UK Asian Film Festival closes 27th edition with awards ceremony in London
The UK Asian Film Festival concluded its 27th edition on Sunday 11th May with a Closing Gala and the Tongues on Fire Flame Awards at Riverside Studios in London.
The event marked the end of the annual festival, which focuses on South Asian cinema and regularly highlights themes related to gender representation in film.
This year’s awards recognised several contributors to the film and media industry. Music producer Biddu received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Music, while director Sandhya Suri was honoured for her work’s international reach. Onir was named Best Director for We Are Faheem and Karun. Other recipients included writer Shobhaa De and filmmaker Yavar Abbas, both of whom were recognised for their long-standing work in cinema and media. Producer Bobby Bedi was also acknowledged, with his documentary on Raj Kapoor screened at the gala. A discussion with composer duo Vishal & Sheykhar also took place, focusing on their career and upcoming stage production.
Full award-winners’ list:
Tongues on Fire, Golden Flame Lifetime Achievement Award 2025 for Music: Biddu
Tongues on Fire, Golden Flame Award 2025 for Excellence in Cinema & Cultural Journalism: Shobhaa De
Tongues on Fire, Golden Flame Award 2025 for Outstanding Achievement in Film and Television: Yavar Abbas
Tongues on Fire, Golden Flame Award 2025 for Producing Powerful Narratives: Bobby Bedi
Tongues on Fire, Flame Award 2025 for Making Waves Internationally: Sandhya Suri for Santosh
Tongues on Fire, Flame Award 2025 Best Short Film: The Seas Between Us – Faisal Lutchmedial
Tongues on Fire, Flame Award 2025 Emerging Curators Choice: The Umesh Chronicles
Tongues on Fire, Flame Film Wallahs Choice Award 2025: Chamkila (Netflix)
Related to this
Tongues on Fire, Flame Award 2025 Best Long Short: Don’t be Late, Myra
Tongues on Fire, Flame Award 2025 Best Documentary: Slaves of the Empire
Tongues on Fire, Flame Award 2025 Best Debut Director: Usman Riaz
Tongues on Fire, Flame Award 2025 Celebrating ‘Longing and Belonging’: My Melbourne
Tongues on Fire, Flame Award 2025 Best Director: Onir for We Are Faheem and Karun
Tongues on Fire, Flame Award 2025 Best Actor: Molshri for Nukkad Naatak
Tongues on Fire, Flame Award 2025 Best Regional Film: Jai Mata Ji – Let’s Rock
Tongues on Fire, Flame Award 2025 for Bridging Cultures: British Asian Film – A Teacher’s Gift
Tongues on Fire, Flame Award 2025 for Best Cinematography: The Collaborator Tongues on Fire, Flame Award 2025 Best Film: My Melbourne
UK Asian Film Festival Founder and Director, Dr Pushpinder Chowdhry MBE said, “This year has been a profound celebration of British Asian talent standing alongside our international guests – debut directors and actors pushing boundaries, creating against all odds, and confronting stereotypes with courage and creativity. We’ve been overwhelmed by the unexpected support from our communities and businesses, reminding us that in a fractured world, storytelling is still our strongest bond. Cinema remains our mirror and our medicine—a space where healing begins, empathy is nurtured, and peace can be imagined. In times of rising fear and division, it is not people we must fear, but the forces that seek to silence, erase, or divide. As we close this year’s edition, we look to the future with Stories That Bind Us as our 2026 theme. These are the stories that join us in joy, tradition, and memory – but also those that weigh heavy, keep us tethered, and echo unresolved pain. Through cinema, we explore what binds us—and what we must release to grow.”
UK Asian Film Festival Creative Director, Samir Bhamra said, “The UK Asian Film Festival continues to thrive because it listens, evolves, and reflects the communities it serves. This year, we witnessed an extraordinary outpouring of talent—filmmakers who defied limitations to tell bold, human stories that deserve to be seen and heard. This year’s theme of Longing and Belonging struck a powerful chord across generations navigating identity, memory, and displacement. In the face of political unrest, cultural tension, and personal loss, our festival became a sanctuary—a space where connection triumphed over division. As we look to 2026, Stories That Bind Us invites us to explore the threads that tie us together—those filled with love and legacy, and those burdened by silence and shadow. We honour the storytellers who unravel these complexities and challenge us to imagine a world where we are united not just by heritage, but by hope.”
