London Indian Film Festival 2018: All you need to know

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Jun 21, 2018 11:12 AM

The London Indian Film Festival, Europe’s largest platform for Indian and South Asian independent cinema is back for its ninth year.

And this year, it will be holding screenings in the UK capital as well as in Manchester and Birmingham for the first time.

The 2018 London Indian Film Festival will focus on female directors, fathers and sons and the lives of those from the subcontinent as well as celebrating the international actors who star in the movies being showcased.

In addition to being hosted by a number of prestigious film organisations such as the BFI Southbank, the Barbican and Picturehouse, the festival’s annual Satyajit Ray Competition will offer £1,000 to emerging filmmakers and six shortlisted entries will be screened.

The South Asian film festival will open in Leicester Square with the premiere of Love Sonia

London Indian Film Festival

Europe’s biggest South Asian film festival will open in London’s Leicester Square with the world premiere of Love Sonia, the story of two teenagers starring Freida Pinto, Demi Moore, Rajkummar Rao and Richa Chadda.

Other notable screenings will be of Female Eye which focuses on the work of six women directors and the UK premiere of Sangeeta Datta’s Bird of Dusk, Rima Das’s Village Rockstars and Dar Gai’s Teen Aur Aadha.

Alongside the theme of female directors, the festival will also premiere dramas that showcase masculinity and the relationship between fathers and sons in the films In The Shadows and Eaten By Lions.

LIFF will also screen documentaries, drama and shorts about real people and their journeys.

LIFF 2018 dates

The London Indian Film Festival will take place in the UK capital from June 21 to June 29.

In 2018, for the first time, screenings will also be held from June 22 to July 1 in Birmingham and from June 29 to July 1 in Manchester.

The 2018 London Indian Film Festival will conclude with Venus, directed by Eisha Marjara

London Indian Film Festival films 2018

The 2018 LIFF will open with Love Sonia on June 21 showing at the Cineworld in Leicester Square and again two days later at the BFI Southbank. The true story focuses on an Indian village girls who gets trapped in the global sex trade while trying to save her sister, Preeti.

The London Indian Film Festival concludes with Venus, directed by Eisha Marjara and tells the story of a Montreal Punjabi named Sid who has decided to have a sex change and the journey he endures after telling his parents of his choice. This comedy will be showing at the BFI Southbank on June 29.

Bollywood actress Sridevi who passed away this year will also be commemorated with a screening of her iconic film Mr India. Her husband Boney Kapoor was in talks with LIFF for the actress to receive the Icon Award this year.

Sridevi who passed away this year will also be commemorated with a screening of film Mr India

London Indian Film Festival 2018 awards

Every year, the LIFF aims to pay tribute to those in the film industry who present innovative talent and have excelled in their craft with the ICON Award, which was given to Ashutosh Gowariker, who directed the 2001 Oscar-nominated Lagaan, Shahrukh Khan classic Swades and Mughal-inspired epic Jodhaa Akbar.

In addition to this, the Satyajit Ray Short Film Award is given to the best short film category and this year, that includes The Peanut Seller, Maun, The Fish Curry, Circle, Paro, Jaan Jogar and Dreams, all seemingly focusing on the struggles of Indian children and how this affects parents.

These films will be screened at SOAS on June 27 and the winner will be announced on Closing Night. There is also the coveted London Indian Film Festival Audience Award which is voted for by the film-living community throughout the festival period.

Check out the full London Indian Film Festival programme here.

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