S.O.U.L. Fest 2020 Brochure - Souvenir Edition by tnbfc

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

Souvenir Edition

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 Pt.1 17

Off-Set: Clemency

Snapshot: Shorts Showcase

Exposition: White Riot

29 Symposium: Educational Programme 32

Off-Set: Rocks

Kenyan, Christian, Queer

36 Tracking: Black British Films Matter Pt.2 39

Off-Set: Miss Juneteenth

Score: Swan Song

Cutaway: Everybody’s A Critic

Focus: Judi Lee-Headman

Cutaway: Black Market

Fade To Black: Earl Cameron

Fade To Black: Louis Mahoney

61 Fade To Black: Chadwick Boseman 65 Schedule 66

Flame

Closing Credits

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

soulfestuk s.o.u.l.fest

soulfest3 #SOULFest2020 3

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 MATTER PT.1 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 ofâ&#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

“INTRIGUING FROM FIRST MINUTE TO LAST” THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

VIOLET PICTURES

RELEASE

IN CINEMAS AND ON DEMAND FROM NOVEMBER 6

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.

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

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

Directors UK is delighted to support S.O.U.L. Fest 2020 Directors UK is the professional association for screen directors working in the UK. As well as protecting the rights and representing the concerns of directors in an ever-changing industry, we promote excellence in the craft of directing and campaign for change to the current landscape to ensure equal opportunities for all. One of you, many of us.

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

Do you work in film? Are you looking to make the next move in your career? ScreenSkills can help... We offer training, bursaries and mentoring to help talent get in and on in the UK screen industries, creating a more inclusive workforce to tell a more diverse range of stories.

The Old Guard ÂŠ Amy Spinks/Netflix

@UKScreenSkills

www.screenskills.com

O F F-S E T

Rocks o Premiered at Toronto International Film Festival 2019

o Special Presentation at BFI London Film Festival 2019

O F F-S E T

INTERVIEW WITH

Co-Writer Theresa Ikoko Do you think other productions could benefit from the level of intimacy between the writers and cast in the making of Rocks? We made this film in a very intentional way to dismantle the hierarchy and the patriarchy that’s usually involved. Stories are best told when you’re honest about authorship and ownership, and when you’re intentional and respectful in terms of ‘whom does the film belong to?’ People block their blessings when they’re greedy. Roughly 100 women made this film. All of their contributions made up the story as much as mine did. How consciously were you weaving the idea of ‘Black Joy’ into the script? In all my writing I’m very much a champion of Black Joy. I think it’s undervalued and overlooked outside of our communities, but within our communities we recognise the power of it. It really is our life source. And there was so much laughter and joy and funniness in the writer’s room that it naturally translated onscreen. As a white director, what do you think Sarah Gavron brought to the story? There was a yearning to talk about friendships and sisterhood in a way that none of us had seen before. I think what she contributed was space. Her desire and capacity to learn is really special. >> 33

O F F-S E T

She personally wrote a letter to the head of all the festivals to ensure that the film was not billed as a ‘Sarah Gavron film’. She even swapped places with me when we were taking pictures because they would cut me out if I was on the side, but not her. She was our trojan horse. I’m very grateful to her for being the kind person that she is. Do you think screenwriters have any inherent responsibilities when it comes to writing about socio-political issues? No. We should have the privilege to use our art as an escape the way other groups do. However, I’m grateful to those who use their art as an expression. I think Blackness, in its nature, is politicised. 34

It isn’t something you can take off and put back on. There’s politics even in our escape and our simple existence and joy is activism. Your simple thriving is enough. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Black screenwriters today? I think what you compromise on today, you’ll be compromising on forever. As the door opens, the challenge is potentially saying yes to things we shouldn’t be saying yes to. I implore screenwriters of all backgrounds to find community and dismantle the idea that there’s only room for one of us in the room, which is often used against us. To be a Black woman in this world is bigger than to be my Black woman in this world. Jaden Stone n

