S.O.U.L. Fest 2020 Brochure by tnbfc

www.soulfilmfest.co.uk â&#x20AC;¢ BFI Player

AUG 6-29 2020

Refugee Astronaut III by Yinka Shonibare CBE © Yinka Shonibare CBE, 2019 Photographer Angela Moore. Wellcome Collection is part of the Wellcome Trust. The Wellcome Trust is a charity registered in England and Wales, no. 210183. MP-7162.53/-2019/BS

Free exhibition

/WellcomeCollection /ExploreWellcome

Reopening 7 Oct 2020

“There isn’t just one way of being human” Yinka Shonibare, creator of Refugee Astronaut

wellcomecollection.org Euston NW1 2BE

CONTENTS

Opening Credits

Off-Set: Real

Exposition: Soul

14 Tracking: Black British Films Matter 17

Off-Set: Clemency

Snapshot: Shorts Showcase

Exposition: White Riot

Kenyan, Christian, Queer

29 Symposium: Educational Programme 32

Focus: Judi Lee-Headman

Fade To Black: Earl Cameron

Fade To Black: Louis Mahoney

37 Schedule 38

Flame

Closing Credits

www.soulfilmfest.co.uk info@soulfilm.co.uk Join the conversation on social media!

soulfestuk s.o.u.l.fest

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OPENING CREDITS

Welcome Back! Iyare Igiehon

Nuru Rimington Mkali

Akua Gyamfi

I don’t know what you had planned for 2020, but what we got, is not what I had in mind, at all! “Man Plans, God Laughs”, at least according to Public Enemy. So, what do you do when all the normal ways of doing things go out the window and you are suddenly stuck indoors? Well, if you’re me, you invest in a comfy velour tracksuit and try to make sense of things. Cast your mind back to the beginning of the lockdown. We were watching friends and family fall ill and in the worst cases pass away, witnessing people experiencing job losses and genuine hardship. With all of that going on, was it even appropriate to be worrying about our film festival? It soon became clear that we have a responsibility to you, the talent we support and the audience we serve. The unseen lives that we screen, matter. But, how even to deliver a social event in a time of social distancing? Cue the S.O.U.L. team finding a way to make things work and BFI’s fantastic programming team who agreed that S.O.U.L. Fest on the BFI Player was a feasible idea. Great, job done then, yeh? Nah, not really. Finding a way to put the festival on is one thing; actually getting it done is a whole other matter entirely.

Anthony and Teanne Andrews

Priscilla Igwe

Therefore, we have to thank the BFI, our partners and all the people who have moved heaven and earth (in a responsible, socially distanced manner, of course) to make this year’s S.O.U.L. Fest happen and we have to thank all the amazing filmmakers, talent and industry experts who are contributing to the festival all month. If you are reading these words, you took the time to take a look at our festival programme. So to you, the greatest thanks! We do this for you and we couldn’t do it without you. It was the thought of you engaging with S.O.U.L. Fest that kept us going when we weren’t sure a festival was possible this year. Please enjoy all that S.O.U.L. Fest has to offer in 2020 and we hope it’s not too long before we can do this again in person. Stay safe…

Enoma Igiehon

Iyare Igiehon S.O.U.L. Film Festival Director

OPENING CREDITS

Co-Founders of S.O.U.L. Film Festival S.O.U.L. Fest is a collaboration between four Black British organisations dedicated to serving Black audiences and talent – The British Blacklist, The New Black Film Collective, We Are Parable and S.O.U.L. Film.

“Pulling together a second festival should be easier but this year brought with it circumstances that resulted in a completely new set of challenges. We are thankful to work with such determined and dedicated partners who share our commitment and understood how incredibly important it was to deliver this year’s S.O.U.L. Fest.” Iyare Igiehon, Nuru Rimington Mkali and Enoma Igiehon S.O.U.L. Film

“Despite the challenges brought on by the global pandemic, we’re delighted that we could be part of the team to help bring S.O.U.L. Fest to audiences this year. With some amazing films on show and some world exclusives, the festival line up is one we are really proud of. We hope you enjoy S.O.U.L. this year!” Anthony and Teanne Andrews We Are Parable

