th
anniversar y B L A C K
W O R L D
C I N E M A
BLACK BRITISH TALENT image: the disciple
UK PREMIERES SHORTS AWARDS
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N O V
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venue & ticket i n fo rm ati o n
d i r ecto r ’ s statemen t
Venue Information BFI Southbank Belvedere Road, South Bank , Waterloo London SE1 8XT Box Office: 020 7928 3232 www.bfi.org.uk Waterloo mainline and underground station Buses: 1, 4, 26, 68, 76, 77, 139, 168, 171, 172, 176, 188, 211, 243, 341, 381, 507, 521, RV1
British Museum Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG Box Office: 020 7323 8181 www.britishmuseum.org Holborn, Tottenham Court Road, Russell Square, Goodge Street, Covent Garden, Euston Buses: 1, 7, 8, 19, 25, 38, 55, 98, 242, 10, 14, 24, 29, 73, 134, 390
Institute of Contemporary Arts The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH Box Office: 020 7930 3647 www.ica.org.uk Charing Cross and Piccadilly Buses: 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 22, 23, 24, 29, 38, 77a, 88, 91, 139,159,176.
Rich Mix 35 – 47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA Box Office: 020 7613 7498 www.richmix.org.uk Liverpool Street, Old Street, Bethnal Green and Aldgate East. Buses: 26, 35, 47, 48, 67, 78, 135, 149, 242 and 243 which can take you across London.
Bernie Grant Arts Centre Town Hall Approach Road, Tottenham Green, London N15 4RX Box Office: 0208 365 5450 www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk Seven Sisters Buses: 149, 259, 243, 476, 230, 123
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WELCOME!
Imperial War Museum Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HZ Tel: 020 7416 5000 www.london.iwm.org.uk Lambeth North, Waterloo Southwark, Elephant & Castle Buses: 1, 3, 12, 45, 53, 59, 63, 68, 100, 159, 168, 171, 172, 176,188, 344, C10)
University of East London Docklands Campus, University Way London, E16 2RD www.uel.ac.uk DLR: Cyprus
Ticket Prices BFI Southbank £8.60 / £6.25 Con Members: £7.60 / Members Concessions: £5.25 Under 16s: £5.25 Shorts Awards (BFI Southbank) £5 / £4 con Institute of Contemporary Arts £8 / £7 Con £6 ICA/bfm Members Rich Mix £7 / £6 Con Bernie Grant Arts Centre £7 / £6 Con Children’s Programme (Bernie Grant Arts Centre) £4 100 Black Men Doublebill (Imperial War Museum): FREE Ishmahil Blagrove Jr Retrospective (British Museum) £5 / £3 Con TWO SESSIONS £3 / £2 Con ONE SESSION Ishmahil Blagrove Jr Retrospective (University of East London): FREE BBC Seminars: FREE Channel 4 Young People’s Programme: FREE
Image: Armet francis
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With limited and often stereotyped representations of black people in the mainstream press, there has never been a more important time than the present, to showcase stories which otherwise would go unnoticed. I am delighted that for the first time in the festival’s history that we are opening at the BFI Southbank. It is fitting that we have come to the home of British film. Nearly 60% of our programme reflects UK talent. With a special Evening With some of the UK’s most known black actors, there has well and truly been a British invasion! We have carefully produced a compact programme which is not for the faint hearted. With films that deal with contemporary issues such as youth crime, sexuality and African choreography, and refreshingly with more well worn subjects that include traditional medicine; the politics of African independence and cricket, you will be both entertained and inspired. As far as possible we have squeezed in FREE screenings and opportunities to engage with filmmakers through post screening discussions. I have been encouraged by the level of support that has been shown to bfm both within the industry and by the public. I am confident that the 10th Anniversary bfm International Film Festival won’t disappoint. I hope that you will join us in a celebration of the best of Black World Cinema! Nadia Denton, Director, bfm International Film Festival
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co n ten ts
6 Festival Supporting Statements 10 Festival History (editorial) 26 Shorts Awards Programme 12 Ishmahil Blagrove Jr Interview (editorial) 14 Horace Ove Interview (editorial) 16 Why are Black Lesbian Stories Dominated by the USA? (editorial)
35 Seminar Programme 37 bfm Contacts 38 The Path to the Disciple (editorial) 40 bfm Film Club
18 Screening programme (pages 18 – 36)
42 The Brits are Coming (editorial)
24 Festival Calender
44 Credits and Thanks 46 Black History and Beyond
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s u pp orting statem en ts
Boris Johnson
Adrian Wootton
Kate Rowland
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s u ppo r ti n g statemen ts
“I would like to congratulate the bfm International Film Festival on their 10th anniversary. With venues across London showing a variety of films this year looks set to be the most successful festival to date. It is important that we acknowledge the range of creative talent in our city and this event showcases the excellent work of black filmmakers and actors. I hope everyone truly enjoys the festival and gets to see some excellent films.” Boris Johnson Mayor of London
Fraser James
Film offers a universal and unifying way to promote the capital’s cultural vibrancy, offering insights and new perspectives from across the globe and reflecting the many different versions of London which exist within the city. Film festivals help to showcase the depth of London's film and media talent and celebrate the capital’s many different communities. More importantly, they offer a unique platform for audiences to understand a range of different views, beliefs and perspectives from outside their normal experience. Film London is delighted to support bfm’s 10th International Film Festival and we very much hope that cinema-goers from across the capital will enjoy its stellar programme of events, talks and screenings. Adrian Wootton CEO Film London The BBC is pleased to support the bfm festival in it's 10th anniversary year, and look forward to continuing our creative partnership with a series of seminars for emerging filmmakers and a bursary for the Best Screenplay, Short Film Award Winner. Kate Rowland BBC Creative director, New Writing
Jessica Green Image: Franklyn Rodgers
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It is without doubt that bfm and its annual Festival make an indispensable contribution to the vibrancy and diversity of British Cinema and its audiences. For Diaspora and nonDiaspora audiences a few weeks in ever year bfm programme a visual feast of entertaining and engaging films to suits all tastes. bfm International Film Festival has gone from strength to strength and in doing so has challenged convention and expectations in the face of seemingly intractable obstacles. For this alone it deserves our praise and support. With so much of the UK’s Black British talent having to travel the Atlantic and beyond to seek the recognition their talents and efforts deserve it is particularly poignant to see a programme that reflects the success and achievement of filmmakers whose cultural references and experiences reflect our own. This recognition of Black British accomplishment is one that is at the core of 4 The Record’s purpose and activities. 4 The Record Initiative is pleased to be associated with the bfm and this years Festival. We hope to see you at as many of the Festival screenings you are able to attend, you will not be disappointed. The importance of your presence and support at Festivals such as this for black filmmaking in the UK should not be underestimated. Fraser James Actor, director, 4 The Record Initiative "On behalf of CIDA (Cultural Industries Development Agency), I would like to congratulate Bfm IFF for reaching its 10th year. This is a tremendous achievement, which must not go unnoticed or unrewarded" Jessica Green Marketing & Events Co-ordinator, CIDA
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10
f estival histo ry
festi va l hi sto ry
festivalL L
aunching the bfm International Film Festival was an unexpected turn in the road for me. A filmmaker all my life, the idea of creating a film festival never entered my thoughts. The seeds were planted back in 1998 in Paris whilst attending a black film festival. The festival was a celebration of black world cinema and I was invited to participate with my work. It was another opportunity for me also to re-unite with filmmakers friends and others who work I respected. These included Ousmane Sembene, Djbril Diop, and documentarian St Claire Bourne who sadly no longer with us. Others included Haile Gerima, Judy Dash, Larry Clarke, Suliman Cisse, Gloria Orlando to name a few. This was a unique gathering of the filmmakers who were at the heart of challenging and redefining the black image in cinema since the 70s. It was such an empowering feeling to be amongst other directors who shared or understood the journey, the challenges and the realisation. It struck me whilst viewing the films on show and through passionate conversations, that we have nothing like this in the UK. This thought was echoed in conversation with the Festival organiser Catherine Ruelle, a well
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known radio journalist who had been around the African cinema scene for many years. She wondered why there was no black film festival in London. London was after all seen as the capital multi cultural activity in Europe. This was particularly stark when there were black film festivals in Milan, Holland, Switzerland, Germany and of course France. Catherine pointedly stated ‘why don’t you Menelik organise one?’ Moi?? Par moi !! I was a little dismissive, after all I still had ambitions of filmmaking as well as being a one parent at that time. Nevertheless it struck a note. I wrestled with the thought for months after. Increasingly I was embarrassed that so many important films, a whole world of cinema, was missing from the UK landscape. Perpetuating the false idea that there is no alternative to the black Hollywood diet. At that time 90s black cinema was associated with the wave of African American film directors led by Spike Lee, John Singleton and a new wave of urban films from Boyz in the
history
Hood, New Jack City etc.. Whilst these film have their place, there also other African American filmmakers like Charles Burnett, Haile Gerima, Julie Dash who were making films with very different sensibilities which were not been seen in UK. I concluded that there was no good reason why we should be left out of the loop. Not only do audiences need to experience these films but the next generation of filmmakers need to know and be inspired by authentic black cinema. For these reasons I felt compelled to act despite my reservations. To make it happen I needed a team and particularly someone who could pull together the films, and deal with the actual co-ordination
of the event. Yes I had the knowledge of films and contact with the filmmakers and could raise funds but I wasn’t looking to perform a one man show. Thoughts attract and within a short time I brought on board Charles Thompson, who I knew previously. We had a great synergy of ideas and I asked him to come on board to co-ordinate the festival and later Charles became Festival director. Certainly without him the festival would not have happened. There were also many other people that contributed over the years that were also important like Morinade Akinbobola, Ionie Richards, Beverley Willie who played vital roles, in addition to literally hundreds of people over the years working behind the scenes, till this day. It is hard to believe that we have reached 10 years. As with all festivals it has not been easy, you go through learning curves and challenges, sometimes to the point where you ask yourself whether you have succumbed to madness. If in that time we can say that our festival has made a difference, to film lovers and filmmakers alike then I can say that the journey has been worthwhile. 10 years closes and begins yet another chapter in the story and let’s hope that in another 10 years we will continue to celebrate Black World Cinema through our festival. Menelik Shabazz, Founder
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Ishmahil Blagrove Jr House of Knowledge. We produced magazines, newsletters and calendars all aimed at raising social awareness to various issues and causes.
It’s quite obvious that you are happy covering a number of different subjects, do you find it easy to shift focus from one to the other? Often the difficulty is not in shifting focus, but not having enough time, resources or energy to focus on more stories. For every documentary we produce, we are researching about ten others. I feel passionate about many issues currently raging in the world. The wars in Iraq, Democratic Repbulic Congo, Somalia, Sudan, the effects of racism, corporate and state corruption, globalisation etc… so, I don’t think there will be any shortage of stories for me in this lifetime.
How do you feel about having a retrospective of your work at this stage of your career? I feel honoured and humbled. I feel even more honoured that this recognition has been sparked by the initiative and efforts of bfm. There is always something validating about being acknowledged by your peers. A couple of years ago I attended a photographic
Tell us about your latest film, and how much you knew about the subject matter before you began working on it? Our latest documentary This Is Our Country Too was filmed in Australia. It has always irked me that the plight of the Indigenous people of Australia is outside the radar of Africandiasporan activism. The Indigenous people of that
the I nterview By Cassam Looch Can you tell us how you came into filmmaking, it’s certainly not a ‘conventional route? I believe many people in Britain share the frustration of feeling under-represented by the mainstream media. My evolution to documentary making was inevitable as soon as the technology became available to make filmmaking more accessible and affordable. Prior to setting up Rice N Peas Films, I ran a private security company called Frontline Security and a publishing company for twelve years called w w w. b f m m e d i a . c o m
exhibition at the Museum of London of three original pioneering black British photographers: Charlie Phillips, Armet Francis and Neil Kenlock. In conversation about the exhibition with Menelik Shabazz, one of this countries most inspirational black filmmakers, he said “There’s still a long way to go in the acknowledgement of black arts and culture and its influences, we’ve all been struggling for a very long time. We’ve all been working in our different areas and I think that what’s happening is that twentyfive and thirty years later there is finally some acknowledgement of the works that we’ve been doing, but there is always the concern that its taken so long, and we hope that the next generation that are doing the work will get the recognition when they need it, which is now and not twenty-five and thirty years down the line.” I don’t think I can put it any better than that.
part of the world, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea etc… they underwent colonialism and imperialism just like most other people of colour, yet their struggles against racism and for human rights never seems to solicit the international attention it deserves. We are all familiar with the civil rights struggles of the 50’s and 60’s in the United States, or the fight against apartheid in South Africa, so, why not Australia? The mistreatment and abuse of the indigenous people of Australia is shocking, the poverty and conditions they live in is gut-wrenching. I had been trying to make this documentary for about 4-5 years, but was restricted by the obvious, finance and logistics. What did you take away from this particular film, how much did you learn? I learned how beautiful, peaceful, selfless and spiritual the Aboriginal people are and how the mass psychosis perpetuated by media and State propaganda has robbed mainstream Australia of sharing in what should be its greatest asset. What are your plans for the future, are there any stories you feel need to be told right now? I’ve been working back-to-back for the past six years without a proper break, so I’m off to Latin America and Cuba for six months, where I hope to defrag my hard drive, kick back, relax, sip Mojitos, catch up with friends and finish the book I’ve been planning to write for many years. The book is called The Revolution Can Now Be Televised. It looks at new digital technology, the ways in which it is being utilised and the strategies and methods we have employed at Rice N Peas to make our documentaries. The Ishmahil Blagrove Jr Retrospective will take place at the British Museum on Sat 8th Nov and the University of East London on Mon 17th Nov. For more information about Rice N Peas Films visit www.ricenpeas.com w w w. b f m m e d i a . c o m
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The
Ghost Horace Ove Interview
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Of Hing King Estate
By Cassam Looch Shot on Location in Trinidad, The Ghost of Hing King Estate is the latest feature film by Horace Ove CBE. Filmed over a grueling five week period the story is based on actual events from the 1960’s, and represents a time and place the director is very familiar with. “The story is based around an estate and the people who live on it. The main focus is a husband and wife who look after the buildings and residents for the new owners. When people
start to get ill they initially blame the wife who has been giving out medicine to some of the residents, but it turns out there maybe something else as well.” The film cleverly let’s the viewer make up their own minds as to what is actually happening, and this is something that Ove is keen to explore in his work. “When people started dying you can see the resident’s reactions and it was a very realistic approach they had. It’s not a complete story in as much as I wanted the audience to make up their own minds as to what is going on. The evidence is there and presented to them but they can decide for themselves.” The realistic approach on film is key to telling the story, and the director describes exactly how
people on the project. It felt like a local project because it was one, so it’s difficult to compare it to filming elsewhere like in the UK for example. It was interesting to be directing but also teaching throughout. I think technically speaking the whole crew were excellent, they could literally fix anything that wouldn’t work!” The film itself has a universal story, which Horace is keen to get across to a wide an audience as possible. “I think I may use subtitles for some of the scenes, depending on where you are from some of the dialogue may be hard to interpret. However the film itself as I mentioned has characters that everyone will recognize, they are personalities that are familiar to all of us. There is a lot of information in the film which is
this translated to the filmmaking process. “It’s all about the interaction between the people that are living on this estate. They are black/Indian/mixed, typical of the area, but it’s not about that… it’s about their relationships with one another.” Something else which was crucial to the success of the film, was the actual process of making the project itself. “Filming was surprisingly good. Apart from my cinematographer (Phillip Chavannes) every one else was from Trinidad. My son Kaz was the assistant director and we had a number of young people involved who were all anxious to learn. Even though we had a small budget we still had a brilliant time making the film and working with the
completely necessary for it to work.” Essentially the film avoids Hollywood conventions and this was deliberate on the part of the filmmaker. “People have tended to go and see Hollywood films, but this isn’t really like one of those. In fact it was something that came across initially from the actors so it was important to get genuine performances and have them be themselves. I wanted to avoid it feeling forced, it had to be natural.” “Overall to be honest I wasn’t sure it was going to be a good experience making the film, but I was pleasantly surprised by the whole process” The Ghost of Hing King Estate will be screened on Fri 8th Nov at the BFI Southbank. w w w. b f m m e d i a . c o m
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Why
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are Black Lesbian Stories Dominated by the USA?
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By Campbell (writer / filmmaker) U people and Black./Womyn.: Conversations With Lesbians of African Descent document Black lesbian lives but are different films both in execution and energy. Black./Womyn.: Conversations With Lesbians of African Descent (USA 2008, 97 min ) recently won the Best Documentary Award in the Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival 2008. The documentary is shot informally and intimately as a conversation with the director Tiona M and other lesbians of African descent from the USA, Canada and the Caribbean. The women range in ages from 18 – 60 and have different perspectives on gender, roles, coming out, marriage, invisibility and religion. Some of the subjects include poet/author Cheryl Clarke, filmmaker/activist Aishah Shahidah Simmons, filmmaker Michelle Parkerson, spoken word artist Staceyann Chin and music artist Hanifah Walidah. Black./Womyn is an essay with visuals. This is an effective way of getting an audience to focus on the conversation rather than being distracted by
bl ack les bi a n sto r i es . . .
U People
extraneous imagery. U People (USA, 2008, 77 mins) produced and codirected by Hanifah Walidah is a rockumentary. The film follows the cast and crew of the music video U People. As the film unfolds the stresses and strains of making a feature length film in two days begins to have an effect on the cast and crew. The lack of sleep and gruelling schedule leads to arguments, tantrums and tears. In addition the veneer of easy sisterhood begins to lose it’s sheen when the assumption that Blackness should trump sexual orientation in the identity hierarchy are contested. Even though there has been continuum of Black male queer filmmakers started by Isaac Julien continued by Rikki Beadle Blair, Topher Campbell and Ian Poitier we still have to look to the USA for content which is both Black and lesbian. BD Women (GB 1994, 19 mins) made under my birth name Inge Blackman, debuted on Channel 4 Television’s Out series in 1994. The film included interviews with Black lesbians intercut with a dramatised romance between a Butch Daddy and her Jazz Singer lover set within a Harlem Renaissance style era. At that time it seemed that Black British lesbian filmmakers would inevitably increase with time. Just under a decade and a half later Black gay men and lesbians are doing just that – Topher
Black./Womyn... (This & middle image)
Campbell is a regular director for Eastenders. Also in front of the camera we have Stephen K Amos an out gay comedian making regular appearances on daytime television shows, Asher D from So Solid Crew music posse, played a gay man in Holby, Ofo Uhiara a gay character in The Bill, Dystin Johnson a lesbian character in Shameless to name just a few. One thing that has not changed however is that we are still not in control of our own stories and Black lesbians as directors have vanished. BD Women still remains the only film made by an African descent gay woman funded by a channel and shown on mainstream television. Even with the accessibility of filmmaking using digital technology, and distribution means via the Internet, Black British lesbians are largely silent. Black lesbian stories are being dominated by African American filmmakers. Whether funded or not they are churning out documentaries, soaps, feature length fictional films and webisodes. Both films are examples of African-American Lesbians usings the tools to make their voices heard. U people will be screened at the ICA on Wed 12th Nov; Black./ Womyn.: Conversations With Lesbians of African Descent on Sat 15th Nov at Bernie Grants Arts Centre, followed by a discussion with Campbell.
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programme
Friday 7th November
OPENING NIGHT BFI Southbank
The Ghost of Hing King Estate + Q&A
20.00 NFT1 Dir: Horace Ove CBE // European Premier 120min // 2007 // Trinidad// Cert 15 Horace Ove CBE, the ‘Godfather’ of black British Cinema presents his first feature length film since Playing Away. Based on a true story and shot on location in Trinidad, The Ghost of Hing King Estate tells the dramatic story of mysterious deaths amongst plantation workers on a local estate. Carmelle, the plantation overseer’s wife is accused of their untimely deaths and vilified locally. Life on Hing King Estate is forever changed as the facades are broken down, relationships tested and friendships destroyed. Screening will be followed by a discussion with the director. To mark the opening night, a late night DJ session will be hosted by Amplified in the Benugo bar.
The Ghost of Hing King Estate
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pr o g r a mme
Saturday 8th November
BFI Southbank
British Museum
Sembene: The Making of African Cinema
RETROSPECTIVE:
Ishmahil Blagrove Jr + Q&A 12.00 – 19.00 Stephenson Lecture Theatre 12.00 – 13.00 Drinks Reception with Ishmahil Blagrove Jr.
This is Our Country Too
13.00 – 15.45 Session One
16.15 – 18.45 Session Two
57min // 2007 // Cuba // UK A follow up to Blagrove’s hugely popular Haste Siempre, With or Without Fidel examines the future direction of Cuba’s 48 year-old revolution. How do Cubans feel about their own identity and freedom of speech? In candid discussion, politicians, intellectuals and dissidents, question the values that western democracy holds sacred and the price Cubans have paid for their independence. Spanish with English Subtitles.
15min // 2006 // Jamaica // UK Nine Nights follows the ceremony and funeral of Aunt Iris, highly respected matriarch of the community of New Green, Jamaica, who died in March 2006, aged 92. A cultural death ritual that dates back to the days of slavery, it is a ceremony of passage whereby the family and community of the deceased bid farewell and wish the spirit a safe passage into the afterlife. The film intimately portrays the contradictory emotions of joy and sadness contrast sharply between the Nine Night and the funeral.
With Or Without Fidel
+
BANG! BANG! In Da Manor 57min // 2004 // UK// Cert 15 A shocking expose into the disproportionate levels of violence and murder suffered by the black community of Britain this documentary identifies the failure of the British educational system, the breakdown of family units, and consumerism/ capitalism as significant contributory factors into this phenomenon. With interviews from gunmen, underground arms dealers, drug users and victims of the violence, the film attempts to define the social environment which conditions and nurtures the desire to consume and destroy.
Nine Nights
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15.00 NFT3 Dir: Manthia Diawara & Ngugi Wa Thiong’o // 60min // 1994 // USA This rich documentary follows the great Senegalese film-maker Ousmane Sembene from the Pan – African Film Festival in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, back to the streets of Dakar and his Galle Ceddo home at Yoff, overlooking the sea. Revisiting several locations of his films, Sembene reminisces about his career and discusses his craft. Features an insightful conversation between Sembene and the young John Singleton. French with English subtitles.
