The 22nd, annual UK Asian Film Festival presented the Tongues on Fire Flame Awards at the Closing Gala ceremony on 15 May at BFI Southbank. The presentation, hosted by actors, Nisha Aaliya and Yanick Ghanty, was followed the UK Premiere of Gangnam Girls. Representing the film at the Closing Gala were director, Charmi Nemchand Chheda, and producer, Nyema Zam. Additional guests in attendance included actors, Hina Khan, Lillete Dubey, Shaheen Khan, Yasir Hussain, Sudha Bhuchar, Himanshi Choudhry, Beo Raana Zafar, Harv Nagra and Vishnu Krishnan; supermodel and actress, Elena Fernandes; and music artists, Talvin Singh OBE and Abbas Hasan.
The ‘Dare to Dream’ theme of this year’s festival commemorated 75 years of India and Pakistan’s Independence. The curation acknowledged personal and societal freedoms as well as address topical issues such as climate change and human resilience in the face of oppression through the festival programme.
Tongues on Fire Flame Award-winners:
- Best Film Curator’s Choice: Gandhi & Co
- Best Short Film: February 1st
- Best Actor: Yasir Hussain
- Celebrating Dare to Dream Theme: Adieu Godard
- Best Original Screenplay: Adh Chanani Raat
- Best Documentary: Kekee Manzil: House of Art
- Best Music Score: Talvin Singh
- Best Director: Abu Aleeha
- Best Debut Feature Film: Gangnam Girls
- Best Film: Dostojee, Two Friends
- Trail Blazer: Hina Khan
- Rising Star Award: Nisha Aaliya
- Best Animated Film: Priya and The Twirling Wind
- Championing Change: Emergence – Out of Shadows
- Silver Flame Award – Contribution to Film & Television: Shaheen Khan
- Golden Flame Award – Contribution to Film and Theatre: Lillete Dubey
The 22nd edition ran in venues across London, Birmingham, Leicester, Coventry, Warwick, Bradford, Stockton and Glasgow; and online via BFI Player and Modern Films.
UKAFF was supported by the BFI awarding funds from the National Lottery and Arts Council England using funds from the National Lottery and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). #HereforCulture.
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