What’s coming up in the Manchester Indian Film Festival
19:40, 12 Jul 2026Updated 19:43, 12 Jul 2026
Manchester screenings will take place at HOME Cinema and Cultplex, with sister branches also going live in select cities(Image: Manchester Indian Film Festival)
Europe’s largest South Asian cinema celebration returns to the city for its fifth time this July, with the Manchester Indian Film Festival (MIFF).
With sister branches also spanning London, Birmingham, Bradford and Sheffield, the Manchester screenings will run from July 11 to July 18, split between HOME Cinema and the Green Quarters’ Cultplex.
The festival will kick off with a HOME Cinema screening of the Too Desi Too Queer short film collective, a showcase of stories amplifying South Asian LGBTQIA+ experiences with ‘a bit of Northern spice.’ The shorts and documentaries premiere in association with Rainbow Noir Manchester, with a Q&A format setting the sociable tone required to encourage discussion of the art the festival has to offer.
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Legendary theatre director Peter Brook’s film adaptation of one of the longest poems ever written, the ancient Indian epic ‘The Mahabharata,’ has been restored in 8K for its northern premiere. The late director’s son, Simon Brook, is to present the feature, with other guest stars including the Indian Consulate for Manchester, Vishakha Yaduvanshi.
HOME’s third screening is a restoration of the rebellious 1989 comedy ‘In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones.’ The film offers a glimpse into laid-back student life in a 70s Delhi architecture school, inspired by the screenwriter’s own experiences. Capturing the lives of westernised, English-speaking young adults, it continues to resonate with audiences as an early portrayal of complex youth-cultures emerging in India at the time.
The latter half of the screenings takes place at Cultplex, starting with its own evening of shorts on July 16, spotlighting emerging British South-Asian talent with a complimentary Q&A session.
Manchester’s final film nights give viewers the opportunity to experience two other cult status Indian movies in a lively environment, including the controversial Gandu, directed by ‘India’s most dangerous filmmaker’ nicknamed Q, and denied theatrical release in the country by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for its content.
Those in the mood for something lighter can enjoy the London Indian Film Festival’s premiere ‘All About Weddings,’ the directorial debut
Speaking about the festival’s programme, CEO and Programming Director, Cary Rajinder Sawhney says, “We are delighted to bring together a glittering box of indie gemstone films from some of the world’s finest film festivals to UK premiere at our 3-city festival offers a rare treat to our audiences and an opportunity to experience the rich creativity of the world’s most populated region.”
Speaking about the Manchester Indian Film Festival’s programme, CEO and Programming Director, Cary Rajinder Sawhney MBE says, “Manchester has one of the UK’s most diverse, curious and cinema-loving audiences, making it the perfect home to showcase films that people simply wouldn’t have the opportunity to see anywhere else. From powerful regional stories from across the Indian subcontinent to bold LGBTQIA+ voices, emerging British Asian filmmakers to rare masterpiece restorations including the legendary The Mahabharata by Peter Brook. We’re proud to bring audiences a programme that celebrates the incredible diversity of South Asian cinema today. Our aim has always been to champion stories that deserve a wider audience and create opportunities for meaningful cultural exchange through film, and all our films are English-subtitled. This year we are delighted to work with HOME and Cultplex cinemas in the city centre and Reel cinema in Rochdale.”