UK Asian Film Festival Closing Gala And Awards: “Stories That Bind Us” Resonates with Sold Out Screening and Events

The UK Asian Film Festival closed its 28th edition on Sunday 10th May with a sold-out Closing Gala showcasing Shadowbox directed by Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi at BFI Southbank, London. The festival, organised by Tongues on Fire, brought together filmmakers, artists and audiences from across communities and generations, championing bold, independent South Asian cinema and creative voices from across the globe at a moment when representation and cultural dialogue feel more urgent than ever. The Closing Gala also celebrated the annual Tongues on Fire Flame Awards, recognising artists and storytellers shaping contemporary South Asian cinema worldwide.

This year’s theme, “Stories That Bind Us”, explored how connections are forged, tested and reimagined across borders, bringing together a rich spectrum of political, social and personal narratives. From industry-led conversations and cross-cultural panels to strands spotlighting documentary, LGBTQIA+ voices and British Asian experiences, the festival continues to create space for dialogue, discovery and creative exchange.

Running across London, Leicester, Coventry, Cumbernauld and Newcastle upon Tyne, this year’s edition featured an expansive programme of screenings, talks, live events and industry conversations, drawing packed audiences and welcoming an international line-up of filmmakers and artists. UK Asian Film Festival is supported by the BFI Audience Projects Fund, awarding National Lottery funding; and powered by broadcast partner, Lyca Radio.

Speaking at the Closing Gala, UK Asian Film Festival Founder and Director, Dr Pushpinder Chowdhry MBE, said, “What has moved me most about this year’s festival is not only the power of the stories on screen, but the courage that underpins them. These filmmakers have embraced creative, personal, and often political risk to bring forward voices that are too often overlooked. In works such as Shunya and Never Had a Chance, we encounter bold and nuanced reimaginings of place and identity, films that challenge established perceptions and reflect the complexity and perspective of a younger generation. Equally striking has been the response within the auditorium. Audiences have not simply observed these stories; they have engaged with them, questioning, connecting, and, in many instances, unlearning.”

The Closing Gala featured the UK Premiere of Shadowbox (India, 2025; Dirs: Tanushree Das, Saumyananda Sahi; Language: Bengali with English subtitles), followed by Q&A with lead actor, Tillotama Shome, whose acclaimed performances across films including Qissa, Sir and A Death In The Gunj have established her as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary Indian cinema. Shome later received the Tongues on Fire Flame Award for Best Actor for her performance in Shadowbox, bringing this year’s festival to a powerful close.

Tongues on Fire Flame Awards welcomed leading voices from across film, literature, and music, spotlighting some of the most influential cultural figures shaping South Asian storytelling today. In conversation onstage were legendary filmmaker, Muzaffar Ali, who was honoured with the Tongues on Fire Golden Flame Lifetime Achievement Award for Redefining Cinematic Language in India, celebrating his enduring contribution to cinema; writer, screenwriter and cultural commentator, Farrukh Dhondy, who received the Golden Flame Award for Outstanding Contribution to Diaspora Literature and Film, recognising his decades-long impact on shaping diasporic narratives; and singer, composer, filmmaker and one of Northeast India’s most influential cultural icons, Zubeen Garg, acknowledged for his wide-ranging contribution to music and cinema.

This year’s Opening Gala featured the England Premiere of Ghost School (Pakistan, 2025; Dir: Seemab Gul; Language: Urdu with English subtitles) at BFI Southbank with a Q&A with director, Seemab Gul. Further festival screening highlights included the 4K restoration European Premiere of Umrao Jaan (India, 1981; Dir: Muzaffar Ali; restored by the National Film Archive of India; Language: Urdu with English subtitles) at BFI IMAX, London, introduced by director, Mufazzar Ali.

Dr Pushpinder Chowdhry MBE added, “With Umrao Jaan, we are offered a different, yet equally profound experience, a deeply evocative meditation on longing, identity and resilience, rendered with exceptional grace. The significance of this screening lies not only in the film itself, but in the dedication behind it, from Muzaffar Ali and the original creative team to the meticulous restoration that now reintroduces this work to contemporary audiences. At UKAFF, such a presentation goes beyond celebration. It affirms cinema’s ability to preserve cultural memory, deepen understanding, and resonate across generations.”

UK Asian Film Festival Creative Director, Samir Bhamra, said, “Twenty-eight years ago, Tongues on Fire laid the foundations of the UK Asian Film Festival as an act of faith. It still is. This year’s filmmakers, so many of them British Asian, telling stories from within our own lives, remind us why that faith matters. But let’s be honest: the number of British Asian filmmakers who have the number of British Asian filmmakers who have broken through into the mainstream remains painfully small. Our taxes, our lottery tickets, our decades of contribution fund the institutions that hold the keys to those doors. The imbalance isn’t invisible; it’s a choice. With the 28th edition drawing to a close, we look ahead to our 29th with a simple message: it’s time to cut the crap. We are not asking for a seat at the table. We are saying, we built part of this table.”

Tongues on Fire, Flame Award 2026 Winners’ List:

Best Film: Calorie (Dir: Eisha Marjara)

The 29th edition of the UK Asian Film Festival will present a dynamic, multidisciplinary program spanning cinema, talks, workshops, live performances, visual arts, and masterclasses. Central to its offering will be initiatives such as the annual Short Film Competition and the Emerging Curators Lab, which nurture new voices and support the next generation of filmmakers and cultural programmers connected to South Asia.

Photography Credit: @RaakeshPhoto