This is such a neat film festival. An absolutely staggering array of choice cinema from a part of the world that can so easily be culturally neglected by the tedious Hollywood focus of contemporary film audiences and critics. Each screening will be complemented by food specific to the region of the movie being shown and, this is the bit we can’t believe, every single screening is free. We’ve already flexed our excitement muscles about the opening film At Five in the Afternoon, read about it here. The festival runs until 9th December and every film is a classic. Absolute must sees are Jafar Panahi’s Taxi Tehran and Hansal Mehta’s Aligarh. The Gap has limited space so free tickets must be booked in advance.

See all of SPARK South Asian Arts Festival happenings here.

Sun 26 Nov to Sat 9 Dec at The GAP, 500 Moseley Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham B12 9AH www.eventbrite.co.uk