THE NEW BLACK film collective “I remember when Iyare shared his idea of creating a film festival for Black creatives from the UK. And now here we are, the idea realised. I’m looking forward to the years ahead and S.O.U.L. Fest contributing to the elevation of brilliant and talented filmmakers.” Akua Gyamfi The British Blacklist

“We know that Black Lives Matter and through S.O.U.L. Fest, they are captured on a digital screen and projected across a global platform for 2020 – in all its richness. Centred on the Black British experience, we connect people with our universal tales that make us all human and we are all invited.” Priscilla Igwe The New Black Film Collective 5

R E

O F F-S E T

o Premiered at BFI London Film Festival 2019

o Nominated Best First Feature at Pan African Film Festival 2019

INTERVIEW WITH

Writer, Director and Producer Aki Omoshaybi with Pippa BennettWarner, lead actors of Real

What does ‘Black love’ mean to you? Pippa: I think ‘Black love’ is underrepresented in film and television

A L

O F F-S E T

and I’m always saying to myself ‘we fall in love too!’ it’s not just white people.

Pippa: I’m gonna go with The Best Man (1999) and Love And Basketball (2000).

What are your favourite representations of ‘Black love’ on screen? Aki: Set It Off (1996), Fruitvale Station (2013) and Moonlight (2016). These films all have so much depth and all kinds of love whether that be romantic or family.

There is a notable absence of fathers in Real. The scene where you carry the boy on your back – was that symbolic? Aki: I’ve never had a father figure in my life. It’s just been women and I wanted to show women, especially Black women in >>

(l-r) Pippa Bennett-Warner: Aki Omoshaybi

O F F-S E T

all different stages of their life. Yes, the scene at the end was symbolic – I wanted that last image to stay with the audience, so somehow it would seep into society seeing a happy Black family on screen rather than all the injustices. How did you transition from working as an actor to taking on roles behind the scenes? Aki: If I’m honest, I didn’t want to direct it because I didn’t have the knowledge and hadn’t been to film school and we had 12 days. But the director dropped out and I didn’t have a choice because no one wanted to direct a film with a budget of £50K. So I stepped up, I learnt an awful lot on the job and just had to go with my gut. How do you feel about the roles that are available to Black women working in TV and film? Pippa: We don’t have the access that white women do. We also don’t have period dramas, which in this country are a huge part of white actresses’ trajectories. 8

I do think there’s been some movement but there needs to be more. The chemistry between you both in Real is so engaging – do you have any plans to work together again in the future? Aki: Yes, absolutely! We’ve made a pact that anything I do; Pippa will be a part of it in some way. She took a risk with Real – she didn’t know me, she definitely didn’t do it for the money. It was purely for the collaboration and the character, which I feel is vital for Black creatives. We don’t always get the same funding or the resources. Even if it’s not your type of film, pull up! Because hopefully that’s when we’ll get more funding and we’ll be able to tell more of our varied stories. Pippa: Oh, I have absolutely said to Aki that he is to put me in everything he makes from now on – even if I’m playing a tree in the back of shot. Hannah Shury-Smith Real is released in UK cinemas on 11 September from Verve Pictures. n

PIPPA BENNETT-WARNER AKI OMOSHAYBI

A FILM BY AKI OMOSHAYBI

VERVE PICTURES PRESENTS A SMALL LONG PRODUCTIONS FILM IN ASSOCIATION WITH FIZZ AND GINGER FILMS AKI OMOSHAYBI PIPPA BENNETT-WARNER ‘REAL’ MUSIC BY LUIS ALMAU EDITED BY REBECCA LLOYD DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY MICHAEL EDO KEANE PRODUCED BY AKI OMOSHAYBI EXECUTIVE PRODUCER NICHOLAS BRYAN AKI OMOSHAYBI WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY AKI OMOSHAYBI

COMING SEPTEMBER realthefilm.co.uk

EXPOSITION

DISNEY AND PIXARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

Soul

EXPOSITION

A new film from Pixar Animation Studios is always a cause for celebration but their new film, Soul, comes from one of Pixar’s original and most successful filmmakers. Pete Docter, now Chief Creative Officer for the company, writes and directs his first film since the critical and commercial hit Inside Out (2015), which successfully managed to deal with major existential issues in a way that the entire family could enjoy.