+
Borom Sarret
20min // 2006 // Uganda // UK Acholi Wedding exposes the destabilising effects war has on traditional practices and the evolutionary processes that take place when people are forcibly moved from rural to urban environments.
Dir: Ousmane Sembene // 20min // 1966 // Senegal Sembene’s first film, it tells a story of a cart driver in Dakar, whose experiences show that African independence has failed to solve the problems of its people. Subtitled. Screening will be followed by a discussion with Karen Alexander a specialist on African representation in film.
This is Our Country Too
13th Months of Sunshine
Acholi Wedding
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80min // 2008 // Australia // UK Takes a look at the recent political changes in Australia and the Indigenous peoples demands for sovereignty, human rights and equality. Beyond the façade of Australia’s beaches, barbeques and tourism lies a nation divided. Both sessions will be followed by a discussion with the director.
18.10 NFT3 Dir: Yehdego Abeselom // European Premier // 102min // 2008 // USA A green card story with an Ethiopian twist. Solomon and Hanna enter a marriage of convenience. Solomon dreams of opening a coffee shop with the money acquired, and Hanna is looking for a better life in America. During w w w. b f m m e d i a . c o m
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Sunday 9th November Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA)
Sisai
The Disciple
the year-long naturalization process, they find that the marriage of convenience becomes complicated through love, jealousy and the clash of cultural values each must face in following their dreams. Amharic with English subtitles.
The Disciple + Q&A
20.40 NFT2 Dir: Rodney Charles // UK Premier // 102min // 2008 // USA // UK Four trans-cultural friends: Pete, an American mid-westerner; Jud, a Black European; and Lisa, a first generation Polish-New Yorker, who share a house in Los Angeles. Together with their South African friend Mary, the group is coaxed into temporarily escaping the complex lies they live and the façade of happiness when Michael, Jud’s estranged ex-military cousin, comes to visit from London. As they abandon their protective façade, however, tenuous boundaries begin to fray, secrets are revealed and the friends are forced to evaluate volatile personal truths and confront their suspicions about the deadly nature of Michael’s visit. Screening will be followed by a discussion with the director led by Kwame Kwei-Armah.
14.30 Cinema 1 Dir: David Gavro // UK Premier // 56min // 2005 // Israel Sapir Academic College In association with the UK Jewish Film Festival This award winning documentary follows Sisai, a 20 something Ethiopian immigrant who is settled with his adoptive family, the Gavros in Israel. His world is rocked with news that his biological father has been located, pre-empting a long awaited return to Ethiopia. He and his father’s reunion offer us a rare emotional glimpse into male relationships. Hebrew, Amharic w/English Sub. Best Documentary Jerusalem Film Festival. Best Documentary FIPA Biarritz.
Movement (R)evolution Africa
16.00 Cinema 2 Dir: Joan Frosch and Alla Korgan // UK Premier // 65min // 2007 // US Riveting stories of nine African choreographers who unveil soul shaking responses to the beauty and tragedy of the 21st century through dance.
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Loxology Dir: Khesumaba Jess // 30min // UK Personal testimonies by lockswearers.
Movement Revolution
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Afro-Saxons + Q&A
18.15 Cinema 2 Dir: Rachel Wang & Mark Currie // UK Premier // 84min // 2008 // UK A sharp and funny observational documentary that follows four salons as they prepare for the biggest Afro-hair competition in the UK. Screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director.
BFI Southbank
Victims of Our Riches
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Area Boys Dir: Omelihu Nwanguma // 25min // 2007 // UK // Nigeria Lifelong friends Bode and Obi decide to sever the ties to their life of crime for good, but their plans fall apart before it’s began. Forced to flee from the city whilst hiding from the clutches of old enemies their journey brings them to the realization of the true value of their friendship.
18.10 NFT3 Dir: Kal Toure // UK Premier // 59min // 2007 // Mali // France A thought provoking documentary which examines uncomfortable truths behind the motivations of African men and women, prepared to take life threatening risks to make the journey over the Spanish enclaves of northern Morocco. Young deportees speak of their unfortunate attempts to cross over to Spain, and give us their harrowing version of events. Dikalo Award for best Documentary Film 2007/ Grand Prix Ousmane Sembene 2007/ Griot d’Ebene Award for Best Documentary Film 2008. French with English Subtitles.
An Evening With Black British Acting Talent
20.30 NFT3 Leading black British actors, join us in a candid discussion about their careers, successes and future plans. Featuring Fraser James (pictured), Will Johnson, David Harewood (tbc), Lennie James and Gary MacDonald.
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calender
ca len d er
DATE
VENUE
TIME
FILM
DATE
VENUE
TIME
FILM
FRIDAY 7TH NOV
Bfi Southbank
20.00 / NFT 1
THE GHOST OF HIN KING ESTATE + Q&A DJ NIGHT
FRIDAY 14TH NOV
Ica
18. 30 / Cinema 2
SATURDAY 8TH NOV
Bfi Southbank
15.00
SEMBENE: THE MAKING OF AFRICAN CINEMA + BOROM SARRET + DISCUSSION
FROM MAMBO TO HIP HOP: A BRONX TALE + B.L.A.C.K – AN ABORIGINAL SONG OF HIP HOP
Ica
20. 30 / Cinema 1
THE STORY OF THE WU TANG CLAN HIP HOP CLUB NIGHT
Bfi Southbank
18.10 / NFT 3
13 MONTHS OF SUNSHINE
Rich Mix
12.00 / Cinema 2
Bfi Southbank
20.40 / NFT 2
THE DISCIPLE + Q&A CHAIRED BY KWAME KWEI-ARMAH
A CHARMED LIFE + THE TRUTH IS YOU CAN NEVER LEAVE HOME + SCHOOL DINNERS + Q&A
British Museum
12.00 – 19.00
RETROSPECTIVE: ISHMAHIL BLAGROVE
14.00 / Cinema 2
RETURN + LES EAUX
12.00 – 13.00
DRINKS RECEPTION
16.00 / Cinema 2
AFRICAN SHORTS + Q&A
13.00 – 15.45
WITH OR WITHOUT FIDEL + BANG! BANG! IN DA MANOR + Q&A
18.00 / Cinema 2
THE DISCIPLE (REPEAT)
20.00 / Cinema 2
COVER + Q&A
16.15 – 18.45
NINE NIGHTS + ACHOLI WEDDING + THIS IS OUR COUNTRY TOO + Q&A
Bfi Southbank
18.10 / NFT 3
VICTIMS OF OUR RICHES
Bfi Southbank
20.30 / NFT 3
AN EVENING WITH BLACK BRITISH ACTING TALENT
Ica
14.30 / Cinema 1
UKJFF COLLABORATION SISAI
SUNDAY 9TH NOV
TUESDAY 11TH NOV
WEDNESDAY 12TH NOV
THURSDAY 13TH NOV
Bfi Southbank
16.00 / Cinema 2
MOVEMENT (R)EVOLUTION AFRICA + LOXOLOGY
18.15 / Cinema 2
AFRO-SAXONS + Q&A
20.30 / NFT 1
SHORTS AWARDS – MUCH ADO ABOUT A MINOR TING + MAN, BROKEN + ONE OF US + WIN, LOSE OR DRAW + SURVIVOR DJ NIGHT
Ica
18.30 Cinema 2
DREAMER’S DREAM + TONY BLACKWOOD: IN STEREO + Q&A
Ica
20.30 Cinema 2
U PEOPLE
Ica
18.30 Cinema 2
THE DANCING FOREST + Q&A
Ica
20.30 Cinema 1
HIT FOR SIX! + WHAT CAN I DO?