18 SEPT S A NEM ILM IN CI ROCKS.F

TRACKING

BLACK BRITISH FILMS MATTER P T. 2 Events at home and across the Atlantic, regarding the dignity of Black life, have prompted this interview of Black British filmmaking talent currently working in the UK. Since they are not always consulted about what they think should be reflective of Black people on the big screen, we thought we would ask instead. The process was illuminating, inspiring and reminded us why we’re in the game. Which Black British film do you most identify with? “Belle (2013). I love history and period dramas. Here was one made by a Black woman with a Black lead. I am so happy it exists.” —Pamela Drameh, Producer “The Last Tree (2019). I relate to the third act; going back ‘home’ and realising who you are. It’s something I feel whenever I step foot in Ghana.” —Leon Mayne, Screenwriter, Executive Producer & Showrunner

Belle

Which Black British filmmaker inspired your filmmaking journey and why? “Noel Clarke. He proved that you could write, direct and produce films without waiting for permission. I know from experience that’s a tough thing to do.” —Femi Oyeniran, Actor & Filmmaker “Steve McQueen. There’s a scene in Hunger (2008) where a character speaks to a priest for 17 minutes with no cuts. I love it. It inspired me to not waiver on dialogue-heavy projects.” —Leon Mayne, Screenwriter, Executive Producer & Showrunner Who are your Black British actor/actress icons? “Idris Elba for his entrepreneurialism and uncompromising approach.” —Andy Mundy-Castle, Director “Daniel Kaluuya, Damson Idris, John Boyega, Letitia Wright. They’ve achieved incredible things and shown that there are no limits…You can be ‘from the ends’ and have a global career as an actor.” —Femi Oyeniran, Actor & Filmmaker

TRACKING

Stud Life

Which Black British story has yet to be told? “The one that’s in my head.” —Andy Mundy-Castle, Director “I’d like to see more projects that delve outside of ‘Blackness’ as the main topic. That’s not to say I’m not here for it – I’m 100% behind it – but I think anything from a rom-com, to a sci-fi, to a sports film, to an indie anthology film could be explored. There are so many different stories to be told.” —Leon Mayne, Screenwriter, Executive Producer & Showrunner Which Black British Films matter to you and why? “The Intent (2013) – inspirational and the first Black British-owned film to reach a global audience. Second Coming (2014) – an incredible portrayal of the Black British family unit.

Gone Too Far

Anuvahood (2011) – spoke to a generation and wasn’t afraid to do comedy from a street perspective. Gone Too Far (2013) – a refreshing portrayal of the British-Nigerian experience. Bullet Boy (2004) – Ashley Walters is one of the most important entertainers of my generation.” —Femi Oyeniran, Actor & Filmmaker “Blue Story (2019), The Last Tree (2019), Pressure (1976), Young Soul Rebels (1991), Kidulthood (2006), Stud Life (2012), Gone Too Far (2013) – they all represent parts of what it means to be Black. They create a meaningful dialogue and inspire enthusiasm for films around Blackness to be made in the UK.” —Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor, Producer Edwin Stoltz & Akua Gyamfi

Attack the Block (2011) – had a global release and started careers for young Black actors.

“Keenly observant and emotionally resonant”

★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ TIME OUT

EMPIRE

NICOLE BEHARIE

ROLLING STONE

KENDRICK SAMPSON

MISS

TOTAL FILM

BLACK GIRL NERDS

ALEXIS CHIKAEZE

JUNETEENTH 12A TBC

VertigoReleasingUK #MissJuneteenth

IN CINEMAS & ON DIGITAL 25TH SEPTEMBER

VertigoRel vertigoreleasing

O F F-S E T

Miss Juneteenth

o Premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2020 o Winner of Louis Black ‘Lone Star’ Award – SXSW 2020 o Winner of Best Narrative Feature – BlackStar Film Festival 2020