Where Inside Out looked at the creation of human emotions and the reasons why we feel a particular way, Soul examines what it is that makes you…YOU and why you are born with certain lifelong passions and inspirations. As ever, Pixar has crafted a universal narrative that doesn’t speak down to younger audiences, ensuring that it’s always the story that drives the film and has created a world that is thought provoking and life affirming as much as it is funny and exciting. >>

EXPOSITION

At the heart of this is the fact that Pixar does their homework thoroughly and surrounds themselves with authentic voices; in this case as the story centres itself around a Jazz musician, Pixar has brought in Herbie Hancock, Jon Batiste and other greats from the world of Black improvisational music including Jamie Foxx, Daveed Diggs and Questlove to provide their own experiences to the team. Co-director and screenwriter Kemp Powers is an inspired choice to have been brought aboard creatively and is further evidence that people from outside the studio who work on the films can be an invaluable ingredient overall. In a nutshell, Jamie Foxx plays Joe Gardner, a band teacher who lives to make music. Just as his professional career is about to take off, he finds himself taking an unexpected journey of self-discovery to The Great Before, an incredible world where new souls are born and where they discover their interests and passions before they travel to earth. Soul is set in both the cosmic realm and in a stunningly realised New 12

York City, and it is this ability to visualise an environment that we could only ever dream of alongside another that is warmly familiar that is one of the film’s most staggering accomplishments. This is a film that takes a refreshing look at identity and self-discovery and ensures a thoughtful and respectful approach to inclusion and representation. This is a world where the ordinary can be extraordinary. Soul and the 2nd S.O.U.L. (Screening Our Unseen Lives) Film Festival are the perfect fit in more ways than just their name; this is a festival that provides a voice for Black communities and Black talent and Soul is the perfect embodiment of this aspiration and is also a celebration of the work and stories of an inclusive team of great creative minds. Its blend of state of the art animation techniques, refined creativity and storytelling plus a voice cast that also includes Tina Fey, Phylicia Rashad and Angela Bassett makes Soul the perfect film for your heart, body and soul. Justin Johnson Disney and Pixar’s Soul is released in UK cinemas soon. n

EVERYBODY HAS A SOUL. JOE GARDNER IS ABOUT TO FIND HIS.

F RO M TH E ST U D I O TH AT B RO U G H T YO U I N S I D E O U T

IN CINEMAS SOON #PixarSoul PixarUK @Disney_UK DisneyStudiosUK

TRACKING

BLACK BRITISH FILMS MAT TER 14

TRACKING

In 2006, Joss Whedon – director of the now iconic superhero film The Avengers (2012), that first ground-breaking gettogether of “earth’s mightiest heroes” (who, in the opinion of this writer, certainly got a lot “mightier” in 2018 thanks to Ryan Coogler, but, perhaps with just a hint of joyfully proud bias, I digress) – famously gave an answer to a question at an event for the feminist organisation Equality Now. Whedon has been consistently praised for embedding empowered female characters throughout his work… but also, time and time again, interrogated. “Why do you write these strong female characters?” he recalls as a recurring question posed to him by interviewers. Whedon’s celebrated final answer: “because you’re still asking me that question.” I find myself, as a Black British filmmaker, writing a piece about ‘why Black British films matter’, and this far in, it’s proving to be quite a daunting task. Mostly because of that single word, which has

Babymother

somehow managed to split, at times it seems, the world in half. Because here in Britain, we too are exhaustingly having to prove, that our lives matter. Nothing else. They just matter. So far, it’s been a challenge for all of us. One thing we can do is make films. The surprising joy of being a Black single parent in Babymother (1998) raising two children with the help of her own people whilst still being able to shake a hip. The trauma and bile and sadly logical hatred we felt in the burning summer of 2011 and then again remembered in The Hard Stop (2015). Now imagine what we as Black filmmakers can make matter as we begin, or continue, our careers during this strange and scary time. And it is strange and scary. How do you, frankly, make truth and beauty out of a man being choked to death by a policeman through the lens of cinema? How do you, in the words of Ingmar Bergman, “make lilies grow out of the arsehole of a carcass?” The answer is simple. If you’re a young Black British filmmaker like me, you – following the words and advice of Spike Lee – “bust your ass”. Because now is the time to prove, on the screen, that our lives matter. Contrary to what the strange supporters of Churchill’s statue will have you believe, and as that man himself once said: “your country needs you.” Why? Because we’re still being asked that question. Jaden Stone n 15

WINNER sundance G r a nd Ju r y Pr ize

“Alfre Woodard is brilliant. Her performance will leave audiences awestruck.” IndieWire

Academy Award® Nominee

A l f r e Wo o d a r d

C L E M E NC Y Written and Directed by Chinonye Chukwu

BOHEMIA MEDIA AND ACE PICTURES PRESENT PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH BIG INDIE AND BRONWYN CORNELIUS PRODUCTIONS A FILM BY CHINONYE CHUKWU “CLEMENCY” ALFRE WOODARD MUSIRICC HARD SCHIFF DANICOSTUMES ELLE BROOKS MICHAEL O’PRODUCTI NEILOLN RICHARD GUNN WIEDITTHEDWENDELL PIERCE ANDCINEMATOGRAPHY ALDIS HODGE CASTING BY SUZANNE BARNES DESIGN BY MARGAUX RUST BY PHYLLIS HOUSEN BY KERRY BARDEN AND PAUL SCHNEE BY KATHRYN BOSTIC BY ERIC BRANCO COEXECUTIVE PRODUCER FIONA WALSH HEINZ PRODUCERS ANNIE CHANG JOHNNY CHANG CALVIN CHOONG EMMA LEE ALFRE WOODARD KATHRYN BOSTIC REGINA K. SCULLY PRODUCED WRITTEN AND BY BRONWYN CORNELIUS P.G.A. JULIAN CAUTHERLEY P.G.A. PRODUCERS PETER WONG TIMUR BEKBOSUNOV DIRECTED BY CHINONYE CHUKWU © 2019 Clemency LLC

WATCH AT CLEMENCYTHEFILM.CO.UK

& SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CINEMA FROM 17 JULY

#CLEMENCYFILM

O F F-S E T

Clemency o Winner of Sundance U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize 2019 INTERVIEW WITH

Writer and Director Chinonye Chukwu Where did the idea for Clemency come from? In September 2011, a Black man named Troy Davis was executed in a Georgia State Prison. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world, including

several retired wardens and Directors of Correction, protested his execution: they banded together and wrote a letter to the Governor urging clemency for Troy. We were all frustrated and angry and sad when he was executed, but that got my thinking: if weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all feeling this way, what must it be like for the people who had to kill him? What does it mean for your livelihood to be tied to the taking of â&#x20AC;&#x201A; >>

Chinonye Chukwu on set

O F F-S E T

human life? And, so in 2013, I made the decision that this was going to be the next film I was going to make. How did your research process start? I moved from New York to Ohio to volunteer on a clemency case for Tyra Patterson, a woman serving a life sentence for a crime she didn’t commit. I spent two years working very closely with her legal team, being a media representative for her case and talking with Tyra and other incarcerated women. This then led to my work advocating for people who are incarcerated. For example, I created a film programme teaching incarcerated women how to develop a short film from script to screen. It wasn’t research for Clemency, but it deepened my understanding of the humanities that exist between prison walls. I volunteered for about thirteen other clemency cases before moving from Ohio. All of that informed the world-building of Clemency. How do you balance your work as an activist with being a filmmaker and artist? One of the things that can help dismantle the prison-industrial complex is if we truly see and treat people as human beings; the problem is that we discard and dehumanise disproportionately. That was my artistic approach: to be as compassionate and humane as possible without telling people how to think. Give them space to feel and then they can make their own judgement from there. 18

