Day 1

26.04.23

Wednesday

Due to Council Policy -

Please check individual screens for age ratings.

>>INFORMATION - Please note that all films being screened have been subtitled in English, even though some of the trailer links below are not.

The red carpet opening of the 5th London Bengali Film Festival, attended by film makers, press and dignitaries will be taking place at the Barbican. Introduction to the festival and a drinks reception with our VIP guests and sponsors who are joining us for the opening film.

For press and other enquires to attend please email contact@lbff.co.uk.

Synopsis: Sultan, the young protagonist of the film, decides to move to the haor to work as a farmhand for a family of an elderly man whose son died last year leaving behind a young girl Ruku, a toddler and the widowed wife. It is paddy harvesting season and there is a race against time before the monsoon rains flood the region.

Dir: Muhammad Abdul Quayum
Cast: Jayita Mahalanobish, Uzzal Kabir Himu, Sumee Islam, Samiya Aktar Bristy, Badal Shahid, Mahmud Alam, Abul Kalam Azad.

Duration: 1hr 56mins
Language: Bengali with English Subtitles

After party to celebrate the launch of the 6th London Bengali Film Festival at a trendy spot in the City.

All welcome, subject to availability, but strongly advise to email us for guestlist priority.

VENUE TBC

Day 2

27.04.23

Thursday

Synopsis: Two government officials are chasing a man accused of instigating a pre-election chaos, only to find out that the culprit in concern is a ghost.

Dir: Amitabha Chaterji
Cast - Loknath Dey, Madhumita Sengupta, Shyamal Chakraborty, and Amrita Mukhopadhyay
Duration: 1hr 20mins
Language: Bengali / English with English subtitles

Programme: Join us as we talk to one of India's notable actors, Naseeruddin Shah. A celebrated actor who has received several awards for his notable performance in many movies. The actor has also been awarded the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan awards for his enormous contributions to Indian cinema.

Interview hosted by Dr Ashvin Immanuel Devasundaram whois the Senior Lecturer in World Cinema at Queen Mary University of London. He is author of India's New Independent Cinema: Rise of the Hybrid (Routledge, 2016) and Indian Cinema Beyond Bollywood: The New Independent Cinema Revolution (Routledge, 2018) - the world's first book and edited anthology on new Indian Indie films. Ashvin is Associate Director of the UK Asian Film Festival – London, is a Jury member for the London Bengali Film Festival (LBFF) and has directed the UK Heritage Lottery-funded documentary Movies, Memories, Magic (2018). His book Indian Indies: A Guide to New Independent Indian Cinema (with a foreword by Shabana Azmi) was published by Routledge in 2022, completing his trilogy on the topic.

Free tickets available, subject to availability, to attend in person at our venue where Naseeruddin Shah wil Join us online!

GET Tickets!

Synopsis: 'Chabiwala' opens with Bhaben, 30s, a benevolent keysmith, offering the key to his heart, 'sohag chabi', to his beloved Fatima, 21, village headman's daughter. Her father sees their secret romance as sheer blasphemy. Not only Bhaben belongs to a different faith, but also is no match in terms of Fatimas' status quo. Hence, down the lane, the dearest gets hitched to someone ticking the boxes, afar in the city, which leaves Bhaben to a seemingly impossible dream to come up to the city making keys and find Fatima in the haystack of concrete.

Dir: Raja Ghosh
Cast: Amrita Chattopadhyay, Rahul Banerjee, Kaushik Kar, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Subhasish Mukharjee.Sankar Debnath, Manosree Biswas.

Duration: 1hr 59mins
Language: Bengali with English Subs

Synopsis: Kunal Joseph Baske – whose father converted to Christianity to access social and educational opportunities for his son – a teacher of science in a Christian missionary school in small town Hillolgunj, is accused of refusing to follow the School’s doctrine to teach the Biblical story of Creation before teaching Darwinian Evolution.

Dir: Saibal Mitra
Cast - Soumitra Chatterjee, Naseeruddin Shah, Partha Pratim Majumdar, Kaushik Sen

Duration: 2hr 23mins
Language: Bengali / English with English subtitles

Day 3

28.04.23

Friday

A special day reserved for our guests, film talent and partners for a day of cultural experiences in London.
Strictly by invitation only

Day 4

29.04.23

Saturday

On This year we have opened our doors to a series of short films and this are all family freindly. Come and watch with the whole family, a back to back series of short films, with lunch which is provided courtesy of PAC. Free to attend. Limited spaces. Subject to availability. Must register and produce ticket. Strict no ticket no entry policy.

