glitz, glamour, pageantry, and a whole lot of entertainment. Featuring an In Conversation with playback and classical singer, Kavita Krishnamurthy and renowned fashion designer Rina Dhaka, who will show and talk about creating a sustainable fashion culture and supporting traditional craftwork skills.

Four Desis (South Asians) in London meet over a thoroughly unplanned dinner. “There is a dead body in the trunk”, says Rohit to his guests on arrival. Ira laughs it off; her husband Basuki takes it seriously. The not-so-innocent joke will change their lives that very night! A heartfelt homage to Alfred Hitchcock, this suspense thriller is a tale of five immigrant Asians living in the West and their extraordinary lives, all in the course of a dark, funny and revelatory evening when they are forced to confront questions about their identity, colonial past and the promise of equality that life in London offers them.

In this adaptation of AJ Cronin’s The Citadel, we follow a young, idealistic doctor as he moves to a small village with intentions of making a difference. But life soon finds him compromising his values. When a tragedy befalls him and his new bride, the bitterness in the doctor exacerbates his pursuit of wealth and power. But it comes at a price. We are delighted to welcome Vijay Anand’s son to introduce the restored version of this riveting classic. Introduction by Vibhu Vaibhav Anand.