46TH REGUS LONDON FILM FESTIVAL.
6 - 21 NOVEMBER 2002

As the ImagineAsia's Shyam Benegal season of films draws to a close, South Asians will not have to wait too long to enjoy more films from the sub-continent as the 46th Regus London Film Festival starts today. Executive Director Adrian Wootton and Artistic Director Sandra Hebron announced a dazzling and eclectic line-up of films including Shekhar Kapur's 'The Four Feathers' and the adaptation of Meera Syal's book 'Anita & Me' for this year's festival, which takes place in London, 6 - 21 November.

South Asian cinema is celebrated once more at the NFT this year where audiences will have the opportunity to listen to several of the regions most prominent directors and leading industry figures in a panel discussion about the current state of South Asian film-making.

South Asian film highlights include Aparna Sen's love story MR AND MRS IYER, set against a backdrop of modern day India, SOME DAY IN THE FUTURE a tense roller-coaster ride about two small time hitmen on an out of control killing spree mirroring the social and political unrest in Sri Lanka, Asoka Handagama's FLYING WITH ONE WING, without doubt one of the most revolutionary South Asian films of the year in its graphically disturbing image of contemporary Sri Lanka, SHADOW KILL (NIZHALKKUTHU) by Adoor Goapalakrishnan and STROKES AND SILHOUETTES by Anjan Das starring Soumitra Chatterjee, famed for his many films with Satyajit Ray.

MASTERCLASSES: MOVIE MAKING UNCOVERED

This year the Regus London Film Festival goes behind the scenes of movie making with a series of unique masterclasses and special events on all aspects of film and film-making. Leading lights of the film industry will be on hand to dissect and discuss their art and cinema past and present, including: Stephen Frears, Vic Armstrong, Carine Adler, Philip Noyce, Meera Syal and Asif Kapadia. From discussions on financing and script development, to makeup and scoring and from Blaxploitation to Bollywood and first films to Hollywood blockbusters, the Film Festival explodes with visual imagination.

MONDAY 11TH NOV, 16.00 NFT 2 £7.50
TURNING A BEST-SELLING NOVEL INTO A FEATURE FILM

Anita and Them: Turning a best-selling novel into a hit feature film (Presented by the RLFF and the Script Factory).

Adapting a novel into a screenplay is a test for any writer. For Meera Syal, adapting her own semi-autobiographical Anita & Me was always going to be a big challenge. With the novel consistently topping the best-seller charts, and Syal’s own career being on something of a meteoric rise, the spotlight was truly on for her screenplay. As if that wasn’t enough, Brit-Asian films are enjoying increasing success with each new release from East is East to Bend it Like Beckham. Could the film-making team behind Anita & Me continue the upward trend? We very much hope to welcome the writer of Anita & Me, Meera Syal, producer, Paul Raphael, award winning director Metin Huseyin and members of the cast to talk about the teamwork involved in creating their charming comedy about growing up as part of a Punjabi family in a particularly English 1970s village.

Confirmed Panellists:
Metin Huseyin (Dir. Anita and Me)
Meera Syal (Scr. Bhaji on the Beach, Anita and Me)
Sanjeev Bhaskar (Actor. Mystic Masseur, The Guru, Anita and Me/)
Paul Raphael (Prod. Rogue Trader, Anita and Me)
Omid Djalili (Actor, Anita and Me)

SATURDAY 16 NOV, 16.00 NFT2 £7.50
CHARMING THE WEST - SOUTH ASIAN CINEMA

The past year has seen a massive celebration of South Asian film in general and Bollywood in particular. What effect has this enthusiasm had on India's and other neighbouring countries film industries? Is Bollywood's overseas success overshadowing art-house/independent films? And what is the future of cinema from South Asia on an international platform?

To help celebrate the close of the bfi's successful ImageineAsia season we are delighted to stage this event in which we hope to explore some of these questions. Audiences will have the opportunity to listen to several of the regions most prominent directors and leading industry figures discuss the current state of South Asian film-making, both art-house and commercial along with confirmed panellists Cary Sawhney (LFF Programme Advisor, South Asian Film. Director Imagineasia) and Adoor Gopalakrishnan (Director of Shadow Kill)

Click here to visit the ImagineAsia website.

SUNDAY 17 NOV 16.00 NFT 2 £7.50
THE FILM SALON: NEW BRITISH DIRECTORS

This lively monthly film forum makes its debut at the RLFF and offers audiences a chance to discover the creative initiatives used by the cream of young filmmakers today, to get noticed. From commercials to pop promos, directors Metin Huseyin (Anita and Me) and Asif Kapadia (The Warrior) are joined by film critic and filmmaker Jonathan Romney to discuss opportunities and outlets to prove yourself in the British film community. Nick Walker will chair this lively debate.

REGUS LONDON FILM FESTIVAL ON TOUR

The Regus London Film Festival Regional Tour this year takes place from 22 November - 8 December in the following venues: Nottingham (Broadway Cinema), Bradford (Pictureville), Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Tyneside Cinema), Bristol (Watershed Cinema), Glasgow (Film Theatre), Manchester (UCI Filmworks) and Canterbury (Cinema 3).

22nd - 28th November
Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle
Pictureville, Bradford
Broadway, Nottingham

29th November - 5 December
Watershed, Bristol
Filmworks UCI, Manchester
Glasgow Film Theatre

6-8th December
Cinema 3, Canterbury

Screenings Schedule

Click here to visit the London Film Festival website.