ONE TICKET GIVES YOU ACCESS TO ALL THREE SHORT FILMS.

Location for all short films: BLOC @ Queen Mary University

A 45-minute quirky adventure comedy about two kids from the slum who sneak into a posh gated community to steal a jackfruit (the world's largest fruit). But when they go to sneak back out the hole, the jackfruit is too big! Their only hope is to sell the fruit to the eccentric residents while avoiding the bumbling guards. Their journey tests their friendship and their beliefs as they learn meaningful lessons from each encounter. A fun adventure for kids and adults, remencient of Little Prince meets Little Rascals.

Dir: Amit Ashraf
Cast - Ishrak Turjo, Poushal Chowdhury, Somadrita Prohor.
Duration: 45mins
Language: Bengali / English with English subtitles

Asad is a true rebellion poet never ever compromises regarding anything that goes against his ethical values. From the early phase of his life, he started his life with lot of struggles, deprivation and social hatred. But he was quite adamant to change his own life style. Even his girlfriend at the one end of his life rejected him due to his apathy regarding life. Moreover, his beloved family, especially his father denied his company with him to stay at same house. But Asad was care free regarding those charges against him. At one certain point in his life, being oppressed by the so-called consumable society, he felt himself barren and desolated that leads himself to commit suicide optimistically. That certain story turns into another page.

Dir: Bhuiya Redwanur Rahman
Cast - Abu Hurayra Tanvir
Duration: 40mins
Language: Bengali / English with English subtitles

After the Threshold is a commentary on human narratives surrounding mental health. Dr. A,, a well-established psychologist, is being interviewed on mental health issues in times of Covid. The interviewer well versed with the American context discusses the trends in India. In a different location in the same house, Dr A’s associates are waiting for their turn for the interview. In lieu of the imminent interview prep, they talk about their short life histories and journey onto the house of Dr. A.

Dir: Tanni Chaudhuri
Cast - Anangsha Biswas, Rishav Basu, Sankar Debnath, Satakshi Nandy, Riyaan Ghosh, Palash Chaturvedi, Paramita Sen, Aparajita Yolmo.
Duration: 49mins
Language: Bengali with English subtitles

Synopsis: The Terrace is the absolute place in the life of a young schoolteacher Mitra, who sketches & writes with a passion. Mitra is offered to write for a prestigious local magazine for a special edition which is a dream come true for her. Her communication and relationships with the sky, birds, clouds and the neighbours comes to a halt when the common terrace is locked up by the occupants. This further blocks her mind to conclude her story. Life becomes unbearable when Mitra’s school closes for summer vacations and she is confined to the stuffy overbearing house with an uncompassionate husband.

Dir: Indrani Chakrabarti
Cast - Paoli Dam, Arunoday Banerjee 'Rahul', Rajnandini Paul.
Duration: 1hr 38mins
Language: Bengali / English with English subtitles

Day 5

30.04.23

SUNday

Synopsis: One summer in the mountains during his first biking trip with his friends, the cool and casual Sid sees a new side to him when he meets Joon, days before her wedding. Joon tries to ignore this cool guy from the city who is winning her heart without giving her a choice.She gets on with her life as planned, by marrying Jay, the man she was certain about. Sid and his friends return to the city but things won't be the same again. Sid and Joon don’t keep in touch but then her new life crisscrosses with Sid when she is least expecting it under emotionally challenging circumstances.

Dir: Barnali Ray Shukla
Cast - Neha Dinesh Anand, Akshay Sharma,, Rahul Duhan.
Duration: 2hr 6mins
Language: Hindi with English subtitles

Synopsis: A girl child is born into a lower caste family and the priests declare her to be a reincarnation of the Hindu deity,Goddess Lakshmi. Soon, disciples flock to this quiet village to catch a holy glimpse of the Goddess. This film, inspired from a true story, depicts the shackles of human superstition and the power of human belief simultaneously. As it is inherent in the power of cinema to precipitate universal conversations – which is also in the nature of Kaushik Ganguly's cinema to do the same, Lokhhi Chhele is rural story with a global appeal.

Dir: Kaushik Ganguly
Cast: Ujan Ganguly, Purab Seal Acharya, Ritwika Pal, Ambarish Bhattacharya, Uma Banerjee, Pradip Bhattacharya..

Duration: 2hrs
Language: Bengali with English Subtitles

A special party for the whole team, all of our partners, supporters and volunteers...

VENUE TBC