INTERVIEW WITH

Writer and Director Channing Godfrey Peoples What was directing your first feature film like? It was an amazing experience. Previous to Miss Juneteenth, I’d directed short films, which are a challenge in themselves because you need to embrace economy in the storytelling. Directing features is like taking the training wheels off, but I still felt prepared as I’d had experience of all the basics, like working with actors and collaborating with crew. Growing up, what was the importance of the Miss Juneteenth pageant to you? Miss Juneteenth is a scholastic beauty pageant for African American women

that I grew up watching as part of Juneteenth celebrations in my neighbourhood in Texas. Juneteenth itself commemorates the enslaved people in Texas and the fact that they found out they were free two and a half years after everyone else. For me, Miss Juneteenth was my Miss America. It was radical in a way: I was a young Black girl growing up in Southern America and I got to see this pageant showcasing young Black women that had a sense of confidence and hopefulness; to see young Black women in all their beauty, talent and intelligence. It also feels like the community is coming together to try and find a way to honour our ancestors, as it gives their descendants the chance to win a scholarship to college. >> 39

O F F-S E T

What was the inspiration behind your protagonists, Turquoise, played by Nicole Beharie, and Kai, played by Alexis Chikaeze? Kai’s character represents the desire that future generations will be able to be themselves and embrace their own individuality and dreams. As a Black woman, there have been barriers to dreams I may have had. I’ve only overcome them through determination and a sense of grit from the community I’ve grown up in that I’ve got to push forward no matter what. So much of Turquoise comes from the women I’ve grown up with – my mum, my grandmothers, my aunts, women in the community, myself – who embody that sense of grit and determination, but simultaneously carry themselves with grace no matter what they have to endure. 40

Over the course of making the film, you became a mother – how did that affect the way in which you explored the film’s mother-daughter relationships? Originally, I think I conceived the film from the perspective of a daughter. My mother was single for much of my life, so I watched her navigate and reconcile motherhood with her own dreams. When I had my own daughter, I just had this instant sense of joy and this bond with this little human, but I also felt fear because I needed to be able to create the best life that I could for her. I was feeling some of the things that Turquoise literally navigates on the page, so I was constantly finding ways to reconcile Turquoise as a tough-love mum with a sense of joy between her and Kai.

O F F-S E T

Do you feel a responsibility as a Black female director to represent darkerskinned Black women onscreen? Representation is important. That’s why I enjoyed watching Miss Juneteenth growing up. I got to see Black girls in every shade and hue with different hair textures and for me that was affirming. It’s something I will continue to fight for and that my stories will continue to embrace. It’s just part of who I am as a human being and as an artist to create complex stories about Black women. I’ve always found literature important and there was a small Black community theatre in the neighbourhood I grew up in called ‘Sojourner True’. Representation will also be absolutely important for my daughter – it already is. Hannah Shury-Smith Miss Juneteenth is released in UK cinemas on 25 September from Vertigo Releasing. Preview on 23 September at Genesis Cinema supported by S.O.U.L. Fest. n

Start your own

Cinema For All is the national support and development organisation for volunteer-led cinema: community cinemas, film clubs and societies. Advice and support

community cinema

Film hire

Cinema For All is always on hand to offer advice and Cinema For All provides a low-cost Booking Scheme answer any queries. Check out our wide range of featuring over 800 international, British, online resources. independent, documentary and crossover titles.

Expert coaching

Equipment hire

We offer a variety of coaching programmes and online/ in person workshops to suit your needs and help you get started.

We offer a short-term, low-cost Equipment Hire Scheme in partnership with venues across the UK.

Cinema For All Podcast

Community Cinema Conference + Film Society of the Year Awards

Our podcast is a true celebration of cinema-going, with over 30 episodes focusing on themes such as working-class cinema and documentaries, plus lots of interviews with inspiring guests.

Join Cinema For All for an exciting weekend celebrating all things community cinema â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for the very first time entirely online! 18 - 20 September, 2020.

