1 month ago
EXCLUSIVE: Veteran filmmaker Muzaffar Ali is among nan guests confirmed to be this year’s UK Asian Film Festival, which runs from May 1 to 10 astatine venues crossed nan UK.
The festival’s opening gala will return spot astatine nan BFI Southbank successful London and will characteristic nan English Premiere of Ghost School (2025). The film’s charismatic synopsis reads: Seen done nan eyes of ten-year-old Rabia, Ghost School follows a colony kid trying to make consciousness of rumours, fear, and nan abrupt closure of her school. A Q&A pinch head Seemab Gul will travel nan screening.
The closing movie will beryllium nan UK Premiere of Shadowbox (2025). The film’s synopsis reads: When her hubby is drawn into a execution investigation, Maya struggles to clasp her family together arsenic love, shame, and uncertainty statesman to adjacent in. A Q&A pinch lead character Tillotama Shome will travel nan screening.
Elsewhere, nan show will big a screening of a caller 4K restoration of Muzaffar Ali’s Umrao Jaan (1981). The movie was restored by nan National Film Archive of India. This screening will service arsenic nan film’s European Premiere. The movie traces nan travel of a courtesan and writer successful Lucknow, India. Ali will beryllium for a Q&A pursuing screenings successful London and Leicester.
The festival’s Documentary strand will see screenings of W.R.A.P. – We Really Are Pakistan (2025), Edavela Stillness (2025), Mamun-In Praise Of Shadows (2025), and Friends Of Jilipibala (2025).
The festival’s Closing Gala will besides service arsenic nan yearly UK Asian Film Festival Awards. Muzaffar Ali will person nan Golden Flame Lifetime Achievement Award. The show will besides coming a typical tribute to singer, composer, and filmmaker Zubeen Garg.
Discussing this year’s lineup, UK Asian Film Festival Creative Director Samir Bhamra described nan films arsenic “brilliant, funny and joyous, yet besides daring and profoundly political.”
“They bring astonishing clarity and invention to nan screen, offering caller perspectives connected identity, memory, and belonging,” Bhamra said.
“From friendly family dramas to fearless caller voices successful South Asian cinema, our action captures life successful each its complexity. These films punctual america that storytelling is not conscionable intermezo – it is simply a measurement of seeing each different again. At a infinitesimal erstwhile section is increasing louder crossed our societies, nan show is an invitation to travel together, perceive deeply, and rediscover nan solidarity that will transportation our communities done immoderate lies ahead.”
