Brighton, United Kingdom – The New Black Film Collective (TNBFC) and University of Brighton’s Donor Research proudly announce their collaborative effort to present the third film in their Films for Life series, “Polite Society,” at Komedia in Brighton on May 2nd, 2024, at 7:00 PM.
“Polite Society” is a delightful British Comedy that takes viewers on a genre-bending journey, seamlessly weaving elements of family drama, heist, action, and martial arts into one unforgettable experience. Directed by the visionary Nida Manzoor, the film follows the spirited Ria Khan (played by Priya Kansara), an aspiring stuntwoman on a mission to rescue her older sister Lena (portrayed by Ritu Arya) from an impending marriage. Enlisting the help of her friends, Ria embarks on the ultimate wedding heist, exploring themes of womanhood and femininity along the way.
This special screening, generously funded by NHSBT (NHS Blood and Transplant), aims to shed light on the critical shortage of organ donations among British Asians. By hosting “Polite Society” at the heart of Brighton, TNBFC and University of Brighton’s Donor Research hope to spark vital conversations and encourage individuals to make informed choices about organ donation registration.
Panel Members
Thivya Kularajan, a medical student and Biomedical Science graduate. Having witnessed the difficulties in talking about health, death, and donation within her family, she became involved with Donor Research with an aim to learn more about donation and encourage healthier conversations about it within South Asian communities.
Joana Da Silva Letra, a Specialist Nurse in Organ Donation at University Hospitals Sussex. As part of the trust’s exceptional Organ Donation Team, Joana supports families whose loved ones are dying in critical care and discusses the possibility of organ and tissue donation with them. Joana has facilitated numerous life-saving transplants, including kidney, pancreas, liver, heart and lung transplants. Her dedication and expertise have brought hope to patients and families, making a lasting impact in the field of organ donation.
Aisha Chaudhry, author of the forthcoming memoir centered on her mother, Annsa, shares a deeply personal story of resilience and hope. Through her book, Aisha aims to highlight the significance of organ donation, particularly within the South Asian community. Growing up in a British Asian family, Aisha witnessed her mother’s courageous battle while awaiting a kidney transplant, shedding light on the life-saving impact of organ donations. You can buy Aisha’s book here.
Prafula Shah, Secretary for Jain and Hindu Organ Donation Alliance, is a passionate advocate for organ donation, drawing from her experience as a living kidney donor. Featured on national TV, she raises awareness about organ donation’s transformative impact and the importance of open conversations. With decades of award-winning experience as a change communications advisor for prominent UK brands, Prafula serves as an NHS Organ Donation Ambassador, speaking at public events and starring in awareness videos. Recognized by the Jain community, she has also received a Community Excellence Award for her volunteer work with Jain charities.
Aneesa Chaudhry, A professional singer and confidence coach for speakers and singers with over 25 years’ experience of performing on stage. She is versatile with a 3 octave range and sings all genres of music including Classical, Jazz, pop, and folk and performs at Jazz World Music Festivals, Special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries) as well as at Weddings and Funerals.
She currently runs 6 community choirs for charities supporting the LGBTQ+ community, schools and health organisations with community engagement as well as coaching some in Britain’s Got Talent. You can contact her on aneesa@aneesachaudhry.com / 07957 395293 to discuss how you or your organisation can work with her. Visit Aneesa’s website here.
Dr. Agimol Pradeep BEM, is an experienced nurse, mentor, teaching fellow, program lead, academician, researcher, nurse advocate, transplant nurse coordinator, and philanthropist with a keen interest in promotion of organ, blood and stem cell donors, and support forInternationally Educated Nurse’s (IEN’s) in the UK. Agimol is a member of the Nursing Midwifery Council’s (NMC) English Language Expert Advisory Group, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) International Committee, and Project advisor for NHS Blood and Transplant Community Programmes. She is a trustee of charity organisations, named UPAHAAR and Management Committee member for JEEVAN; supporting South Asian organ and stem cell donation, and helping disadvantaged people in the community. Agimol has a passion for learning and a desire to help her colleagues and the community through collaborative leadership and she is committed to her profession. She has a positive attitude and approach, which enables her to tackle challenges positively without any hesitation. Her positive attitude and caring nature, help her provide support and encouragement to everyone she works with and she is a team player. Agimol is a completer, with a proven track record of completing multiple projects making a positive impact on national policy and local people.
Always willing to go the extra mile to help patients and counterparts, Agimol has received many acknowledgements and recognition locally, nationally, and internationally. She feels privileged to be recognised for the impact on her work within the Black and Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) community including British Malayali Best Nurse 2013; NHS Leadership Academy Award finalist 2014; Asianlite News Professional Excellency Award 2015; British Malayali Group News Person-finalist 2015; British Journal of Nursing (BJN) Nurse of The Year award 2015; Health Service Journal (HSJ) award 2024 for “Workforce Initiative of the Year”. Agimol was humbled to receive the British Empire Medal in 2018 and listed in the British Community Honours Award. This recognition increases the impact of the organ, blood and stem cell donor message and awareness in the Asian community and her raised profile attracted attention as a role model for Asian nurses working in the UK.
Agimol has proven project management/leadership skills which enables her to recognise the strength and ability to lead difficult and sensitive matters in a positive way in the hard-to-reach communities. She enrolled as National program lead for organ utilisation and project lead in 2022, for two vital projects. i.e: to reflect on the lack of resources impacting on deceased organ utilisation and the need to use noveltechnologies and implement an assessment at the recovery Centre to utilise more deceased donor organs. Implementing the national database to collect data on machine-perfused organs in six months and successfully collecting organ performance data on machine and patient outcomes have surprised some of the senior Clinicians as many felt it was impossible to implement the national data collection due to the complexity. Performing as program lead for National Organ Utilisation Programme Data and Insight, has proven her influential leadership skills.She feels humbled to play a vital role in spreading the “Gift of Life” message andraise awareness on the importance of more donors from the BAME community, to save more lives and support patients and families with organ failure diagnosis.
Agimol feels privileged to be a role model to many IEN’s and for them to feel she is trustworthy, knowledgeable and approachable acting as a role model continuously seeking guidance academic, personal and professional development.
Terms and Conditions for Social Media Giveaway
The giveaway is open to participants aged 18 years or older at the time of entry. Void where prohibited by law.
The prize consists of 5 free tickets to Polite Society and Panel on Thursday 2nd May at 6.30PM. The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or any other alternative.
The giveaway begins 8am on Monday 29th April 2024 and ends 11am on Wednesday 1st May 2024. All entries must be received by 11am on the closing date.
To enter, participants must like and tag a friend on this post. Only one entry per person is allowed. Participants gain an extra entry by sharing this post to their stories. Where the participant has a private account, a screenshot of the post shared to stories is required via DM to our account as evidence
The winner will be selected randomly from all eligible entries received during the entry period. The winner will be notified via direct message on Instagram by 3PM on Wednesday 1st May 2024.
The winner must respond to the winner notification by 7pm Wednesday 1st May 2024 and provide necessary details (e.g., full name, email address) to claim the prize. Failure to respond within the specified time period may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner.