With My Name is Khan making massive waves at box offices around the world, there’s no better time to celebrate the achievements of Asian cinema. The line-up for this year’s Festival includes members of India’s foremost acting dynasty, Jaya Bachchan – the original first lady of Bollywood – and her son, Abhishek Bachchan, one of India’s leading actors. Jaya Bachchan will be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award, while Abhishek Bachchan will give ‘A BAFTA Interview’ and an Acting Masterclass. Other highlights include ‘A BAFTA Interview’ with internationally renowned director Shyam Benegal and the screening of his critically acclaimed latest film Well Done Abba. Appearances from British-Asian directors and celebrities include Rizwan Ahmed, Shazia Mirza, Hardeep Kohli and Sarmed Mirza, the Glasgow-based film producer who was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA New Talent Award for his debut film An Act of Terror.
The jam-packed film programme includes Shyam Benegal’s latest, Well Done Abba, the award-winning Guru (2007), by Tamil director Mani Ratnam, 2008 Bollywood hit, Dostana and premieres including Lovesongs, directed by Jayabrato Chatterjee and starring Jaya Bachchan, and British Asian Film, Life Goes On, starring mother/daughter duo Sharmila Tagore and Soha Ali Khan, who will flying over to the UK for a Q&A at the screening. Other films include offerings from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and even Afghanistan. There’ll also be a host of industry workshops and masterclasses with world-renowned professionals, VIP guest lecturers and appearances, networking opportunities and a short film competition.