Find your nearest community cinema, film society or club â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or if you are a community cinema organiser, help audiences find you! www.cinemaforall.org.uk info@cinemaforall.org.uk 0114 2210314

SCORE

Swan Song Cynthia Erivo

She was robbed. And it was at night. The person in question was Cynthia Erivo, but it was not a mugging – however, the audience of this year’s Oscars ceremony might have felt like ‘mugs’ when, after she brought the house down and literally called out to our ancestors with a haunting, ethereal performance of Stand Up (which she co-wrote for the 2019 movie Harriet), she lost to Elton John’s stomping ditty for Rocketman (2019). Winning Best Original Song can be seen as a consolation prize when the jury is not able to do the right thing, for the right film and give out the academy award for one of the main categories. This was the scenario for Selma (2014): while John Legend and Common were awarded for

their song Glory, the film was rebuffed for Best Picture and David Oyelowo didn't even score a nomination for Best Actor. This serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of music in film and the effectiveness in which a song can concentrate the themes and spirit of a story – and in this case, draw the curtain on a cinematic experience. For instance, S.O.U.L. Fest highlights Rocks (2019), a heart-warming but gritty chronicle of the sisterhood between several London schoolgirls, alternative R&B singer Ray BLK’s original composition Warrior astutely articulates the narrative and the trials of the characters in musical form. Much like the film itself, the track >> 43

SCORE

deftly balances a wide range of emotions; wholesome guitars sit beneath BLK’s voice, which is at times desperate but always persevering. It aptly mirrors the journey of the film’s titular protagonist, who fights to keep her younger brother from being separated from her care. BLK contributes to the project’s narrative both inside and out; the film is uniquely crafted by an overwhelmingly female creative team, starring mostly first-time actors. The collaboration with a fiercely independent female artist such Ray BLK is the perfect demonstration of how this is a very special film about the joy, resilience and spirit of Black girlhood. However, sometimes a song can musically articulate the spirit of a film without being completely tonally synonymous. Also prominent in this festival, Clemency (2019), follows the inner journey of a guilt-ridden Black female death-row warden and the bond she forms with an inmate. It’s a harrowing and at times grim exploration of the American execution system and industrial prison complex. Nevertheless, the film’s devastating ending is scored by Laura Mvula’s warm and triumphant original song, Brighter Dawn. It serves as a quiet decompression after such intense subject matter, and lyrics such as ‘all my scars are my brightest jewels’ offer a genuine sense of catharsis and empowerment to the characters, audience, and perhaps the creators. Director Chinonye Chukwu, who has previously described the creative process as a dark journey, became the 44

Ray BLK

Laura Mvula

first Black woman to win the US dramatic grand jury prize at Sundance. Waving the Black in the Union Jack, our wish is that Ray BLK and Laura Mvula continue to get the (closing) credits, recognition and accolades their ‘swan song’ deserves on the biggest stage possible! Jaden Stone & Priscilla Igwe n

‘TENSE, EXPLOSIVE, AND URGENT... A MESMERISING STREET THRILLER’ EMPIRE

‘A PASSIONATE PROTEST ON BEHALF OF AN ENTIRE GENERATION’ THE WASHINGTON POST

‘THE SPIRITUAL HEIR TO LA HAINE’ TIME OUT

ACADEMY AWARD® NOMINEE

SRAB FILMS PRESENTS

A FILM BY LADJ LY

DAMIEN BONNARD ALEXIS MANENTI

DJEBRIL ZONGA ISSA PERICA

IN CINEMAS SEPTEMBER 4 MISERABLES.FILM

CUTAWAY

EVERYBODY’S

A CRITIC

In February this year, Cynthia Erivo made headlines for insisting to stop for an interview with veteran journalist, Lola Ogunnaike, on the Oscars red carpet. Erivo’s actions were compared with Halle Berry’s refusal to pass by Black journalists on the John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) red carpet last year, with Berry commenting that, “I can’t skip my brother and sister.” While Berry’s words may seem self-evident in an industry that has repeatedly been called out for failing to recognise Black talent (think #OscarsSoWhite and #BaftasSoWhite) Erivo and Berry wouldn’t be making 46