What challenges did you face making Clemency? One big challenge was the emotional intensity required. I had to go to some pretty dark and deep places in order to write the script and to revise it and revise it again – even through preproduction. That took an emotional toll on me. I’m pretty good at emotionally compartmentalising, but there was one day on set where I just broke down in tears at the monitor. It took several months after shooting to emotionally recalibrate. We shot this film in 17 days, so that was

O F F-S E T

Aldis Hodge

also a challenge. We didn’t have a hundred million dollars for this movie, so filming it in 17 days required a lot of creativity in the decisions we made. Entering the film industry as a Black woman is a challenge in itself, but you seem to have gathered a great team around you. Do you intend to work with them again? There are many talented Black female directors who haven’t been given the access or the platform yet. I have my next project lined up for later this year, working

again with Eric Branco as Director of Photography and Bronwyn Cornelius as Executive Producer. It’s called A Taste Of Power and is based on the memoir of Elaine Brown, who is the first and only female leader of the Black Panther Party. Credit: Excerpts taken from the New Directors/New Films Q&A at Film Society of Lincoln Center. Watch Clemency now virtually at www.bit.ly/ClemencySF until 23 August and 50% of the proceeds will go to support S.O.U.L. Fest. n 19

DO YOU HAVE A GREAT IDEA FOR A DOCUMENTARY? The Whickers fund original and innovative documentary using the generous legacy of our namesake, pioneering broadcaster Alan Whicker, to support emerging film and audio documentary-makers across the globe. Up to ÂŁ100,000 available annually via the Film & TV and Radio & Audio Funding Awards. Free to apply and available internationally. whickerawards.com @whickerawards

Image: Film & TV Award Winner 2020, Akuol de Mabior

HELLO UK DOCUMENTARY STORYTELLERS The BFI Doc Society Fund supports creative documentary shorts and features from across the UK. The MADE OF TRUTH: Short Film Fund is OPEN NOW till noon on August 18th and the BFI Doc Society FEATURES FUND will open late Summer. Our LOCAL events bring opportunities, updates and 1-2-1 advice to documentary filmmakers across the UK. Find out more here: docsociety.org/bfi-docs @TheDocSociety | #NationalLottery | docsociety.org | hello@docsociety.org

SNAPSHOT

Black Bottles

Inspired by her brother, Black Bottles explores the taboo surrounding Black male mental health.

SNAPSHOT

Carmen

Seeing I Am Pilate

Carmen

Kenyan, Christian, Queer

My Neighbourhood

elephant

Sauce

Dir. Gladys San Juan | Drama | UK | English | 15 minutes Nicole appears to have it all, but, over the course of 24 hours, a series of minor events, coupled with Nicole’s dissociation from family and friends, lead her to a state of utter desperation. 22

SNAPSHOT

Dọlápọ Is Fine

Visions Sandpaper

Our Largest

Did We Leave The Lights On Dir. Daniel Oduntan | Experimental | UK | English | 2019 | 15 mins Shot entirely on a mini DV camcorder and using candid voice notes as commentary, Oduntan ponders the issue of practice and sustainability for lowincome artists in a post-Brexit world.

Get in. Stay in. Return. Working to ensure the capitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s screen industries reflect the diversity of the city itself, Film Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Equal Access Network helps people Get in, Stay in and Return to the Film & TV industry. Join now: filmlondon.org.uk/ the-equal-access-network

EXPOSITION

White Riot

o Winner of Grierson Award for Best Documentary – BFI London Film Festival 2019 o Special Mention Crystal Bear – Berlin International Film Festival 2020 1976. Amidst growing support for the National Front and the rise of sus-laws targeting Black youth, Eric Clapton got on stage and declared, “Get the foreigners out. Keep Britain White!” Clapton’s words became a call to action: “Our fight to be accepted as musicians – as people – was ramped up,” explains Mykaell Riley of reggae band Steel Pulse.

