London film director ‘struggles to get funding for diverse films’

The BFI added: “To help address this historic imbalance and the long-standing barriers for Black and Global Majority people, equity, diversity and inclusion is one of the three core principles which underpins our National Lottery funding strategy.”

They said that of the 18 films the BFI funds per year, 44% of directors awarded production funding for features in 2023/24 identifying as Black and Global Majority – against a target of 40% for London and 30% outside of London.

The figures for writers (33%) and producers (9%) “fall short of the target”, it added.

Following Bend it Like Beckham, starring Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightly, Chadha enjoyed success with films including Viceroy’s House (2017) and Blinded By The Light (2019).

She hopes people will “feel differently” after her film Christmas Karma is released next year.

The present-day adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol stars Hugh Bonneville and Eva Longoria, as well as Nayyar.

“It’s concerned with all the things I’m concerned with; identity, Britishness, who we are as a nation, where we’re going as a nation, all the things Bend it Like Beckham was about.

“It’s my ‘Bend it Like Santa’ film,” she said.