Europe’s Largest South Asian Film Event, the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival, now into year seven, returns to London, from 14 – 24 July and we can’t wait! We have a sneak peek into what will be playing at BFI Southbank.
The full line up of the festival, which will be announced in June promises a schedule of some of the most prestigious and audacious new independent films from South Asia, and if the BFI Southbank schedule is anything to go by, this year, the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival will certainly live up to its reputation of showcasing the most cutting edge films from across the Indian subcontinent.
The meticulously curated sessions with BFI Southbank include some spectacular talks by top talent including South Indian and Bollywood superstar Kamal Haasan, who gives a rare Screen Talk, and Director Shekhar Kapur, most famous for his multiple top tier award winning “Elizabeth” films, starring Cate Blanchett, as well as films that cover the linguistic nuances and cultural diversity of the Indian subcontinent.
A special “Women with a Movie Camera” debate supported by Sun Mark Ltd, will bring together some of South Asia’s greatest female filmmakers, including double Oscar®-winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and Leena Yadav, whose critically acclaimed film Parched stole the show at TIFF. Audiences will have the opportunity to listen to trailblazers in their field, and also see their work first hand, with special screenings of their films at the BFI Southbank.
Never a festival to shy away from controversy, Indian sexual diversity is highlighted in the empowering transgender movie I Am Not He… She, about a teenage boy who comes to Bangalore with dreams of becoming a woman. Continuing to build on its reputation as the ‘punk-rock’ of Indian film festivals, the UK cinematic premiere of the irreverent Sundance hit, the Netflix original ‘In-Betweeners’ style, coming of age comedy Brahman Naman screens.
Commenting on the BFI Southbank sessions, director of the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival, Cary Rajinder Sawhney states, “We’re delighted that the festival gets such a great platform at the BFI Southbank, giving the broadest of audiences an opportunity to see world class Indian independent cinema and hear rare talks by top Indian stars and filmmakers in the UK’s cathedral of cinema. This is just a taster of what we have lined up in our seventh year, and we guarantee to not only show you entertaining films, but make you think and maybe even shock you”.
Title Sponsor Alka Bagri of the Bagri Foundation says, “The Indian film industry has a long, rich history, with its own genres, codes and traditions, which we are all too familiar with. Now, we are beginning to expect more. As our society and our worldviews change, we want to hear new stories and new voices. The selection for this year’s festival celebrates such challenging and refreshing visions”.
Here is a list of the BFI Southbank Events & Screenings
Friday 15 July: Brahman Naman (Directed by Qaushiq Mukherjee, 2016)
Saturday 16 July: SPECIAL EVENT: Shekhar Kapur: A Life With Elizabeth / Onstage: Director Shekhar Kapur
Saturday 16 July: SCREENING + Q&A: I Am Not He… She (BS Lingadevaru, 2015) / Onstage: Director BS Lingadevaru
Saturday 17 July: SPECIAL EVENT: Kamal Haasan Screen Talk / Onstage: Actor Kamal Haasan
Sunday 17 July: Women With A Movie Camera: A Life Less Ordinary: South Asian Filmmakers’ Debate
Sunday 17 July: Arshinagar (Mirrorville) (Directed by Aparna Sen, 2015)
Tuesday 19 July: Ramsingh Charlie (Directed by Nitin Kakkar, 2015)
Stay tuned because we will have the full list of exciting films and special events of LIFF 2016!
To find out more check out: www.londonindianfilmfestival.co.uk
