The London Bengali Film Festival (LBFF), Europe’s largest platform dedicated to Bengali cinema, proudly announces its 9th edition, taking place from 22–26 April 2026 across Genesis Cinema, BLOC Cinema at Queen Mary University, and Metro Cinema in Harrow. This year’s festival embraces the theme “Identity Through a New Lens”, presenting a powerful selection of films that interrogate belonging, memory, gender, migration, and the shifting landscapes of South Asian identity.
The London Bengali Film Festival is delighted to share that it has been awarded support from the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN) with National Lottery funding, through Film Hub London, for its 2026 edition.
Across five days, LBFF presents thirteen films from Bangladesh, India, the UK, the USA, and Spain, including UK and London premieres. The programme spans fiction, documentary, animation, and short films in Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, and Spanish, alongside industry conversations, networking events, and sessions celebrating Bengali storytelling. The programme highlights global feminist cinema, queer narratives, and South Asian diaspora stories rarely seen in mainstream exhibition, connecting audiences with both emerging and established filmmakers.
LBFF engages communities often overlooked by UK film festivals including working‑class British‑Bangladeshis, older women, LGBTQIA+ South Asians, and young people. Through multilingual programming and partnerships with community hubs, women’s groups, and youth organisations, the festival meets audiences where they are, linguistically, culturally, and geographically.
The festival opens with the UK premiere of Pressure Cooker, directed by Raihan Rafi, a gripping urban thriller exploring womanhood, survival, and the fractured identities of contemporary Dhaka. This year’s programme also features a dedicated Queer Shorts: Chitrangada, curated with contextual commentary by Dr. Rohit K. Dasgupta (LSE). The selection includes Jasmine that Blooms in Autumn by Chandradeep Das and Crossing the Desert by Reena Dutt, offering intimate reflections on desire, displacement, and self‑definition.
Among the festival’s UK premieres is the Bangladeshi film Nirvana, directed by Asif Islam, a silent and visually arresting meditation on grief and transcendence. Also premiering is the Indian film Pinjar (The Cage), directed by Rudrajit Roy, a powerful ensemble drama examining patriarchy, poverty, and the human yearning for freedom. The programme further includes Silence of the Womb by Soumodeep Ghosh Chowdhury, a moving exploration of phantom pregnancy and the emotional terrain of parenthood, and The Exile by Samman Roy, a haunting folk‑horror set in 1960s Bengal that blends psychological tension with supernatural folklore.
A major highlight of LBFF 2026 is Sreemati, a special event honouring the legacy of Kanan Devi, the first lady of Bengali cinema. This celebratory session features three films: 7th Cycle by Hanna Wahab, What Will People Say? by Rafina Khatun, and the acclaimed animated feature Sultana’s Dream by Isabel Herguera, winner of the Grand Prix at Annecy. The screenings will be followed by a panel discussion spotlighting women shaping New Wave Bengali Cinema.
The festival also presents the Bangladeshi film Utshob (Festival), directed by Tanim Noor, a warm and spiritual comedy‑drama exploring generosity, transformation, and community through the lens of a rural Bangladeshi celebration. The documentary work is represented by London Boys, directed by Arun Nangla and Laura Pavone, a tender observational portrait of identity and belonging among second‑generation Bangladeshi men in East London.
LBFF concludes with the London premiere of Devi Chowdhurani, directed by Subhrajit Mitra, a sweeping historical epic based on Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s classic novel. The film traces Prafulla’s transformation into a revolutionary leader during British colonial rule and will be accompanied by an introduction and Q&A with the producers.
Since its founding in 2016, the London Bengali Film Festival has grown into the largest Bengali film event in Europe, offering a vital platform for filmmakers from Bangladesh, India, and the global diaspora. A project of PAC (Positive Action Through Creativity), a UK‑registered charity (No. 1134322), LBFF continues to serve both mainstream UK audiences and the UK’s Bengali community of over half a million people, fostering cultural dialogue and celebrating the richness of Bengali cinematic heritage.
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