World Premiere
‍Temple‍

Director: Nick Virk
Cast: Gavi Singh Chera & Kush Khanna
United Kingdom 2021, English, 18mins

Two queer South Asian friends find sanctuary from the prejudice of British society.

Rehal’s love for Arul is unreciprocated, but Arul believes they can still be friends. One morning over breakfast, the two discuss finding acceptance as brown queer Londoners. They share a cultural understanding of being ostracised by the white heteronormativity of British society, and yet the fundamental differences between them threaten to destroy their friendship.

Q&A with director

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UK Premiere
The Square Circle

Director: Usha Sharma
Cast: Ayushi Jain, Subhash Goswami & Ruchika Jain
United Kingdom 2021, Urdu with English subtitles, 30mins

A British Muslim girl faces the choice of a heterosexual marriage or conversion therapy.

After Alisha is pictured kissing her girlfriend, her family are ashamed of her lesbian identity. Alisha is kept in isolation and punished for disgracing the family honour. Her father gives her a choice. She can either marry her first cousin and move to Pakistan, or attend a retreat in Pakistan where a holy man will exorcise the demon that lives within her. Alisha wonders if she really has a choice when both fates lead to an unhappy life.
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Q&A with director and crew