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SATURDAY 15TH NOV
Bernie Grant Arts 12.00 Centre
SUNDAY 16TH NOV
MONDAY 17TH NOV
Imperial War Museum
Rich Mix
THE RED GLASSES + OBARA AND THE MERCHANTS + DREAM FLIGHT (CHILDREN’S)
14.00
JINGLE BLUES, JINGLE BELLS + Q&A
16.00
THE BLACK CANDLE
18.00
SOUL MATE
20.00
BLACK/WOMYN CONVERSATIONS WITH LESBIANS OF AFRICAN DESCENT + DISCUSSION
12.00
100 BLACK MEN DOUBLE BILL AFRIKAN WORLD MASTERS
14.00
YOUTH CRIME PROGRAMME NORTH BY NORTHWEST 10 + SHOOT AND SCORE + CHOICES + KNIFE TRENDS LDN + SHOWDOWN + GROWING + Q&A
19.00
TIC + Q&A
University of East 17.OO London
BANG BANG IN DA MANOR + Q&A
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Tuesday 11th November BFI Southbank
bfm Short Film Awards
20.30 NFT1 bfm International Film FestivaI’s prestigious and much anticipated annual awards event. Hosted by Tameka Empson (Three Non Blonde’s), the night will feature a screening programme of the best short films entered into the festival with audience voting. Presentations will be made for the best script; best female actor; best male actor, best cinematography, and best short film. All followed by a Blactronica night in the Benugo Bar. bfm Short Film Awards are sponsored by the BBC, ilab, Kodak and Shooting People.
A Dreamer's Dream
Wednesday 12th November Institute of Contemporary Arts (ica)
Dreamer’s Dream + Q&A
Much Ado about a Minor Ting Dir: Jesse Lawrence // 27min // 2007 // UK 18 year old Rene returns to West London to track down his ex sweet heart, but where has he been and why is there a bounty on his head?
Man, Broken Dir: Pezhmaan Alinia // 5min 20sec // 2007 // UK When grief knows no bounds and desperation sets in, where does a man turn?
One of Us Dir: Clint Dyer // 12min // 2007 // UK The dynamic pace of Quincy’s basketball match is frozen when he is faced with a crucial dilemma.
Win, lose or draw Dir: Lawrence Coke // 30min // 2007 // UK As Caribbean’s arrive in Britain in search of a new life, it is not only the weather that dishes out a cold reception.
Survivor Win, Lose or Draw. Main image: Man Broken
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Dir: Nicole Volavka // 15min // 2007 // UK A tale of friendship made on fragile emotional grounds in the world of London’s night cleaners.
18.30 Cinema 2 Dir: Chester Yang // UK Premier // 57min // 2006 // UK A romantic comedy which follows the journey of twenty-something, Ray (Alexis Rodney), who settled with his partner Kylie (Sophie Marriotte) and their daughter, fances himself as a performance poet. Caught up in the lofty world of his ideals, he meets two devious men who trick him and set about the unraveling of his comfortable life. Can Ray get his world back together and find a voice? Screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director.
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behind the scenes of a not so typical music video shoot. What the camera caught introduces a strong and very human voice into the discussion of gay and straight relations and the diversity within the minority.
Thursday 13th November Institute of Contemporary Arts (ica)
The Dancing Forest + Q&A
18.30 Cinema 2 Dir: Brice Laine // 76min // 2008 // Togo // UK Set in the rural plains of Togo, The Dancing Forest is an eloquent and inspirational story of the people of Baga who refuse to be victims of a global system of dependence and inequality. With fantastic cinematography and a rare glimpse into traditional agricultural practices, The Dancing Forest offers a story of survival and hope. French with English subtitles. Screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director.
Tony Blackwood: In Stereo Dir: Keston Neunie // 5min // 2007 // UK An animated short in which the comical Tony Blackwood narrates the tribulations of being a young black male.
U People
20.30 Cinema 2 Dir: Hanifah Walidah and Olive Demetrius // UK Premier // 76min // 2008 // US An accidental documentary where an entire cast and crew of 30 gay, straight women and trans folks of color were caught on camera
The Dancing Forest
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Hit for Six!
20.30 Cinema 1 Dir: Alison Saunders-Franklyn // UK Premier // 99min // 2007 // UK A captivating fictional story of a playboy West Indies cricketer who fights demons of his past, including a match fixing charge, and learns about love while struggling for his last chance to play in a major global tournament and earn the respect of his estranged father, a former great West Indies player. Stars Rudolph Walker.
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What Can I Do? Dir: Hugo Martin // UK Premier // 15min // 2007 // UK A short piece following participants on a London charity walk for sickle cell anemia awareness.
Wu: The Story of the Wu-Tang Clan
York cultural scene, through the birth of Hip-Hop in the 1970’s. The film chronicles two generations who grew up literally on the same streets, and both used rhythm as their form of rebellion – for the older generation it was the pulsating rhythms of Cuba; for their children it was the rhythms of Hip-Hop.
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B.L.A.C.K. – An Aboriginal Song of Hip-Hop
Friday 14th November Institute of Contemporary Arts (ica) In partnership with the Hip Hop Association
From Mambo to Hip Hop: A Bronx Tale
18.30 Cinema 2 Dir: Henry Chalfant // 60min // 2006 // USA A charming view of the music that blossomed in the Latino community of the South Bronx from the late 1940’s when mambo burst onto the New w w w. b f m m e d i a . c o m
Dir: Grant Leigh Saunders // 26 min // 2007 // Australia B.L.A.C.K., a cipher scribed by independent and Indigenous Hip Hop artist, Wire MC, urges his audience to consider what it means to be Black in contemporary Australia. Through interview and observation, the song is visually and dialectically deconstructed to speak of contemporary theories of Aboriginal blackness, politics and culture. It shows how traditional story telling and dance is being re-invented by adapting the elements of Hip Hop culture to enliven the quest to maintain traditional values, cultural knowledge, language and B.L.A.C.K. (Born Long Ago Creation’s Keeper) pride.
20.30 Cinema 1 Dir: Gerald Barclay // 90min // 2008 // US Traces the early formation of Staten Island’s most famous export, The Wu Tang Clan. Written and Directed by the group’s childhood friend and former video director, it features early footage of the group and interview with family members charting their success. With a particular focus on the colourful life, and untimely death of the talented OBD, Wu: The Story of the Wu-Tang Clan is a must see for all Hip Hop fans. Screening will be followed by a Hip Hop night in the ICA bar.
Saturday 15th November Rich Mix
A Charmed Life + Q&A
12.00 Cinema 2 Dir: Ros Williams & Patrick Vernon // UK Premier // 50min/2008/UK A story of the life and times of Eddie Martin Noble. Born in Jamaica in 1917 he volunteered at the age of 25 to serve in World War II. When he came over to Britain in 1943 he was stationed in East Anglia at a RAF base. The documentary examines Eddie’s perspectives and values of inspiring
young people and gives a historical perspective on the issues around colonisation of the Caribbean, racism in the RAF during the War, the colour bar and racial inequality in post-war Britain.
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The Truth is you Can Never Leave Home + Q&A Dir: Tian Glasgow // 30min // 2008 // UK A portrait documentary which explores the changes in attitude and ambitions which have occurred within the Black community since the Windrush era, exposing the clashing cultures of first generation immigrants, their children and increasingly, their grandchildren.
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School Dinners
Dir: Charles Da Costa // UK Premier // 6min // 2005 // UK A quirky animation where a West Indian elder talks about her life growing up in London during the second World War.
