The London Indian Film Festival (LIFF), returns to the capital in July 2014 for its fifth edition, bringing the best of Indian independent cinema. It has built on previous years successes and expanded to venues across the capital, including BFI Southbank, ICA, BAFTA, Cineworlds; Haymarket, Wandsworth, 02, Wembley and Wood Green.

The Festival team is now scouring the Indian sub-continent to bring together a carefully curated slate of quality films by some of the world’s most innovative and challenging filmmakers.

London Indian Film Festival has scheduled it’s  Opening Night on July 10 with the European Premiere of the stunning tour-de-force film Sold.
Executively produced by Oscar winning actor Emma Thompson, Sold is a powerful depiction of survival against the odds, playing out a tale of a young Nepali girl who is trafficked to Kolkata in India. Gillian Anderson (X-Files) stars with a great Indian and Nepali ensemble cast including Seema Biswas (Bandit Queen).

The festival will unveil rare and cutting-edge films from some of the Indian subcontinent’s hottest independent talents.

Going way beyond Bollywood, new films featured at LIFF will challenge, shock, generate debate and present a more realistic view of India and the subcontinent today, in all its diversity.

The Walt Disney Company’s US hit Million Dollar Arm  which stars Jon Hamm (Mad Men) and Suraj Sharma (Life of Pi), will have its UK Premiere at the festival.

Screen talks from Bollywood’s hot actor Farhan Akhtar and South Indian cinematography supremo Santosh Sivan will be given at the BFI Southbank.

On July 12, Qissa: A tale of a lonely Ghost, has its UK Premiere, Irrfan Khan (Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi) plays a rural Punjabi father hell bent on having a son and heir, no matter what the consequences.

the festival previews its first Bangladesh based film  Shongam (Struggle) directed by Munsur Ali.

Closing the festival will be the World Premiere of Hemalkasa  staring  Nana Patekar. Directed by Samruddhi Porey, it’s guaranteed to make you cry and smile at the same time; paying homage to the revolutionary human rights leader Prakash Baba Amte.

London Indian Film Festival also includes industry events at BAFTA, exploring UK and Indian subcontinent co-productions. The winner of the annual Satyajit Ray Short Film Competition will be announced at the end of the festival, with short-listed contenders battling it out on July 15 at the ICA.