The acclaimed Birmingham Indian Film Festival (BIFF) has announced an exciting programme of screenings for this autumn taking place at cinemas across Birmingham and the Black Country.
BIFF is part of the UK and Europe’s largest platform for Indian and South Asian cinema with screenings taking place simultaneously in six cities. The Festival will run in Birmingham and, for the first time in Walsall, from 26 October – 3 November.
This year’s partner venues include MAC at Cannon Hill Park, The Mockingbird Cinema at The Custard Factory, Cineworld Broad Street, BCU STEAMhouse and Eastside Projects and, new to this year’s Festival, Light Cinema, Walsall. Dharmesh Rajput Head of Birmingham Indian Film Festival said: “Midland audiences will be amongst the first to see a variety of the very best in South Asian independent cinema from thrillers, horror, romance, films, panel discussions, Q&As with Directors and cast members, to LGBTQIA+ films, and for the first time, the world of gaming and VR.
“We’re also pleased to be increasing the number of BSL signed Q&As to signal our commitment to extending accessibility.” BIFF will launch with the Midlands premiere of Berlin likely the most cleverly constructed Indian film of 2023 from Indian film director, writer, and producer Atul Sabharwal.
This compelling spy thriller stars Aparshakti Khurana (Jubilee) as a young sign language teacher lured into the dark world of espionage, as he is coerced by undercover security forces to interrogate a young deaf man, powerfully played by Ishwak Singh, (Rocket Boys) who has been accused of spying. Veteran actor Kabir Bedi gives a commanding cameo performance. The post-show Q&A will be BSL signed.
Closing the Festival is the thriller Kennedy from cult director Anurag Kashyap, a regular at BIFF. Kennedy, which opened in Cannes earlier this year, tells the grisly tale of an ex-cop (Rahul Bhat) who is kept on the police payroll as a special services hitman - but as non-criminals become his victims, the police soon realise they have a homicidal maniac on their hands. Sunny Leone also gives a firecracker cameo as a gangster’s moll.
Further Festival highlights include Padatik from the popular Bengali director, Srijit Mukherji. Released this year as part of the late Mrinal Sen’s 100th birthday celebrations, Padatik explores the life of one of India’s greatest directors and is a must for all cinephiles.
