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Opening Film Hridi Huq’s 1971 “SHEI SHOB DIN” UK Premiere of Jaya Ahsan Starrer A TALE OF TWO SISTERS UK Premiere of Revathy & Rituparna Sengupta Starrer GOOD
MORNING SUNSHINE Closing Film Mithun Chakraborty’s KABULIWALA In Conversation with the Commonwealth on YOUTH ON FILM
Partnering with the Commonwealth, the London Bengali Film Festival today announced the full line up of films included in this year’s 7th edition of Europe’s largest Bengali film festival, running April 25 – 28, 2024. The programme includes ten films – five in narrative feature category and five in documentary, in Bengali, English and Hindi languages (with English subtitles) from Bangladesh, India and beyond.
The Festival kicks off with Hridi Haq’s poignant debut feature 1971 Shei Shob Din that delves into the lives of two middle-class families, which become intricately woven with the events of the Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971 followed by a Q&A with the director.
Additional UK Premieres include Jaya Ahsan starrer A Tale of Two Sisters, set against the backdrop of the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh, director Akram Khan’s brilliant cinematic piece explores the diverging paths of two siblings amidst the turmoil of war; Sanjoy Nag’s latest Hindi feature Good Morning Sunshine starring Revathy and Rituparna Sengupta tells a story on how ordinary people create exemplary life changing parables, fighting the scars both within and out; and Subhankar Bhowmik’s biopic on legendary filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak Alakshye Ritwik.
The documentary programme includes the story of New York’s Bengali food culture The Culinary Bridge by Kamrul Khan; two environmental films The Victims of Sundarbans by Dilip Ghosh and Green Oscar winner Calcutta-born nature filmmaker Aswika Kapur’s Catapults to Cameras.
Additional documentaries include Palash Das’s Jugoleshu The Duo which follows a veteran couple who talk about theatre and identity; and documentary filmmaker and Associate Professor of Sociology at Rhode Island College, Tanni Choudhury’s Light Camera Mega! engaging in dialogue with female actors of various backgrounds in the televised soap opera industry of West Bengal in India.
The Festival’s Closing Night Presentation is Mithun Chakraborty starrer Kabuliwala, a film adaptation of the 1892 short story by Rabindranath Tagore. Director Suman Ghosh brings to life the poignant tale of a bond between a peddler from Afghanistan and a young girl in Kolkata.
A live ‘In Conversation’ session (online) with the Commonwealth guests on their Year of Youth mandate hosted by foreign correspondent and writer Shamim Chowdhury.
Mr Munsur Ali, the Founder & CEO of the London Bengali Film Festival is a British- Bangladeshi film maker who has been working in film and media for over 15 years and is currently the Chairman for Culture, Heritage and Libraries at the City of London Corporation.
“Mainstream films have a global audience, but global stories also need to be seen by the mainstream audience. The London Bengali Film Festival does exactly that.” Munsur Ali
Founded in 2016, a non-profit organisation, LBFF is dedicated to promoting and supporting Bengali cinema as a cultural heritage in the UK. The five-day festival is an annual celebration of the work of the Bengali independent filmmakers, with many UK Premieres, held in London theatres with special guests and talks, inviting audiences from all walks of life.
LBFF offers a range of new impactful films to the audience looking for alternative artistic cinema, seeking unique and untold stories or stories re-told from another point of view. Our goal is to get the under-represented Bengali films to the mainstream audience and on to the international platform, while also to bring the rich artistic historical and modern culture of Bengal and Bengali experiences to the big screen. We welcome press and media coverage of the event.
Limited press passes are available, please email us with your interest of which film you wish to view.
PARTNERS/SPONSORS – For more information please visit our website www.lbff.co.uk Email: contact@lbff.co.uk Mobile: 07930600325 (LBFF) Facebook (@londonbengalifilmfestival)
