UK Asian Film Festival – the world’s longest-running South Asian film festival outside the Subcontinent, renowned for its bold, thought-provoking programming, has announced the Opening and Closing films and festival theme for its 28th edition. Taking place across venues in London, Leicester, Warwick and Cumbernauld from Friday 1st to Sunday 10th May, UK Asian Film Festival is presented by Tongues on Fire and is supported by the BFI Audience Projects Fund, awarding National Lottery funding. The UK Asian Film Festival is powered by broadcast partner, Lyca Radio.
This year’s programme, “Stories That Bind Us”, explores how connection is forged, tested and reimagined across borders, generations and belief systems. Through bold, socially engaged cinema, the festival brings together political and social ideas with compelling storytelling, inviting audiences to connect, reflect and be entertained.
The Opening Film will be the UK Premiere of Ghost School (Pakistan, 2025; Dir: Seemab Gul; Language: Urdu with English subtitles), taking place at BFI Southbank, London on Friday 1st May. This magical-realist tale follows 10-year-old Rabia in rural Pakistan as she sets out to uncover the mystery behind her village school’s sudden closure, revealing layers of corruption, superstition and the struggle for education through her determined perspective. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director, Seemab Gul, who says about the film, “Being part of the UK Asian Film Festival is truly meaningful to me, as it creates space for urgent, underrepresented stories to be seen and heard. Set against the reality of ‘ghost schools’ in rural Pakistan, the film shines a light on a system that fails its most vulnerable, while holding onto the hope that even the smallest voice can challenge it. I’m honoured to share this story with UKAFF audiences, who continue to champion bold, socially conscious cinema.”
The Closing Film will present the UK Premiere of Shadowbox (India, 2025; Dir’s: Tanushree Das, Saumyananda Sahi; Language: Bengali with English subtitles) on Sunday 10th May at BFI Southbank, London, followed by a Q&A with lead actor, Tillotama Shome. Marking the striking directorial debut of Das and Sahi, this intimate and thought-provoking drama follows a woman as she navigates the complexities of domestic life; her husband’s struggle with PTSD; and the shadow of suspicion surrounding a murder case. Set within working-class India, the film offers a nuanced exploration of mental health, resilience and the quiet tensions that shape family life.
Directors, Das and Sahi say, “We are thrilled to screen our film ‘Shadowbox’ in UKAFF, the longest running South Asian film festival, under the theme of ‘Stories that Bind Us’. While our film is rooted in Barrackpore, a suburban area of Kolkata where Tanushree grew up, we have been overwhelmed by how audiences around the world have responded personally to Maya and Sundar’s story. At a time of war and genocide in the Middle East, we are all feeling the distressing and tragic reverberations. In its own small way, our film talks of the residues of violence and the struggles of a family to heal.”
A Special Screening will showcase the timeless classic Umrao Jaan (India, 1981; Dir: Muzaffar Ali; Language: Hindi with English subtitles), featuring Rekha’s National Award-winning performance as the courtesan-poetess navigating love and loss in 19th-century Lucknow. The film will be presented in its restored 4K version, restored by the NFDC-National Film Archive of India, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience this iconic work with enhanced visual and sound quality on the big screen, followed by a Q&A with director, Muzaffar Ali, on Monday 4th May at BFI IMAX, London.
The UK Asian Film Festival presents a diverse programme of films each year, complemented by a dynamic line-up of lectures, audience workshops, live performances, visual arts exhibitions and masterclasses. The festival also hosts its annual Short Film Competition, celebrating outstanding cinema connected to South Asia while spotlighting the depth and diversity of South Asian arts and culture.
UK Asian Film Festival Founder and Director, Dr Pushpinder Chowdhry MBE, says, “In these uncertain and often divided times, cinema reminds us that storytelling is our common language of connection and hope. With this year’s theme ‘The Stories That Bind Us’, UK Asian Film Festival celebrates narratives that carry the South Asian diaspora’s creativity, resilience, and courage across borders. We have curated films and spaces that are both safe and challenging, where audiences can confront the realities of displacement and injustice while also discovering moments of solidarity and hope. We invite audiences to lean into discomfort, to listen, to be open to changing their minds, and to seek out films from our specially curated programme that will surprise, challenge, entertain – and stay with them long after the credits roll.”
