The London Indian Film Festival will open its 16th edition with the U.K. premiere of “Little Jaffna.”
Directed by Lawrence Valin, the film, which he also co-wrote and stars in, explores the Tamil diaspora experience in France through the prism of gang culture in the area of central Paris known informally as Little Jaffna, named after the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is set against the backdrop of the Sri Lankan civil war, which ravaged the island nation from 1983 to 2009. The film has had considerable festival play including at Venice and Toronto.
The festival’s central gala will be the restored version of Peter Brook’s legendary interpretation of Indian epic “The Mahabharata.” The screening at BFI Imax aligns with the 100th birth year of Brook, with expectations that some of the original cast will attend from France.
Director Rima Das returns to the festival with Busan debuting “Village Rockstars 2,” continuing her exploration of rural Indian life through the story of an Assamese teenager who clings to childhood dreams while confronting contemporary challenges facing young people in rural India, from flood threats to family responsibilities.
The program also features Lakshmipriya Devi’s “Boong,” which tells the story of a disobedient schoolboy in Manipur who naively risks his safety crossing into Myanmar to search for his missing father in an attempt to mend his broken family. Set against the Himalayas, Vinod Kapri’s “Pyre” offers a sumptuously photographed narrative about an elderly couple deeply in love but struggling to survive in a changing mountain society.
Beyond film screenings, the festival will celebrate emerging British Asian talent through a new industry event developed in collaboration with RIFCO Theatre. The initiative aims to encourage more U.K. South Asians to enter the film industry while exploring co-production opportunities. This professional component will be accompanied by the festival’s popular program of British-Asian shorts.
The London Indian Film Festival runs July 16-23 at BFI Southbank and BFI Imax. The Birmingham Indian Film Festival runs July 17-23 at the Midlands Arts Centre.
