Listen... Amaya (2013)Women in film is the focus of this year’s London Asian Film Festival, an annual celebration of the best of cinema from Bollywood and beyond. Now in its 15th year, the festival begins with a gala screening of Listen…Amaya, a new drama about a free-spirited widow who runs a library-cum-coffee shop from her garden. Hosted at BFI Southbank, this opening gala will welcome director Avinash Kumar, producer Geeta Singh and the lead actors for a post-screening Q&A.
The festival plays out across the city, with screenings taking place at BFI Southbank, SOAS (University College London’s School of African and Oriental Studies), the Harrow Arts Centre, The Nehru Centre and The May Fair Hotel. Highlights include the UK premiere of Seedlings (Lamha), heading a strong selection of Pakistani films this year; a special screening of Barfi!, one of the highest grossing films of 2012; and the award-winning documentary Saving Face, about a plastic surgeon’s work with victims of acid violence – followed by a panel discussion with the man himself, Dr Mohammad Jawad.
For full details of the programme see the London Asian Film Festival website.