And so, in the same year, Rock Against Racism, a political and cultural movement that aimed to bring Black and white fans together in their common love of music, was born. The rise of Rock Against Racism, from a grassroots organisation to the host of the 1978 Anti-Nazi Carnival at Victoria Park, is the subject of Rubika Shah’s >>

Pauline Black and The Selecter

EXPOSITION

latest documentary, White Riot. Deriving its name from The Clash hit-single, the documentary recounts the racism embedded in Britain’s ‘70s music scene. It was an era in which some punk bands had National Front followings – a fact which, as Mykaell Riley reflects, meant that when he toured with Headline as a supporting act for Bad Manners, the band had to be escorted out of the venue by police after the audience started performing Nazi salutes. Instead of music reinforcing racial divides, however, Rock Against Racism believed 26

music was the key to uniting the British youth. “We wanted music that breaks down people’s fear of one another, music that knows who the real enemy is: love music, hate racism,” explains one of the founders, Red Saunders. It’s a message as relevant today as it was in the ‘70s. While work on White Riot commenced in 2016, Rubika Shah notes how recent events, such as the election of Donald Trump and rhetoric of the Brexit campaign, demonstrate that racism is still prevalent, just far more insidious. Nevertheless, as Zak Cochrane of Love

EXPOSITION

Steel Pulse

Music, Hate Racism reflects, music remains a universal language that has the potential to unite disparate communities. Just look at the way Grime music, fronted by Black artists like Skepta, Stormzy and Dizzee Rascal, has been welcomed as the new sound of Britain and unites young people of various backgrounds annually at events like London’s Wireless Festival. Before Grime, though, there were iconic Black musicians like Steel Pulse, Matumbi and Pauline Black, front woman of The Selecter. Featuring contributions from their members, the documentary

also serves as a celebration of these iconic acts. But, the resounding message of White Riot, as Rubika Shah states, is “for people to feel they can come away from it and do something about the issues they feel passionately about.” Zak Cochrane agrees, “Ordinary people have the power to change the world around them. You have the power to make the difference in your community.” Hannah Shury-Smith White Riot is released in UK cinemas on 18 September from Modern Films. n 27

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The Old Guard ÂŠ Amy Spinks/Netflix

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SYMPOSIUM

Level Up

Advice from industry experts on how to be prepared for when film and TV production restarts. Supported by Directors UK.

Film Finance Masterclass Taking place over four weeks, Jasmin Morrison (Soul Cognition founder) leads an intensive course covering everything film finance from types of finance and sales, to finance in practice and pitching. Week 1

Types of Finance We will look at different types of finance including development, equity and debt finance. We will discuss what these types of finance are as well as expected terms, what they are secured against and when they are repaid. Week 2

Sales and Distribution During our second session we will be focusing on film sales and distribution. Key topics will be understanding the different distribution deals including when payments occur and what a sales agentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deal will look like. Week 3

Finance in Practice Having discussed the many types of finance, the third week of the course will look at finance plans, recoupment

Jasmin Morrison

waterfalls and net profits. This session will look to bring together our previously discussed topics to focus on how to structure projects finances with multiple parties. Week 4

Pitching In the final week of the course we will be focusing on the first step in starting to secure finance by focusing on pitching. We will cover what to include in a pitch document, how pitch documents vary for the intended reader and give you actionable advice on how to start working on the pitch deck for your next project.â&#x20AC;&#x201A; >> 29

SYMPOSIUM

Shorts To Features Panel Learn how to make the leap from the short form to a full-length format. This session will help independent filmmakers navigate their way through the opportunities accessible, across documentary and fiction, with funders and alumni that have experience in both areas. Panel features: Matt Ajan (BFI NETWORK) Lynn Nwokorie (BFI Doc Society Fund) Jane Ray (The Whickers) Matt Andy Mundy-Castle (Doc Hearts) Ajan

Lynn Nwokorie

Jane Ray

Andy MundyCastle

Training and Skills Development Panel Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to understand your skill level and be prepared to continuously learn and adapt as technologies evolve. While schemes, internships and work experience opportunities are available, which will put you in the best stead to find work and get hired? Panel features: Nahrein Kemp (Film London) Nicola Lees (Sara Putt Associates) Natalie Tandoh (ScreenSkills) Kate Rolfe (Digital Orchard)