headlines if their behaviour represented the norm. In reality, Black journalists and film critics are repeatedly overlooked on red carpets and within the film industry in general. Priscilla Igwe, managing director of The New Black Film Collective, has noted, for example how Black journalists are often made to feel like ‘second-class citizens’. Over the course of her press career this has manifested in white publicists and distributors trying to keep her away from films like John Singleton’s Four Brothers (2005) “because they did not want it to be ‘ghettoised’ and alienate their white

CUTAWAY

Cynthia Erivo

target audience.” The other extreme is white publicists pigeonholing Black film critics to just cover ‘Black’ films, such as those produced by Tyler Perry. Alice Charles, who has worked as a journalist across print, TV and new media for more than 20 years, agrees, noting how journalists of colour are often paid less than their white counterparts and are repeated victims of racism and misogyny. For Charles, this has included racist comments about her hair and a deputy art director on a magazine breaking her chair ‘for a joke’ while she was in the bathroom.

It is, as independent film consultant Mia Farrell comments, as a result of this systemic hostility towards Black journalists that the BFI London Film Festival launched its Critics Mentorship Programme three years ago. The scheme gives six emerging film critics the opportunity to experience the BFI London Film Festival as an accredited press delegate with full access to press screenings and events; opportunities to write reviews, features and interviews and an array of networking opportunities. This year, in response to global uprisings in protest of systemic racism and >> 47

CUTAWAY

Halle Berry

in support of Black Lives Matter, the scheme will be exclusively offered to Black applicants. For Akua Gyamfi, founder of The British Blacklist and one of the mentors for this year’s scheme, increasing the number of Black film critics is integral to increasing the positive reception of Black British films. “I think that there is a lot of evidence of white critics and journalists not understanding the nuances of certain Black projects,” she reflects, “and because of that these films don’t get recognised at award season.” A further benefit of increasing the number of Black film critics, Gyamfi continues, is that “it holds Black creatives to a higher standard. We know that getting a Black project made is an absolute struggle, but we don’t want to be commended just for the sake of it 48

being done, we want to be held in equal regard. If something’s not right and it’s being critiqued by someone from our community, it takes away the thought that they’re just racist or ignorant of what the story’s trying to say.” But, as Mia Farrell reflects, the work doesn’t stop with access schemes; it also requires a sea change in the general attitude towards Black journalists – especially by other Black talent working within film. “The most important thing,” Farrell explains, “is that Black talent, especially those who have ‘made it’ and actually hold a lot of power, take the time to speak to Black journalists. When you have more Black talent taking that stance, other non-Black talent will follow suit and we can (hopefully) start to see more inclusive red carpet media lines.” Hannah Shury-Smith n

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 51

The complete lack of diversity in the workplace makes me feel very isolated

No matter whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on right now, things may feel very different once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had a chat. Make connections and share how youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re feeling in our online mental health community.

All of our services are completely free and confidential. Join today filmtvcharity.org.uk/community

The Film and TV Charity 2019; all rights reserved. The Film and TV Charity is a registered charity no: 1099660. A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales no: 4816786. This quote is taken from the Looking Glass, research commissioned by the charity in 2019.

CUTAWAY

Ronke Lawal

Black Market

This year’s S.O.U.L. Fest included a Marketing and PR Panel featuring specialists Ronke Lawal, Amber Muotto, Ruby Aryiku and Mia Farrell. We caught up with the panellists to find out more about the industry and why it’s so important that it features more Black female voices. What’s the difference between Marketing and PR? Amber: Marketing is paid for promotion whilst PR isn’t. Ruby: Marketing is all about making sure your target audience has heard about your release – think social campaigns, brand partnerships, billboard posters. PR is about media coverage and ensuring media targeting an audience of interest speak (hopefully positively) about the film.

