The 15th anniversary edition of the London Indian Film Festival will open on June 26 with the European Premiere of U.S. indie, tear-jerker drama “Paper Flowers,” directed by Mahesh Pailoor (“Brahmin Bulls”), starring “Deadpool’s” Karan Soni. It will close on July 3 with a screening of ultra-violent Indian actioner “Kill,” which is produced by Karan Johar and Guneet Monga and which represents Lionsgate’s first foray into South Asian film production.

In between, the festival will operate across five additional cities (Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford and Liverpool) and thematically extend itself across feature film, TV series, short films, XR and gaming.

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“It’s been an incredible journey marking 15 years this year and we are delighted to expand into new U.K. cities, welcoming Bradford and Liverpool into our 6-city reach. It’s also personally exciting to have such a talented team and innovative partners, as we push ahead to explore new frontiers of South Asian gaming and XR scenes and continue our mission to showcase and celebrate emerging and established filmmakers, diversifying our offer to U.K. audiences,” said CEO and programming director Cary Rajinder Sawhney.

The features programme incudes “Ennennum,” a Kerala-based relationship drama, dressed as a compelling sci-fi tale; Kannada-language award winner “Mithya” and Gujarati-language “Shunya,” both coming-of-age stories following child protagonists as they navigate a rapidly changing society. The program also includes the world premiere of U.K. produced rom-com “Before Nikkah,” inspired by Richard Linklater’s “Before Sunrise.”

The documentary section contains diverse South Asian stories. “Parama: A Journey with Aparna Sen” charts the trials and achievements of India’s greatest female filmmaker, Aparna Sen, while the festival also offers a retrospective of her six-decade long filmmaking career. Another documentary highlight is U.K.-India co-production “Tight: The World of Indian Bodybuilding.”

This year’s LIFF will play the first three episodes of Canadian series “Late Bloomer,” a comedy created by and starring social media star Jus Reign, which follows the adventures of a young Sikh millennial struggling to navigate the complexities of Eastern roots with Western ideals.

On the feminist front, the festival has programmed Marathi-language film “Sthal,” which won one of the top awards at the Toronto festival and follows a young woman’s quest for education and empowerment. Pakistani-American woman director Iram Parveen-Bilal’s “Wakhri” is inspired by real-life figures like Qandeel Baloch, Pakistan’s first social media celebrity who was murdered by her own family. It depicts a teacher, mother and social media star grappling with the challenges of trying to raise a son in a patriarchal world.

The festival has multiple short film strands. These included LGBTQIA+ film showcase, Too Desi Too Queer; the internationally programmed Satyajit Ray Short Film Competition; and the New Brit-Asian Shorts section. The Satyajit Ray competition includes five films jostling for a $1,250 (£1,000) cash prize from Civic Studios. Previous winners include Saim Sadiq, director of “Joyland,” and Shubhashish Bhutiani, director of “Hotel Salvation.”

Taking the show on the road, the festival will be holding its South Asian XR Showcase, curated by Taran Singh at the partner event, Birmingham Indian Film Festival, held at Birmingham Open Media.

The second year of the South Asian Gaming Zone in Liverpool, curated by Simran Whitman and in partnership with Tulsea, sees the festival renew its partnership with FORMAT GG.

The Manchester IFF explores how South Asians have shaped British music, showcasing stories of boundary-breakers and cultural pioneers, and fostering greater representation in British music through the lens of film.

There will also be a partnership with a major business forum, India Week, where policy and business leaders discuss India’s place in the U.K. and the world. The new event is titled The Film Conclave: Discussing the Business of Entertainment.

The festival is supported by BFI, awarding National Lottery funding, and major partner The Bagri Foundation.

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