Filmmaker Onir’s queer romantic drama We Are Faheem & Karun has been selected for screening at the British Film Institute’s Flare 2025. It will be screened at the London’s LGBTIQ+ film festival on March 20 and 22, 2025. 

Onir shared his excitement about We Are Faheem & Karun’s London premiere in a statement.

It read, “This will be the international premiere of our film and the first time a Kashmiri language film, shot entirely in the border regions of Gurez, Kashmir, is showing at the festival. The film would also be the first queer narrative from the Valley. A love story set in Gurez, Kashmir between a security guard at a construction site, Karun, from Kerala, and a local Kashmiri college student, Faheem.”

The film’s inclusion at BFI Flare marks a significant moment for Kashmiri representation in global cinema.

The filmmaker emphasised on the importance of this milestone, adding, “I am proud that my Kashmiri cast members too will be present at the screening in London. Representation is very important for me. Apart from lead Akash Menon from Kerala, the film features Kashmiri actors Mir Tawseef, Mir Salman, Bashir Lone, and Sana Javeid.”

Produced by Deepa Mehta and Onir under the banner Anticlock Films, We Are Faheem & Karun marks the first chapter in the planned sequel to his critically acclaimed anthology I AM.

The film is a same-sex love story set against the stunning yet tumultuous backdrop of Kashmir. With its poignant storytelling and groundbreaking representation, it promises to be a landmark moment in contemporary queer and Kashmiri cinema.

The BFI Flare Film Festival will be held from March 19 to 30, 2025.