RETURNS FOR SECOND YEAR WITH A LARGER

MORE SPECTACULAR PROGRAMME OF

INDEPENDENT FILMS FROM THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT

Following its inaugural opening in 2021 the Manchester Indian Film Festival (MIFF) returns for a second year with a larger, more spectacular programme of independent films from the Indian subcontinent.

Supported by title sponsor Blue Orchid Hotels, Integrity International, the BFI (awarding National Lottery funding) and Arts Council England, this year’s MIFF runs across 12 days from 25 June – 6 July screening at HOME, in association with Not Just Bollywood, EVERYMAN, Ducie Street Warehouse, Manchester Poetry Library and The Carlton Club.

The Manchester Indian Film Festival is part of London Indian Film Festival and Birmingham Indian Film Festival and together it is the UK and Europe’s largest platform of South Asian independent films (Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Sri Lankan).

To kick start the festival film fans are invited to join MIFF at a special launch party at The Carlton Club supported by Manchester Indian Partnership.  The event will see the screening of British Asian short Yaha Waha a 30-minute documentary by Manchester born director and street photographer Sarah Li focusing on two artists from different sides of London and asks “what is it to be a second or third generation British Asian in 2020’s?”  Tickets are FREE and can be booked via www.manchesterindianfilmfestival.co.uk

Supported by Manchester Mega Mela the official festival opening night sees the city’s premiere of Little English starring Ameet Channa of Bend It Like Beckham fame.  A laugh out-loud story of a dysfunctional Punjabi family the evening marks Pravesh Kumar’s debut feature and will also include a special Q&A.

Poetry on Screen features AT HOME – IN THE UK – ALHUMDULLILLAH based on real stories shared with Manchester City Poet and resident Anjum Malik.  This film is a privileged and intimate look into daily lives of Balqis Faroukh, Ayat Abo Al Jawz and Hayat Abouday as they dealt with the Lockdown and Ramadan together with their families. Anjum Malik will also be facilitating poetry workshops at Deeplish Community Centre and the final works by women from Rochdale will be presented at selected film screenings.

Further Festival highlights include themed strands covering cinema-based and online movies starting with the ‘Young Rebels’ strand with UK premieres of talented emerging film makers,  showing South Asian young people’s real-life challenges and experiences; including  Pakistani UK comedy Americanish.

The ‘Extra-Ordinary Lives’ strand includes immigration film No Land’s Man, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and a phenomenal documentary touching on partition, Taangh.   

In the ‘Women Make Movies’ strand the festival is delighted to screen Rebana Liz John’s  documentary Ladies Only which explores feminist themes through observing the

female only compartments of Mumbai’s hectic trains. Lookout for a special women only screening and a 30th anniversary restoration version of Mississippi Masala starring Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury.

The festival’s hit programme Too Desi Too Queer returns to HOME exploring the lives,

experiences and well-being of South Asian LGBTQIA+ communities in the Subcontinent and diaspora, through a dynamic and thought-provoking selection of recent short films. A panel discussion will take place after the films attended by two local residents.

The festival is delighted to be the first to pioneer an ecology strand ‘Save The Planet’ with Moving Upstream:  Ganga and Chasing Sustainability: Tales from South Asia  which will both be available on the festival’s online platform www.loveliffathome.com

Audiences can also  catch the festivals popular Satyajit Ray Short Film Competition, a rare chance to see the works of talented and emerging filmmakers who are exploring themes of South Asian experience.

Closing this year’s festival is the super-feel good, Canadian basketball film Super-Fan: The Nav Bhatia Story. This unique and uplifting documentary focuses on the life of the Toronto Raptors biggest fan and the massive impact he has had on the city’s basketball community. This screening is supported by Manchester Giants who will host a Q&A with Nav Batia and Producer Rinku Ghei after the screening.   Nick Nurse the Toronto Raptors current coach was the Manchester Giants Coach between 1998 – 2000.

For further information, tickets and full festival programme go to: www.manchesterindianfilmfestival.co.uk