East Is East Wins BAFTA Award
Damien O'Donnell's critically acclaimed film East Is East is set to screen at Fabrica in Brighton, showcasing the cultural clashes within a mixed-ethnicity British household. This 1999 comedy-drama film has won numerous awards, including a BAFTA Award.
Dir: Damien O'Donnell
Cast: Om Puri, Linda Bassett, Ian Aspinall, Jimi Mistry, Archie Panjabi, Jordan Routledge, Chris Bisson, Lesley Nicol
97 mins · 1999 · United Kingdom · Cert 15 · Russian, Hindi, Urdu, English
IMDb 6.9/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 78% · Metacritic 74/100 · TMDB 6.5/10 · Trakt 69%
Awards: Won 1 BAFTA Award16 wins & 14 nominations total
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BFI Amplified: East is East (15) took place 31 Oct 2026 at Fabrica (Brighton).
Damien O'Donnell, known for his directorial debut with East Is East, brings to life a story written by Ayub Khan-Din, which is based on his own 1996 play of the same name.
What is the film about? The film is set in 1971 Salford, where a Pakistani father, George Khan, expects his family to follow his strict Muslim ways, but his children, born and brought up in Britain, start to reject his rules and identify as British.
What kind of film is it? East Is East is a 97-minute comedy-drama film from the United Kingdom, rated 15, and featuring a mix of languages including English, Russian, Hindi, and Urdu.
What reception did the film receive? The film has received high scores from various platforms, including 78% from Rotten Tomatoes, 74/100 from Metacritic, and 6.9/10 from IMDb, and has won several awards, including the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film at the BAFTA Awards. The screening will take place on Saturday, 31 October 2026, at Fabrica in Brighton, and tickets or details are available with the button beside this article.
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What viewers say
Spiritualized Kaos · 8/10
The Pakistani man's children have turned out to be hippies.
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zxki · 6/10
As funny and iconic as it is, I find it hard to love this. A mix between misrepresentation and stereotypes that don't help a minority. I only say that because I felt no nice feeling watching this, only the few times I laughed at how harsh the comedy was. I understand the morals and messages, but it tries too hard to stick in so many 'traditional' values that it loses meaning. If it was done ethically right, I probably would have loved this…
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CinemaSerf · 7/10
It’s early 1970s Britain and “George” (Om Puri) has been running his chip shop in Salford for many years since leaving his home (and wife) in Pakistan. Not long after he arrived after the war, he met and married “Ella” (Linda Bassett) and they’ve had half a dozen children, many of whom are now starting to become eligible for the marriage game. Though he has integrated, up to a point, he is determined to ensure that the traditions of his homeland…
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