Return
14.00 Cinema 2 Dir: Damani Baker // UK Premier A fascinating documentary which follows two African-Americans as they journey to South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Senegal to investigate the practices of traditional medicine men and reconnect with their ancestry. Features an interview with Malidoma Somé, acclaimed author of Of Water and the Spirit. Winner of the best documentary, Independent Black Film Festival 2007.
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Les Eaux Dir: Kapwani Kiwanga // UK Premier // 15min // 2008 // France // Benin Les Eaux navigates the sacred realm of Vodoun and oral histories in Southern Benin looking into the mystery that surrounds ‘mammywater’. French with English subtitles. w w w. b f m m e d i a . c o m
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Saturday 15th November contd.
The Slave Coast: Inside Old Calabar
Rich Mix
African Shorts Programme + Q&A 16.00 Cinema 2 Dir: Various
Africa’s Daughters Dir: Natalie Halpern // UK Premier // 25min // 2007 // US // Uganda The story of two Ugandan girls with big dreams, defying the odds in a country where a high school education is generally reserved for boys. Hoctavia is one of 31 children, most of whom dropped out of school. Ruth lives in a tiny apartment in a Kampala slum with her mother and three siblings. Graduating from high school is the only way they can lift themselves and their families out of poverty. Like millions of girls in Africa who will never move beyond primary school, their challenges are not unique but their journey is.
Dir: Charles Aniagolu // UK Premier // 22min // 2008 // Nigeria // UK A glimpse into the Atlantic slave trade from an African perspective. For almost three hundred years, Old Calabar dominated the slave trade in the Bight of Biafra, turning the area into one of the most intensely trafficked slave-trading regions in Africa. Over the course of the trade, approximately ten million men, women and children from Africa were captured, sold as slaves and transported to the new world. The film examines the communities that traded along old Calabar and tells the story of their important role in facilitating the Atlantic slave trade; the largest forced migration in human history highlighting the complicity of the chiefs and institutions of Old Calabar.
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Blood Money
Africa's Daughters
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A Short for my Niece (the Yaa Asantewaa Story) Dir: Akua Ofosuhene // UK Premier // 17min // 2007 // Ghana // UK The story of the valiant Ashanti Queen Mother who took up arms in defence of her nation.
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Dir: M. Martin Ngongo // UK Premier // 7min // 2007 // France Two young African Students in the late 60’s in Paris are dreaming about the evolutions, the progress that will bring independence in their country. Twenty years later, one kills his former friend. French with English subtitles.
The Disciple (Repeat)
18.00 Cinema 2 Dir: Rodney Charles // UK Premier // 102min // 2008 // USA // UK Four trans-cultural friends: Pete, an American mid-westerner; Jud, a Black European; and Lisa, a first generation Polish-New Yorker, who share a house in Los Angeles. Together with their South African friend Mary, the group is coaxed into temporarily escaping the complex lies they live and the façade of happiness when Michael, Jud’s estranged ex-military cousin, comes to visit from London. As they abandon their protective façade, however, tenuous boundaries begin to fray, secrets are revealed and the friends are forced to evaluate volatile personal truths and confront their suspicions about the deadly nature of Michael’s visit.
Cover + Q&A
20.00 Cinema 2 Dir: Bill Duke // UK Premier // 98min // 2007 // US When someone is murdered on New Year’s Eve, the prime suspect is Valeris Mass, a churchgoing home maker whose life unravels when she discovers that he husband of many years has been leading a double life. Her strength of character and faith keep her going as the revelation of her husband’s betrayal threatens to destroy all that they have known. Stars Vivica A Fox, Lou Gossett Jr, Aunjanue Ellis and Raz Adoti. Screening will be followed by a Q&A with the producer Corey Redmond and Raz Adoti. Cover
The Red Glasses
Drean Flight
Bernie Grant Arts Centre
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMME The Red Glasses
12.00 Dir: Yinka Djin // UK Premier // 43min // 2005 // Ghana The adventures of a young brother and sister as they find a pair of magical glasses.
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Dream Flight Dir: Bobby Heany // 14min // 2008 // South Africa When Jubulani loses his ability to walk, his dreams of being a pilot are shattered. But maybe he can make his dream happen?
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Obara & the Merchants Dir: Manauvaskar Kublall // UK Premier // 8min // 2007 // US When his village suffers from famine, after a hunger filled hunt, Obara the hunter is finally able to make a delicious stew! But is there enough to share with the hungry merchants who are coming up the path? Winner of Best Animation Hollywood, Black Film Festival 2008.
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Jingle Blues Jingle Bells + Q&A
14.00 Dir: Sylvester Williams // UK Premier // 88min // 2008 // UK // Cert 12A Former Eastenders actor Sylvester Williams makes his directing debut with a romantic comedy drama which focuses on a not so typical black British family. Christopher Carroll strives to please his family in the face of an impending financial crisis. Will the secrets that emerge from his actions tear the family apart? Jingle Blues, Jingle Bells is the first black British Christmas feature film. Screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director.
The Black Candle
16.00 Dir: M.K. Asante // European Premier // 71min // 2008 // US Narrated by world renowned poet Maya Angelou, The Black Candle is a timely illumination on why the seven principles of Kwanzaa (unity, selfdetermination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith) are so important to people of African descent today. Looking closely at the pan African celebration, Kwanzaa, The Black Candle traces the holiday’s growth out of the Black Power Movement in the 1960s to its present-day reality as a global, pan-African event embraced by over 40 million celebrants.
The Black Candle
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Soulmate
18.00 Dir: Andrea Wiley // UK Premier // 83min // 2006 // US 43% of African American Women remain unmarried. Soulmate presents the realities facing today’s successful, saved and single AfricanAmerican woman. This personal portrait reveals the trials and triumphs of remarkable women while offering hope and practical advice on such issues as loneliness, the desire for sexual intimacy, men on the down low, the ticking biological clock and the uncertainty of the future. Winner of Best Feature Film African American Women in Cinema Film Festival. Winner Best Documentary, San Francisco WYSIWYG Film Festival.
black. womyn.: conversations with lesbians of african descent
20.00 Dir: Tiona.M // UK Premier // 2008 // US An illuminating documentary made up of structured interviews with 43 lesbians of African descent from various backgrounds. It features candid revelations from black lesbian women discussing coming out, sexuality and religion, love and relationships, marriage, patriarchy, visibility in media, discrimination and homophobia, activism, gender identity. Black lesbian youth and elders, balancing gender/race/sexuality, question what it means to call oneself a Black lesbian today. Winner of Best Documentary, Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival 2008 Screening will be followed by a discussion with the experimental filmmaker Campbell (formerly known as Inge Blackman).
Sunday 16th November Imperial War Museum
In Association with 100 Black Men Afrikan World Masters
12.00 Dir: Dr. Kwaku Lynn // UK Premier // 99min // 2007 // US Rare, dated footage of historic presentations given by African pioneers, John Henricke Clarke, Ivan Van Sertima; Francis Cress Welsing and Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
Youth Crime Shorts + Q&A 14.00
North by Northwest Ten
Dir: Denny Mendoza Why do so many black males fail in school? What will they do after being labelled a failure? How will they survive? Where do the guns and drugs come from? What is the role of the Government in their lives? How do the authorities relate to them? What is being done to help these young people? Where do we go from here? A no-nonsense examination of a generation, North by Northwest Ten, offers a look at the youth/gang culture of urban UK and explores the evolution of this culture over the past twenty years.