Nahrein Kemp

Nicola Lees

Natalie Tandoh

Kate Rolfe

Marketing and PR Panel Every film needs Marketing and PR to ensure it gains an audience. In a world in which the films of Black filmmakers are often misunderstood or seen as high risk, however, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not always easy to find the right people to promote your film. Panel features: Ronke Lawal (Ariatu PR) Amber Muotto (Way To Blue) Ruby Aryiku (VAMP UK) Mia Farrell (BFI Festivals)

Ronke Lawal

Amber Muotto

Ruby Aryiku

Mia Farrell

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FOCUS

SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS

Winner of the Pinewood MBS Lighting Craft Award at the 2019 WFTV Awards

FOCUS

Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Women in Film and TV

Winner of WFTV Craft Award Judi Lee-Headman is a Production Sound Mixer on high-budget US productions including: The Tunnel (2013) for Sky Atlantic; Homeland (2011) Season 6; The History Channel’s The Bible (2013) (production Emmy nominated for sound); A.D. The Bible Continues (2015) for NBC in addition to BAFTA awardwinning dramas for the BBC. What does your work as a Production Sound Mixer involve? My job is to get all the raw sound material, principally clean and clear recordings of dialogue without background noise. This means I record all the lines written in the scripts, but also any additional or alternative lines that the director might want. If I go to a specific or unusual location, I might get ‘atmos’, which is the sound of that space. How will you resume production on projects, such as the third series of Britannia, as lockdown eases? To be honest, I’ve already been implementing a lot of the suggested guidelines in my work already. For example, I’ve always made sure that equipment, such as headphones or radio mics, aren’t shared. I think any productions resuming work need to take onboard the gravity of COVID-19 – it’s important to remember that you’re not protecting you, you’re protecting other people – but I really am looking forward to going back to work!

Over the course of your career, have you noticed any differences between working with UK and US production companies? On American shows I’ve worked on, I can look around the set and see every kind of person there, while on British shows there’s just me. It really stems from the difference in mindset between America and Britain when dealing with issues of race – in Britain it manifests far more subtly. If there are no Black people on a British set, no one will admit racism, but rather that “there’s no one qualified enough for the job. A lot of Black British actors have found more work in the US – do you think we’ll see a migration of Black British creatives working behind the camera to the US? I was offered work in Canada, but I thought, “I’m British, why do I have to uproot myself and my family to go there? My peers are here and working; I’m contemporary with my kit and experience – why do I need to go there to do what they’re doing?” Over the years, has the representation of Black women behind the camera changed at all? There’s a lot of pressure on Black women. While we need allies in this industry that don’t just pay lip-service to diversity initiatives, but actually employ us, the pressure on the Black women employed is enormous. If for any reason their enterprise is not a success, its then taken to reflect badly on all Black women. Hannah Shury-Smith n 33

FADE TO BLACK

Earl Cameron (1917-2020) When Earl Cameron passed away at the age of 102 on 3rd July 2020, the actor Paterson Joseph tweeted “His generation’s pioneering shoulders are what my generation of actors stand on. No shoulders were broader than this gentleman with the voice of God and the heart of a kindly prince.” Born in Bermuda, Earl came to Britain in 1939 and made his film debut in Pool Of London (1951), as the merchant seaman Johnny. The film launched him into a career as Britain’s first homegrown Black movie star. Though Johnny’s interracial relationship with a young white woman was tentatively handled, Pool Of London was a signpost of things to come. Earl gave memorable performances in films like The Heart Within (1957), Sapphire (1959) and Flame In The Streets (1961). He also appeared in A Man From The Sun (1956), a landmark BBC television drama-documentary about Caribbean settlers in post-war Britain. At the same time, television viewers became familiar with Earl in a range of popular dramas including Danger Man (1960), Doctor Who (The Tenth Planet) (1966) and the cult favourite The Prisoner (1967). Earl was proud of his work in three BBC television plays by Black 34

dramatists: John Hearne’s A World Inside (1962), Errol John’s The Dawn (1963) and Obi Egbuna’s Wind Versus Polygamy (1968). Earl quit acting in 1979 and made a new home for his family in the Solomon Islands. On returning to Britain in 1994, he resumed his acting career and remained in work until 2013 when he played the grandfather in Nour Wazzi’s awardwinning short Up On The Roof. When I interviewed Earl for my book Black in the British Frame – The Black Experience in British Film and Television, he reflected on his long and eventful career as an actor: “My experiences have been wonderful – I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.” Stephen Bourne n

