Off-Set: Film4

Film4 – Foresight

Written, directed, and produced by culturally diverse filmmakers who call the UK home, Foresight is a compilation of short films set in the UK that imagine the future for Black and Brown characters. This urgent anthology explores alternate realities through the lens of five Black British Directors and presents a point of view continually missing from our screens... a future where People of Colour exist!

Curated by Producer Fiona Lamptey, she reveals that, “I started thinking of putting this series together just after the Brexit verdict. It seems like the world is a different place now but the themes of each of the films deeply resonate then and now. At the time there was a rising level of racism, xenophobia, and intolerance – all related to some of the messaging surrounding Brexit. But despite the real and future impact of Brexit on People of Colour, it felt like our concerns and voices were missing from the Brexit conversation. The conversation has intensified over the years – there is much talk and what seems like even less understanding.” “Foresight presented the opportunity to address the uncertainty that living in the UK posed at the time and allowed us to shift the dynamic to see the UK through the eyes of those left out of the conversation; those who care about their future and the place in which they call home. Foresight is a response to what it means to be a Person of Colour living in the UK. Although these films don’t present an idyllic future, my hope is that by imagining the future, we can kickstart a necessary conversation and inspire change. We don’t want the futures presented in these films, so what do we do to change that?”

Fiona Lamptey

X US

Dir. Akinola Davies | Drama | UK | English | 2020 | 10 mins

Two unaccompanied brothers embark on a journey to a new settlement on the moon planet Titan. Their interactions reflect the subtle naivety and anxious fear this huge moment means for each of them amidst an industrial sized group of migrants.

They Heard Him Shout Allahu Akbar

Dir. Nadia Latif | Drama | UK | English | 2020 | 11 mins

Zaid, recently released from prison for an unknown crime, tries to reintegrate into his previous life, only to find that the arms of the state can control what he says and does.

The Future Isn’t What It Used To Be

Dir. Adeyemi Michael | Drama | UK | English | 2020 | 20 mins

By the year 2080, climate change has forced most human beings from the Earth and those who remain live an isolated nomadic existence. In the desolate landscape, Dez forages for survival, until they unearth a morsel of the past which leads them on an unexpected mission.

Digging

Dir. Elliot Barnes Worrell | Drama | UK | English | 2020 | 10 mins

Ziba, Ché, Neela and Kofi use their devices to take trips through their memories to settle an argument.

Twice as Good

Dir. Jeremy Cole | Drama | UK | English | 2020 | 10 mins

The night before her son Dee Dee’s seventh birthday, an unexpected intruder crash-lands into Grace’s kitchen. As she discovers who the intruder is, she must decide how to protect her son while navigating the complexities of Black parenthood in modern Britain.

Fiona Lamptey worked for 9 years at Film4 as a production manager on films including Attack The Block, The Selfish Giant, and Four Lions. Prior to this, she worked in Commercial Affairs at Channel 4, overseeing production finance and business affairs for factual and reality shows. Fiona established Fruit Tree Media in 2013, after becoming increasingly aware of the information gap between emerging and well-seasoned filmmakers.

Her aim is a clear one: to cultivate and champion unrepresented voices and use her industry experience to develop new talent to the standard and with the same rigor undertaken by broadcasters/ financiers.

Film4/Fruit Tree Media