The 2017 British Urban Film Festival will feature over 30 film screenings plus 2 masterclasses, The Live Script Readings and the BUFF Awards ceremony, all hosted at the BT Tower from September 6 to 12.
The London premiere of Free In Deed will open this year’s 2017 British Urban Film Festival on Wednesday September 6th and will feature a live Q&A with actor David Harewood who stars in the lead role as a pastor with healing powers set in an American black church.
The following day, the festival will feature the London premiere of ‘A Landscape of Lies’ directed by Paul Knight with a cast including Marc Bannerman and TV presenter Andrea Mclean.
Also screening at the festival will be the London premiere of Chapter and Verse on Friday September 8th. The movie centers around a reformed gang leader from Harlem, played by Daniel Beaty, and also stars Omari Hardwick and Emmy award-winning actress Loretta Devine. Both Beaty and director Jamal Joseph (a former black panther) will feature in the Q&A.
The festival program will also feature the London premieres of Blue Hollywood, directed by Francesco Gabriele, hair documentary Back to Natural, and Stay Woke, a documentary from B.E.T about the Black Lives Matter movement.
On Saturday September 9, Africa features heavily in the line-up with the documentary Black Stars of Highlife and African rom-com Potato Potahto, starring O.C Ukeje & Joselyn Dumas.
Other festival highlights include the 5th annual renewal of the Live Script Readings, hosted by actor Wil Johnson on Thursday September 7th; an acting masterclass with Ashley Walters on Monday, September 11th; and a Make-up masterclass with artist Joy Adenuga on Tuesday September 12th.
This years shorts include:
STREETS PAVED WITH GOLD – directed by Victor Richards
SEE YOU YESTERDAY – directed by Stefon Bristol
JOCELYN – directed by Rachel Wang and Mark Currie
CREAM – directed by Palesa Lebona
BLACKLAND – directed by John Sailsman
JUNIOR – directed by Pearl Gluck
STAY WOKE – directed by Laurens Grant
IN HUMANS WE TRUST – directed by Tim Kent
ADAM AND EVE – directed by Jermaine Wong
CATFORD JESUS – directed by Dan Jones and Chris Michael Fretwell
NEON – directed by Mark J Blackman
LEROY – directed by Marley Morrison
PARALLEL UNIVERSES – directed by `Liran Nathan
WHEN KIDS GROW UP -directed by Shahaub Roudbari
AMBER – directed by Andi Osho
THE DEAL – directed by Johann Myers and Mark Oliver
ART OF LOVE – directed by Quason Matthews
BROKEN – directed by Daniel Alexander
REMEMBERANCE DAY – directed by Rob Woods
HUM – directed by Stefano Nurra
PADLOCK MEN – directed by Lewis T Powell
DEIDRE – directed by Jo Southwell
WE LOVE MOSES – directed by Dionne Edwards
NEW NEIGHBOURS – directed by E.G Bailey
MORNING GLORY – directed by Robert Bertrand
5 X 5 – directed by Kate Herron
THIS IS MY STORY – directed by Vicki Kisner
BLOOM – directed by
ARCADE GIRL – directed by Tze Hao Wong
THE DATE – directed by John Dunn
Nominees for the 2017 BUFF Awards
Best Short FIlm
Cover Me, Hush, Signs of Silence, Lifeline
Blessing Anyiam-Osigwe Award for Best Actress
Pippa Nixon, Rosamund Pike, Jade Asha, Juanita Ingram
Best Actor
Dylan Duffus, David Oyelowo, David Gyasi, Ed Hayter
Best Film
A United Kingdom, The Intent, To Dream, Residential
Best Live Script: TBA
Best Female Emerging Talent
Isis Davis, Maia Watkins, Kate Lassman Long, Krystine Atti
Best Male Emerging Talent
Elijah Baker, Louis Chandler-Joseph, Aubrey Whyte, Freddie Thorp
BUFF Honorary Award: Ashley Walters