Tongues on Fire Screenings and Events

22 February 08

As part of the tenth annual Asian Women Film Festival, Tongues on Fire, the Academy is hosted three special screenings and events exploring the cinematic cultures of South Asia.

Screening: Hope and a Little Sugar

Hope And A Little Sugar Followed by a Q&A with Director Tanuja Chandra and actress Mahima Chaudhry.

Set in New York City in the weeks before and after 9/11 love blossoms between a Muslim photographer and a young Sikh widow against the forces of hate and intolerance.

Screening: The World Unseen

World Unseen Followed by a Q&A with writer/director Shamim Sharif and producer Hanan Kattan.

Against the backdrop of apartheid South Africa, a meeting between two women meet turns their worlds upside down.

In conversation with Meera Syal MBE

Meera Syal The event will celebrate the work and achievements of BAFTA Award nominated actress, writer and comedienne Meera Syal whose contribution to British television film and theatre has undeniably changed perspectives of British Asian communities.

Watch the webcast of the event

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Tongues on Fire Film Festival and its third year partnering with the BAFTA on a series of screenings and events. To mark this important landmark, BAFTA is hosting three events at it’s headquarters at 195 Piccadilly in London.

These film screenings and events in association with BAFTA are part of the wider Tongues on Fire activities, which has developed links with a number of cinema, schools, arts and community organisation around London to develop new audiences for this work.

Tongues on Fire

Tongues on Fire 2 Tongues on Fire is a film festival dedicated to expressing the drive and spirit of the cinematic culture of South Asia and Diaspora. The festival provides a unique international platform to discover new filmmaking talent and celebrate pioneers.

Founding Artistic Directors, Pushpinder Chowdhry and Harvinder Nath began the Festival in 1999 with the aim of using film as a way of empowering women, particularly those in communities who seldom visit cinemas. The majority of the films selected are independent productions rather than more popular 'Bollywood' films.

Tongues on Fire recognises the impact of the issues conveyed in many of the films screened make on women (and men), dealing with important political and social messages.

Over the years, Tongues on Fire has celebrated work of recognised global talents. Special guests have included Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, Karma Sutra, Mississippi Masala, Vanity Fair), Gurinder Chadha (What's Cooking,Bend It Like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice), Aparna Sen (15 park Avenue, Mr and Mrs Iyer) and actors Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das, Madhur Jaffrey and Kiron Kher. The 2008 Festival opens at 195 Piccadilly (Saturday 08 March)with Hope and A Little Sugar followed by a Q&A with director Tanuja Chandra and actress Mahima Chaudhry. This is one of three events that Tongues on Fire will be holding is association with BAFTA.

The Festival coincides with the Capital Women Conference, the Mayor for this London's largest event devoted to the promotion of women's issues.