Shoot and Score Dir: Leon Herbert // European Premier // 17min // 2007 // UK Three young friends, growing up on an estate in Hackney with different paths in life. Drugs, football and broken homes.
Choices Dir: Caz Kennedy // World Premier // 1min // 2007 // UK 2 men, same neighbourhood, 1 moment, 1 choice.
Knife Trends LDN Dir: Shola Amoo // World Premier // 13min // 2007 // UK A film looking at the problem of knife crime in London, questioning the government response.
Showdown Dir: Dewi BruceKonuah // World Premier // 2min // 2008 // UK This town ain’t big enough for the both of ‘em… A short film with a simple message: when guns are drawn, blood is spilled. Star Ashley Walters and Alexis Rodney.
Growing Dir: David Aexander // 10min // 2007 // UK A day in the life of three teenage boys, whose idle lifestyle of smoking, joking around and chasing girls, results in tragedy.
North By Northwest Ten
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the directors.
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Seminars TUESDAY 11TH NOVEMBER 2008 White City Conference Centre
FREE BBC INDUSTRY SEMINARS The Perfect 10
Tic
Monday 17th November University of East London Docklands Campus
BANG! BANG! In Da Manor (Repeat)
17.00 Lecture Theatre WBG 02 Dir: Ishmahil Blagrove Jr // 57min // 2004 // UK A shocking expose into the disproportionate levels of violence and murder suffered by the black community of Britain. Screening will be followed by a discussion with the director.
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CLOSING NIGHT SPECIAL Rich Mix
Tic
19.00 Dir: Keith Parmer // World Premier // 2008 // US Fast paced heist film starring Lennie James, Treva Etienne, Gary MacDonald and Howard Anthony. Set in LA with flashbacks to 90s London, C-Note and Anton, hustlers from London’s East End seek to avenge the death of one of their crew. Screening presentation and discussion with the director and selected actors.
10am to 12pm Guests: Paul Ashton, Development Manager BBC writersroom. Info: Advice for new writers to get a head start with their script. BBC writersroom is always on the look out for fresh new writers for a changing Britain, championing talent and diversity across the BBC.
Representing Modern Britain in Drama
2pm to 4pm Guests: Kate Rowland, Creative director, New Writing Info: Experienced writers and producers will discuss issues of representing modern Britain in Drama.
How to get noticed! Pitching and Commissioning for Drama and Factual TV 4pm to 6pm Guests: Guest speakers from BBC production and commissioning. Info: This seminar aims to discuss ways in which you can make your idea stand out from the crowd.
All 3 seminars will be held at the following location; White City Conference Centre, 201 Wood Lane, London, W12 7TS White City (Central line). Turn right out of the station and head up Wood Lane. White City is the large silver building on the left. Shepherd’s Bush (Hammersmith & City Line): Turn left out of the station and left again into Wood Lane. Continue up Wood Lane past Television Centre. White City is the large silver building on the left. Willesden Junction. Take 220 bus outside station to White City. Buses: 7, 72, 94, 105, 220, 283 Seminar programme has been kindly supported by UK Trade and Investment. Booking is essential. Contact Bukola on 0208 531 9199 or e-mail festival@bfmmedia.com.
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festi va l co n tacts
Seminars contd.
Contacts
Friday 14th November THE DRUM, Channel 4 11.00 – 13.00 Channel 4 Young People’s Programme
bfm International Film Festival
in association with bfm International Film Festival
Address: Suite 13, 5 Blackhorse Lane, Walthamstow, London E17
FREE Screening and Industry Talk
Telephone: 0208 531 9199
Guests: Ade Rawcliffe (Diversity and Talent Manager, Channel 4) and Alrick Riley (director of Babyfather) Info: Discussion of the career routes into broadcast media.
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Bling: A Planet Rock Dir: Raquel Cepeda // 90 min // Documentary // US This documentary film focuses on the complex relationship between "blood" diamonds, conflict, the influence of Hip-Hop music and culture, and community development. It examines American Hip-Hop culture's obsession with diamonds— "blinging"—and all its social trappings, and how this infatuation correlated with the ten-year civil war in Sierra Leone, West Africa in which over one million people were killed, maimed, raped or displaced. The film follows three rappers—Paul Wall, Tego Calderon, and Raekwon—as they trek to Sierra Leone to meet the survivors, perpetrators and diamond miners in the country. Includes appearances by Kanye West, Jadakiss, Bishop Don Juan, Big Daddy Kane, and Raekwon. Courtesy of the Hip Hop Association.
General enquiries: Bukola Adebiyi festival@bfmmedia.com Press: Richard Adeshiyan adeshiyan.media@btinternet.com Festival Director: Nadia Denton nadia@bfmmedia.com Festival Founder: Menelik Shabazz menelik@bfmmedia.com Sponsorship/Marketing: Nicola Millington nmillington@kindofbluemedia.co.uk
The programme will take place in THE DRUM at Channel 4, 124 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2TX St. James Park and Victoria Victoria Places are FREE to young people aged 16 – 25 but must be booked in advance. To book contact Bukola on 0208 531 9199 or e-mail festival@bfmmedia.com
Bling: A Planet Rock
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the path to the d i s ci pl e
The
Path By Kwame Kwei-Armah I remember it as if it were yesterday. Rodney Charles – my brother Paul Morris and I were sat in our mother’s kitchen discussing how to put the world to rights. After about five hours and many a fried dumpling – (we Eastern Caribbean’s call them bakes or Johnny cakes actually) we decided that the only way to do that was to create cinematic narratives, stories that placed our agenda, however naïve they may have been at the time at it’s core, and put those up on the big screen. Inspired by the explosion of African American filmmakers hitting the scene we started our own small production company – Trow Out Poe – a play on the daily ritual many an enslaved person had to complete each morning for their masters – the emptying of his chamber pot. And Rodney went about the task of
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Disciple
writing our first piece. The festival and tele-visual success of that piece Once Upon A Time and our consequent failure as a company to attract the funds for any other of our numerous projects, I contend shaped the minds and definitely the spirits of all three of us. Rodney however would not let that dampen his spirits – in fact it seemed to spur him on. If England couldn’t see it, then maybe America would. And off my kindred spirit went to the land of dreams. I wont bore you with infinite details but suffice it to say that after a period of extended homelessness, when Rodney began to appear in all of the leading fashion magazines, on billboards from LA to New York on videos and TV shows as both a model and an actor – no mean feat being the darkest complexioned brother on the block – many perceived that the success he had sought had been found, and that another ‘American dream’ story had been born. But I knew differently – I knew these achievements were simply a conduit to where Rodney is now – a man that
with his own money – his own script and his own visionary aesthetic style, could place before the world a narrative that questions as well as informs – that challenges not only what film making is – but the idea that the artist is simply here to merely entertain. His film The Disciple therefore is more than a mere movie for me. It’s a statement that hope never dies – that tenacity sometimes wins through and that the nights spent in my mother’s kitchen now have a manifestation that if received correctly will outlive our memories. So just as it’s name implies – I hope The Disciple will speak to the hearts and spirits of all those who believe that sometimes the only way to get things done – is to do it yourself. Well done Rodney – you have thrown out the Poe! The Disciple will be screened on Sat 8th Nov at the BFI Southbank, followed by discussion with the director Rodney Charles, led by Kwame Kwei-Armah.
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f i lm club
bfm Film Club bfm Film Club is London’s foremost monthly platform for Black World Cinema. With a particular focus on independent filmmaking, the film club provides a platform or high quality films which often don’t make it into the mainstream. Most screenings are followed by a discussion with the filmmaker. bfm Film Club has been based at the Institute of Contemporary Arts since 2003. Screenings are held on the first Sunday of the month.
image: Son of Man/Spiers Films
Visit www.bfmmedia.com for more details.
