SamaBhav UK 2025 film festival opens with urgent call for gender justice in South Asian communities

A unique travelling film festival focused on gender equity is set to tour the UK this month. SamaBhav UK 2025, curated by Harish Sadani, founder of India’s Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA), will run from 19 to 28 July across Leeds, London and Bristol. Through powerful films and open conversations, the event aims to spark dialogue on masculinity, care, and gender justice within South Asian communities.

Curated by Harish Sadani, founder of Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA), the festival invites audiences into dialogue on gender equity, homophobia, and toxic masculinity, all rooted in a South Asian context.

SamaBhav UK 2025 invites young people and queer voices to speak on gender equity

SamaBhav aims to reshape how masculinity is seen

Harish Sadani, who has worked with boys and men in India for over two decades, says engaging men in gender equity work is key. “Men have always been viewed as the problem,” he explains, “but we need to involve them in the solution-making process too.” Through SamaBhav, he hopes to challenge stereotypes and redefine masculinity in a more inclusive and peaceful direction.

SamaBhav UK 2025 film festival opens with urgent call for gender justice in South Asian communities www.easterneye.biz

Films spark meaningful conversations after every screening

This year’s line-up includes titles like Call Me Dancer and Riha (Unlocked), each selected to provoke reflection and honest discussion. After the screenings, attendees join reflection spaces and panels with filmmakers, youth speakers, queer voices and social workers. Sadani will personally facilitate every discussion.

Activist Chris Green OBE, a UK-based ally of the movement, lends his voice as a festival partner: “I want to live in a society free of homophobia and rigid gender rules that box in how a man should behave. That’s why I support this.”

Community-driven and part of South Asian Heritage Month

Backed by the South Asian Heritage Trust, UNESCO, SOAS and more, SamaBhav UK is part of this year’s South Asian Heritage Month programming. The Leeds leg begins this weekend (19–20 July), followed by screenings in London (23–24 July) and Bristol (28 July). Tickets are priced at £10 (₹1,050) and are available via Eventbrite.

Festival organisers are now calling on local communities, collectives and cultural workers to attend, share, and help amplify these much-needed conversations.