Onir's 'We Are Faheem & Karun' Is Only Indian Film To Screen At BFI Flare 2025

Filmmaker Onir’s queer romantic drama We Are Faheem & Karun has been selected for screening at the British Film Institute’s Flare (BFIF)  2025. The film will premiere at London’s LGBTIQ+ film festival, with screenings scheduled for March 20 and 22, 2025.  We Are Faheem & Karun’s screening at BFI Flare marks a significant moment for Kashmiri representation in international cinema. Sharing his excitement about it, Onir said, "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."

Onir’s We Are Faheem & Karun to Premiere at BFI Flare 2025

The film tells a same-sex love story set against the stunning yet complex landscape of Kashmir. With its emotional depth and groundbreaking representation, it is expected to be a landmark moment in queer and Kashmiri cinema. It stars Akash Menon from Kerala in the lead role, alongside Kashmiri actors Mir Tawseef, Mir Salman, Bashir Lone, and Sana Javeid. Produced under the banner of Anticlock Films by Deepa Mehta and Onir, We Are Faheem & Karun is the first chapter in a planned sequel to his critically acclaimed anthology I AM. 

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Onir's Vision

Onir, known for his thought-provoking storytelling, had once told SheThePeople about his vision for cinema, 'I don’t want to tell stories that other people are telling, and that is what drives me. Not many know I was the early one to make a film about the displacement of Kashmiri Pandits in I Am in 2012. The film did not glorify any community; it addressed that it was a loss for everybody.'

Onir also reflected on why he chooses to make films that challenge societal norms. He said, "People don’t talk about same-sex rights, but if you want to have a better society, better life, talk about stories that will make people think and want change, and that is what I feel like doing."

The BFI Flare will be held from March 19 to 30, 2025, bringing together a diverse selection of films that celebrate LGBTIQ+ stories from around the world.