9ᵗʰ London Bengali Film Festival
22ⁿᵈ-26ᵗʰ April 2026
LBFF 2026 OFFICIAL TRAILER
Founded in 2016, LBFF is a non-profit organisation committed to promoting and supporting Bengali cinema from Bangladesh, India, and global South Asian diasporic communities as a vital cultural heritage within the United Kingdom. As the largest Bengali film event in the UK and Europe, the Festival, spanning five days across London, seeks to provide a prominent platform for Bengali-linked films to reach both the UK mainstream audience and the substantial Bengali community of over half a million individuals.
The 9th edition, taking place from 22–26 April 2026 across Genesis Cinema, BLOC Cinema at Queen Mary University, and Metro Cinema in Harrow. This year’s festival embraces the theme “Identity Through a New Lens”, presenting a powerful selection of films that interrogate belonging, memory, gender, migration, and the shifting landscapes of South Asian identity.
Festival At A Glance
5 days · 12 films · Genesis Cinema, BLOC Cinema at Queen Mary University & Metro Cinema, London
Day 1 Wednesday, 22nd — Opening Night Pressure Cooker ★
8:00 pm: Pressure Cooker (Closing Film)★ Dir. Raihan Rafi · Bangladesh, 2h 33m, Bengali (Lang), UK Premiere
Day 2 Thursday, 23rd, Chittrangada (Queer Shorts Section), Bloc Cinemas, Queen Mary University
Chittrangada
The crowning wish of the soul: A journey through the spectrum of identity and the courage to be true, BLOC Cinema at Queen Mary University. Two dedicated Queer Shorts with contextual commentary by Dr. Rohit K. Dasgupta (LSE).
2:00 pm: Jasmine That Blooms in Autumn, Dir. Chandradeep Das · India, 14:44 mins, Bengali & Hindi (with English subtitles)
2:45 pm: Crossing the Desert, Dir Reena Dutt, USA, 12:50 mins, English
3:00 pm: Nirvana, Dir. Asif Islam · Bangladesh, 1h 22m, Bengali (silent), UK Premiere
5:00 pm: Pinjar (The Cage), Dir. Rudrajit Roy · India, 2h 17m, Bengali, UK Premiere
Day 3 Friday, 24th, BLOC Cinema at Queen Mary University.
12:00 pm: Silence of the Womb, Dir. Soumodeep Ghosh Chowdhury · India, 1h 43m, Bengali, UK Premiere · + Speaker event
3:00 pm: The Exile, Dir. Samman Roy · India, 1h 22m, Bengali, UK Premiere
Day 4 Saturday, 25th, Sreemanti, BLOC Cinema at Queen Mary University.
Sreemati
Honouring the legacy of Kanan Devi and her Sreemati Pictures: A tribute to the first lady of Bengali cinema who empowered women to own their own stories. Two combined films and a feature. BLOC Cinema at Queen Mary University.
12:00 pm: 7th Cycle, Dir Hanna Wahab, 10:34, UK, Short · Director Intro and Q&A
12:11 pm: What Will People Say?, Dir. Rafina Khatun · India / UK, 51 min, Gujarati / Bengali, UK Premiere · Doc + Short · Director Q&A
2:45 pm: Sultana's Dream, Dir. Isabel Herguera · Spain / Germany, 1h 26m, Bengali / Spanish
5:00 pm: Utshob (Festival), Dir. Tanim Noor · Bangladesh, 1h 50m, Bengali
Day 5 Sunday, 26th — Closing Day, BLOC Cinema at Queen Mary University.
11:00 am: London Boys, Dir. Arun Nangla & Laura Pavone · UK, 1h 22m, English, Documentary · Directors Intro and Q&A,
3:00 pm: Devi Chowdhurani (Closing Film)★ Dir. Subhrajit Mitra · India / UK, 2h 14m, Bengali, London Premiere