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The curtain has closed on another brilliant London Indian Film Festival! Running over two weeks and four cities – London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds – The Blue Orchid Hotels London Indian Film Festival (Liff) delivered another outstanding slate of films, Q&a sessions, and special in-conversations and panels with actors, directors, and more. It was a record year with huge audiences, and many of the films had sold-out screenings.

Festival Director Cary Rajinder Sawhney MBE says: “We are delighted that the festival’s drive to return fully to cinemas in London, Birmingham, and Manchester has been responded to by record audiences. Certain cinemas, such as the BFI Southbank, described the festival as their best seller over the period. There is clearly an appetite to return to the big screen, especially with a festival cocktail of high-quality premieres with frequent guest appearances. What is notable this year is that comedies such as A Fishy Trip,...

Pan Nalin’s ode to cinema “Last Film Show” (aka “Chhello Show”) earned the audience award at The Blue Orchid Hotels London Indian Film Festival, which took place in London, but also traveled to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds between June 23 and July 8, 2022.

Nalin has previously enjoyed success at the festival with his other award-winning films including “Samsara,” “Valley of the Flowers” and “Angry Indian Goddess.”

In the Satayjit Ray short film category “Jaagran,” co-directed by Ritviq Joshi and Hardik Sadhwani, won the Liff Jury Prize. Jury judges awarded the film for its “engaging, relatable and witty exploration of a serious issue everyone can identify with.” They also said they found it, “socially and politically astute, brilliantly acted and hilariously funny.”

“ ‘Jaagran’ was an over-ambitious 20 page dream that we saw together,” said Joshi and Sadhwani. “Miraculously, we put together an experienced team who believed in the script, helped us learn and turn our dream into reality.