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Louis Mahoney (1938-2020) Louis Mahoney’s list of screen credits is impressive. He made, according to the Internet Movie Database, almost one hundred film and television appearances from 1964 until his final role in the second season of BBC television’s The Split (transmitted 11th February 2020). In one year alone – 1975, he was seen on BBC television in The Fight Against Slavery (as Olaudah Equiano, the former slave who became an abolitionist), Fawlty Towers (in the controversial episode The Germans) and Doctor Who. In fact, Mahoney’s career was so long he appeared in Doctor Who (1973-1975) in three different stories as three different characters! It is hard to imagine how Mahoney found the time and energy to work tirelessly as a campaigner for better treatment of Black actors in Britain. For many years he was also active in the anti-apartheid movement. And yet, in spite of achieving so much, Mahoney never became a ‘star’. He was a hard-working, dedicated character actor who made an impression in each role he played, however small. Mahoney, born in The Gambia in 1938, began publicly campaigning for a wider range of roles for Black actors in the 1970s. He did this for over 25 years

through the actor’s trade union Equity and their Afro-Asian Artists’ Committee (previously the Coloured Actors Committee before he renamed it). In 1983, two years after the Brixton and Toxteth uprisings, Mahoney addressed an Equity conference on integrated casting at the Barbican Centre. In his speech, he drew attention to the failure of British television to include Black characters in mainstream drama, which he believed would help enormously to positively influence the general public’s view of Britain’s Black community. Louis Mahoney died June 28th 2020 at the age of 81. Stephen Bourne n

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S.O.U.L. Fest Streams

S.O.U.L. Fest Symposium

18:00 – onwards

10:00 – 12:00

Exclusive Cast & Crew Conversations

Webinar Masterclass Series with Jasmin Morrison

Aug 14: Disney Pixar’s Soul Panel Aug 26: Sitting In With Sony Pictures Panel

Aug 04: Types of Finance Aug 11: Sales and Distribution

18:00 – onwards

Aug 18: Finance in Practice

Exclusive Cast & Crew Q&A + Shorts

Aug 25: Pitching

Aug 08: Shorts Showcase – Perceiving

19:00 – 21:00

Aug 15: Shorts Showcase – Seeing Aug 21: Shorts Showcase – Visions

Zoom Panel Series with Film Industry Experts

18:00 – onwards

Aug 06: Shorts To Features

Exclusive Cast & Crew Q&A + Features

Aug 13: Training and Skills Development

Aug 22: White Riot

Aug 27: Marketing and PR

Aug 29: Real Aug 30: Closing Night Watch Party with BBC Radio 1 Dev Griffin

Visit www.soulfilmfest.co.uk for more information on how to watch or book.

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CLOSING CREDITS

S.O.U.L. Fest would like to thank Stuart Brown, Jen Smith, Noel Goodwin, Mark Reid, Liz Parkinson, Mel Hoyes, Nilan Dharmadasa, Kimberly Sheehan, James Rocarols, Annabel Grundy and the rest of the BFI staff for their incredible support.

Tudor, Zena Tuitt, Natalie Tandoh and Laura Igiehon.

Also, Kymberlie Andrew, Neeta Patel, Lynn Huynh, Matt Ajan, Fiona Fletcher, Jess Search, Laura Adams, Charlotte

Writers – Hannah Shury-Smith, Jaden Stone, Edwin Stoltz, Stephen Bourne, Justin Johnson and Ama Nkrumah.

Editor – Priscilla Igwe Co-Editor – Akua Gyamfi Graphic Designer – Danielle Humphrey

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Funding Partner

BFI FILM AUDIENCE NETWORK

S.O.U.L. Fest 2020 Brochure

Articles inside

Closing Credits

Fade To Black: Louis Mahoney

Off-Set: Real

Fade To Black: Earl Cameron

Symposium: Educational Programme

Tracking: Black British Films Matter

Exposition: White Riot

Exposition: Soul

Off-Set: Clemency