Mia Farrell

What skills do you need? Ronke: Communication, an ability to pay attention to trends and to listen as well as adapt. Mia: Common sense, a calm demeanour, a curious mind, a sense of humour, and a passion and love for the projects you are working on. Have you faced any challenges being a Black woman in this space? Amber: Absolutely! Being called ‘aggressive’ when merely being assertive about a point of view, being paid less than a person in the same position despite being there longer… Ruby: Definitely, we’ve had to prove ourselves many times despite having the experience and credentials for an underserved market. Additionally, >> 53

VOICEOVER

Amber Muotto

PR is a notoriously white industry, so going into meetings and being the only Black person took a lot of getting used to. What has been the most rewarding film project you have worked on? Amber: Moonlight (2016) because of the mammoth film it became, For Sama (2019) for the social justice message, If Beale Could Talk (2018) or Queen & Slim (2019) because of the opportunity to work with different and relevant media partners and thinking a little outside the box. Ronke: Mona (2016) by OKP Productions was a great project because it was an independent film. I have also worked on When Hands Touch (2018), Amma Asante’s film – that was an incredible experience because of Amma’s willingness to open herself to new audiences.

Ruby Aryiku

Ruby: Black Panther (2016) was a surreal experience. The most rewarding part was ensuring Black journalists and platforms were involved in the PR campaign and not the generic ‘Black publications’ that we’d seen used for previous releases. Mia: The most rewarding was Jim Chuchu’s Stories Of Our Lives (2014), a Kenyan anthology of five short films that dramatized true stories of LGBT life in Kenya. At the time, the filmmakers were still in a landscape where homosexuality was illegal. They were in danger, so remained anonymous. When they won a Berlinale Special Teddy Jury Award at the Berlin Film Festival, I burst into tears. I was so proud and happy for them. Hannah Shury-Smith n

H H H H “radiate s with aut hen t i ci t y ”

T i me Out

From Executive Producer FERNANDO MEIRELLES (City Of God)

NOMINATED

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

W INNER SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

NOMINATED

INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

A Film by Alexandre Moratto

I n Ci ne mas & On-D e man d Sep t 4 www.IamSocrates.co.uk

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.”

and asked Earl to consult with him on other aspects of the lives of Black people for the film.

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.

He also appeared in A Man from the Sun (1956), a landmark BBC television drama-documentary about Caribbean settlers in post-war Britain. Afterwards, 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 dramatists: John Hearne’s A World Inside (1962), Errol John’s The Dawn (1963) and Obi Egbuna’s Wind Versus Polygamy (1968).

Earl gave memorable performances in films like The Heart Within (1957), Sapphire (1959) and Flame in the Streets (1961). When Earl was working on Flame in the Streets, he became an unofficial ‘consultant’ to the film’s director, Roy Ward Baker. Earl expressed his concern to Baker that the interiors of the homes of the Black characters looked dirty and shabby. Earl informed Baker that working-class Black families on low incomes kept their homes nice. Baker immediately made changes to the sets

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. Seven years later, when Thomas Baptiste attended an audition for a role in an episode of BBC1’s EastEnders, he immediately recognised Earl, who was also up for the part. Embracing his old friend, Thomas said: “If I’d known you were going to be here today, I would have stayed at home!” This was Thomas’s personal tribute to an actor he respected.

FADE TO BLACK

Earl had been a professional actor since 1941, and 60 years later he was still in demand. Earl got the part and remained in work until 2013 when he played the grandfather in Nour Wazzi’s award-winning 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 57

