'TONGUES ON FIRE' CELEBRATES 10TH FILM FESTIVAL
8 - 25 March 2008

Tongues on Fire, the annual film festival which celebrates excellence, performance and achievements of South Asian women in cinema, presents its 10th Film Festival across a variety of locations in London from 8 - 25 March 2008. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) will host the Opening Gala weekend 8th & 9th March with a Q and A with Director Tanuja Chandra and Actress Mahima Chaudhry -a popular face within Bollywood audiences.

Highlights throughout the festival include a special celebration of the works of Meera Syal who will be interviewed by playwright, poet and critic Bonnie Greer on the 19th March, BAFTA at 7pm. This year's exciting festival contains feature films that explore the topics of displacement; relationships and friendships; social and cultural prejudices and the subject matter of mental health within South Asian communities.

The festival will also celebrate a Guru Dutt Film Season; a screenwriter's workshop with 'Brick Lane' screenwriter Abi Morgan and Director Sarah Gavron; Director's Workshop with Tanuja Chandra and a Short Film Competition Awards Ceremony both sponsored by the UK Film Council; seminars and documentaries and a Photo Exhibition.

Festival Director, Dr.Pushpinder Chowdhry said "It has been an excellent experience celebrating Asians in film for the last ten years, especially making Asian women visible in media and arts. Tongues on Fire has helped to mediate a variety of positive images and representations of Asians, creating a sense of self esteem and confidence in cultural amalgamation."

TANUJA CHANDRA

Set in New York City in the weeks before and after 9/11,' Hope and a Little Sugar' directed by Tanuja Chandra and starring Mahima Chaudhry and Anupam Kher opens the Festival with a poignant tale of love set against the forces of hate and intolerance and centres on the romance between an aspiring Muslim photographer and a young Sikh widow.

Following a similar theme of disapproval; friendship flourishes in 'The World Unseen' which takes place in the backdrop of apartheid South Africa. Miriam is a traditional Indian mother - hardworking and self-effacing yet Amina breaks all the rules by driving a taxi and setting up a cafe with a local black man. In a system that divides white from black, black from Asian and the women from men, what chance is there for an unexpected love to survive?

Religious Beliefs are challenged in the following two films: 'Khuda Ke Liye' ('In The Name of God'), a story of two brothers in Pakistan who are torn apart by their opposing values - one an extremist, the other a liberal and in 'Dharm', a Hindu Priest fastidiously practices his religion until a 4 year old child challenges the very core of the priest's belief and he has to juggle between his social status and religious belief.

'Vanaja' which is set in rural South India, explores the chasm that divides classes as a young girl struggles to come of age. Vanaja, a 14 year-old daughter of a poor, low caste fisherman, goes to work in the house of the local landlady. When a visitor arrives to stay, the situation suddenly turns ugly when matters escalate, spiralling downwards and Vanaja is pitched into a tale of class, culture and family.

AIDS JAAGO PROJECT

The AIDS Jaago Project in association with Mirabi Films and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation presents four short dramatic films by cutting-edge Indian directors that aim to dismantle myths and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS. Mira Nair's 'Migration' deals with the AIDS Virus as the great class leveller in society by following its transmission through interweaving stories linking urban and rural India.

'Blood Brothers', directed by award-winning new wave director Vishal Bhardwaj- stars Siddhartha as a young man who gets a positive HIV diagnosis and henceforth allows his life to fall apart. 'Prarambha-The Beginning', directed by renowned cinematographer and director Santosh Sivan, features South Indian superstar Prabhudeva as a truck driver who discovers a young boy stowed away in his vehicle. Sivan explores the question of how society deals with those who are infected.

'Positive' directed by Farhan Akhtar, one of Mumbai's most prominent young filmmakers, follows the story of a young boy and his parents and how they cope with the devastation that AIDS can visit on the family.

The Festival will come to a close with 'Dosar' (The Companion) a film that looks at love, mental health and self-sacrifice. Set in the backdrop of the urban and contemporary Kolkatta (Calcutta), Kaushik and Kaberi seem to have a contented married life until one incident of infidelity shatters their marriage.

Festival Screenings will be held throughout London at the Nehru Centre; SOAS; Brady Centre, Birbeck College, Rich Mix, Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), Watermans and at Bafta from 8th - 25th March. For full Programme visit www.tonguesonfire.com