Projects in genres: Black

Synopsis

A dying psychic, consumed with bitterness, corrupts the naïve inhabitants of a small, sea-side village and in the process, alienates her daughter. Can the dying commune with the dead?
Noir-influenced black comedy.

Synopsis

Angela is a braid stylist to the stars. Wayne and Cyndia are the leading junior stylists at the UK's biggest chain of Afro hair salons. George and Apple are a Thai husband and wife team obsessed with Afro hair.

Michael is Birmingham's leading Afro stylist who is out to beat the all-powerful London salons. Afro-Saxons follows all of these stylists as they enter the Black Beauty and Hair awards - the most competitive Afro hair competition in the UK.

'An engaging and entertaining documentary - it's impossible to watch it without a smile on your face' (Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian).

'A MUST-SEE FLICK - if you don't find it compulsive viewing, you're dead from the neck up' (Elsa O' Toole, NEW NATION).

'Big hair and bigger egos make for an entertaining and frequently amusing documentary - even those with no interest in hair will find something to amuse them in this admirably unusual film' (FILM FOUR).

Synopsis

Exile is an intimate look at identity through the eyes of a young British Nigerian woman. It interweaves contemporary dance inspired by African masquerade, and documentary footage from Senegal, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria to give a distinct and personal narrative.

Synopsis

Invalid Debris is an original and thought provoking new film about love, friendship and revenge by The Young Persons' Theatre Company which examines the chain of events leading to a young man’s death at the hands of a gang and the psychological and emotional consequences for all involved. This gripping and emotionally charged story asks the question is truth simply a matter of perspective.

Synopsis

Several diverse characters recite part of a poem called Gold From the Stone written by Lemn Sissay. Each character is in a different location and time zone but the same country and the same City. We jump from one character to the next fragmenting their monologues further isolating them- are they real people?

Synopsis

Mental Block depicts the journey of a young freerunner (Ali) striving to find his own personal route through life using the discipline of parkour, but all motion stops when he reaches the inevitable mental block. