MUMBAI: As part of its tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema, this year the annual London Asian Film Festival (LAFF) will focus on the journey of women in films.

The 15th installment of the festival organised by Tongues on Fire Limited will kick off with an opening gala screening of Listen... Amaya at the British Film Institute in London on 7 March.

"The entire focus of this year‘s line-up is on the woman‘s gauge. We were keen to look at the centenary of Indian cinema through the eyes of women, both behind and in front of the camera," said festival director Pushpinder Chowdhry (as quoted in the media).

"From the very first film, Raja Harishchandra - which had no female actors - to the modern day, it has not been an easy ride. But it is in spite of all the hurdles that women have made their mark and this year‘s festival is a celebration of that journey," she added.

The wide selection for LAFF 2013 offers a mix of new independent films, recent thought-provoking ones and some old classics.

A retrospective thread from 11 March to be held at the Nehru Centre will include a director‘s workshop with Gauri Shinde, the debutante director of English Vinglish.

As part of its annual Beyond Borders theme, films from the US, Sri Lanka, Assam, Pakistan and Britain are also among those being showcased alongside entries from India.

The festival will end on 17 March with the screening of filmmaker Anurag Basu‘s award-winning Barfi!