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the br i ts a r e co mi n g . . .
Brits The
By Keith Parmer, director of TIC Tic(tik) n: the smallest possible movement: a repetitive movement difficult if not impossible to control. For one man it was guilt, for the other it was revenge but for both ten years have passed like one TIC of the clock. Casting Tic was really just a matter of choosing the best actors for the part. As a writer, you try to w w w. b f m m e d i a . c o m
are comin g ... write memorable characters that ring true. As a director, you try to cast actors that will bring these characters to life. I didn’t set out to make a film about black British characters in America. These guys could just have easily been German, French or American cowboys for that matter, but the fact that they are British adds another dimension. I had worked with Gary McDonald, Treva Etienne, and Howard Antony on a project I was helping produce a couple of years ago. Through them I meet Lennie James whose work I was a fan of since Snatch. He had just started his stint on the series Jericho and I was delighted when he agreed to play C-Note, an American Gangster, in a short film I was doing called Tic. Unfortunately, Gary and Treva weren’t available so two other actors, one Brit and the other an American were cast to play Anton and Tyrone. Howard was to play C-Note’s bodyguard Wall. But something just wasn’t clicking with the two leads I had cast opposite Lennie so shooting was halted after a couple of days into production. A few years later, when my producing partners and I decided to make Tic our first full-length feature, Treva and Gary were available to fill in what the project had been missing. For the feature, Lennie once again agreed to play C-Note – this time in all his British glory. It just seemed right. Since C-Note’s the reason they’re all here, it’s back to the script and to those questions you ask yourself as a writer. Not, “Why didn’t I become a plastic surgeon?” but, “What is a guy like C-Note doing in Los Angeles?” It could have been just for the weather, but that wouldn’t
be very interesting for the audience, or for me for that matter. But “robberygone-bad that resulted in the death of his best friend, the brother of the man that has come six thousand miles to kill him,” well . . . it’s not Citizen Kane, but it’s better than “to work on his tan.” This led to the back-story told in flashbacks from ten years ago in London. Howard Antony moved into the new role of Reggie, the brother and best friend that was killed in the robbery, completing the emotional arc. On their own, it’s interesting that Gary and Treva’s characters are British. The cultural differences add a certain international flavor to an otherwise American film. But it’s what Gary and Treva bring to these characters that makes the real difference. It’s really in the playing. Some think of acting as lying, but I think at its core acting is about truth. One can ask why so many black British actors have to come to America to get the roles they want to play, but one could also ask why American filmmakers so often look to black British actors to play these roles. There are lots of actors in Hollywood. As with the other fabulous actors in our movie, Japanese, Italian and even a couple of Americans, they were chosen for what the bring to these roles. Truth. A Presentation of the film will be made on Monday 17th Nov at the Rich Mix with the director and cast in attendance. w w w. b f m m e d i a . c o m
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credits
Festival Team Credits Festival Founder Menelik Shabazz Festival director Nadia Denton Festival Marketeer Nicola Millington Festival PR Richard Adeshiyan Programmer Nadia Denton Assistant Programmer Mona Ibrahim Shorts Awards Co-ordinator Morinade Akinbobola Fundraising Ionie Richards Festival Administrator Bukola Adebiyi Designer Danielle Humphrey Web Maintenance Marvin Welsh House Manager Beverley Willie Distribution Manager Marlon Palmer Web Design E Regeneration Festival Host Lisa Bent Fundraising Support Tolu Oniru Dress Designer Chantel Koning
fu n d er s , s po n s o r s & pa r tn er s
Festival Funders
Festival Sponsors
Participating Venues
Special Thanks Stuart Brown (BFI), David Somerset (BFI), Tejinder Jouhal (ICA), David Cox (ICA), Catrin Williams (ICA), Duncan Smith (ICA), Shirley Wren (City Hall), Shirley Morrison (City Hall), Terry Adams, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Rodney Charles, Armet Francis, Jessica Green (CIDA), Yemisi Moluolu (CIDA), Meriel Watkins (UKFC), Rebekah Polding (Film London), Tracey Joseph (Film London) Sonia Marques (Film London), Fraser James, Kolton Lee, Dionne Walker, Ishmahil Blagrove Jr, Kathryn Szrodeki, Pauline Denton, Gali Gold (UKJFF), Ade Rawcliffe (Channel 4), Karen & Paulese (UEL), Tony Warner (100 Black Men), National Portrait Gallery, Nick Roxan (HNCC), Negede Assefa (Rich Mix), Tamsin Wright (Shooting People)
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Festival Partners
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black history & b eyo n d
SECTION HEADING
Black History Month and Beyond Identity Shorts Programme Tuesday 28th October The Tabernacle, Powis Square W11 2AY 19.00 bfm IFF in association with the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea present an Identity Shorts Programme followed by a panel discussion with Menelik Shabazz and Stephen Bourne.
Aunt Esther’s Story Dir: Stephen Bourne/Andrew Warrington // 15min Using family photographs and archive footage, Stephen Bourne tells the story of his aunt, Esther Bruce, a working class Black Londoner born before WW1 who is now included in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
Step Forward Youth Dir: Menelik Shabazz // 25 min It’s 1976, first generation young people of West Indian descent give their views on growing up in England. Shot both in Ladbroke Grove and Brixton, featuring Drummie Zeb of Aswad.
Other
African Brummie Dir: David King // 10min A journey into food, family and identity. Looks at filmmaker’s family dynamics with his English mother, African Father, 3 sisters and 2 brothers. Free of charge but booking is essential on 020 7361 3204 or arts@rbkc.gov.uk.
bfm Film Club
bfm Film Club, based at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is London’s foremost monthly film club promoting Black World Cinema. Screenings are often followed by Q&A with filmmakers. To book visit www.ica.org.uk or call 0207 930 3647 £8/£7con/£6 ICA & bfm Members
Sunday 5th October
heinous crimes and how it has affected African descendants today. Screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director and community activist Toyin Agbetu.
Sunday 7th December
Legacy in the Dust: The Four Aces Story
MAAFA Legacy + Q&A
3pm Dir: Toyin Agbetu // (Dur: 118min // UK 2008 // English // Cert: 12a A follow up to the successful and highly controversial Maafa, Maafa Legacy rigorously examines the academic view that British slavery was just ‘trade’ and makes direct linkages between the legacy of one of the most
Dir: C. Aleatha Cumberbatch // 5 min RIMA Award winning Other tells the story of a young woman’s dilemma when filling in the ethnic monitoring form as part of a job application. She is made up of so many different races she can’t tick any of the boxes. Her ancestors all appear to give her a helping hand but she just ends up more confused – eventually she ticks ‘other’. Maafa Legacy
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Legacy in the Dust
4pm Dir: Winstan Whitter // 90min // UK // 2008 // Cert 12a For over thirty years The Four Aces Club was the home to the most influential black music in the UK. From its inception in the late sixties it showcased new music from Reggae, Ska and Soul to Dub Sound systems performed live by top musicians such as Desmond Decker, Jimmy Cliff, Count Shelly, Ben E King and Billy Ocean. It’s progressive reputation saw it later attract more main stream acts such as Bob Marley, The Sex Pistols and Bob Dylan. Charting it’s history from its origins as a circus and its untimely demise in the wake of Olympic urban regeneration, Legacy in the Dust features personal and often riveting accounts by founder Mr. Newton Dunbar and many of the attendees to what would become one of the most infamous clubs in London. w w w. b f m m e d i a . c o m
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