FADE TO BLACK

Louis Mahoney (1938-2020) 58

FADE TO BLACK

Louis Mahoney’s list of screen credits is impressive. He made, according to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), 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 1975, in an article in The Stage entitled Racist beliefs ‘endemic’ amongst white population, he blamed several high profile situation comedy series on British television for holding back progress: “The mass media are inevitably enmeshed in the system of forces which shape race relations in Britain and, therefore, concern for racial equality in multiracial Britain would have prevented comedy programmes such as Till Death Us Do Part (1965-1975), Love Thy Neighbour (1972-1976) and Curry and Chips (1969) from being transmitted...these programmes tend to enhance prejudice and exacerbate racial discrimination.” In 1983, two years after the Brixton uprisings, Mahoney addressed an Equity conference on integrated casting at the Barbican Centre in London. In his speech he drew attention to the failure of two popular drama series to include Black characters. Mahoney believed that the inclusion of Black characters in mainstream television drama would help enormously to positively influence the general public’s view of Britain’s Black community. Mahoney said that, when the BBC’s Doctor Who sometimes goes to outer space, “there is an assumption that there are no Blacks in outer space. What arrogance to suggest that only white people are there! It is that lack of conceptual thought that worries me.” Louis Mahoney died at the age of 81 on 28th June 2020. Stephen Bourne n

FADE TO BLACK

Chadwick Boseman (1976-2020) On 28th August 2020, we lost one of our champions to an illness he kept secret. Very suddenly, this titan of Black representation in cinema had been robbed from us. This was all too soon after he reached the ‘top of the hill’ by landing one of the biggest roles in film today, the King of Wakanda himself – T’Challa (Black Panther, 2018). The image

of the high hilltop, overlooking the world beneath, was something he reinforced in his commencement address at Howard University; the place where he honed his craft as a writer and director of stage and film. “Some of you never made the Dean’s list, >> but that’s okay. 61

FADE TO BLACK

the steward of funk James Brown (Get on Up, 2014) and a lawyer who later became the first African American Supreme Justice (Marshall, 2017).

Da 5 Bloods

You are here…on top of the hill.” This quote rings true with the ethos of S.O.U.L. Fest. Too often we’ve found that Black stories “don’t [quite] make the Dean’s list”—they’re not ‘commercial’, or there’s not enough ‘universal appeal’. Black artists often find themselves trenchantly trudging up a steep hill like Sisyphus, pushing the fateful stone of their dreams almost to that glistening hilltop, but hitting the woeful barrier of public reception (or fear of it) that sees them tumbling back down. Boseman was an example of someone who got to the top of that hill, through hard work, determination and an unwavering faith in himself and his dreams. Even after painful setbacks (like his notorious, yet uncalled for, dismissal from All My Children in 2003 when constructively criticising his underwritten character), he continued to make work on his own terms, writing several acclaimed stage plays and going on to transform himself into the historic baseballer Jackie Robinson (42, 2013), 62

The same nerve that saw him ousted from All My Children became apparent again when he played the deity Thoth in Gods of Egypt (2014). Boseman, acknowledging the whitewashing of African figures in the film, took the role to ensure that at least one of them was played by a Black actor. What made him a valuable cast member was his conscious and lucid ability to pick apart problems in storytelling with dextrous hands. The man also knew how to hustle; to accept the right role when it came and to predict with clairvoyance how it could inspire Black artists in the future. This, of course, culminated in his first portrayal of the mighty Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War (2016), a role that he occupied until his unexpected passing last month. Boseman stood for Black stories until the very end. His involvement in Da 5 Bloods (2020) was exemplary in this regard, but so was his commitment to Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom due out soon – a film version of one of the great Black theatre productions of our time. He may have departed this world, but his legacy will live on through the work he committed to his scripts, to his films, and to his people. We can’t wait to re-watch his work and remind ourselves of why, no matter how long it takes, we all need to get to the top of that hill. Edwin Stoltz n

FADE TO BLACK

Sara Putt Associates

START YOUR LEAP ON A FIRM FOOTING Supporting Clients to mobilise new business initiatives with purpose, intelligence and empowerment info@pottingerhind.com

â&#x20AC;˘

www.pottingerhind.com

SCHEDULE

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.

elephant

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

Digital Partner

Funding Partner

BFI FILM AUDIENCE NETWORK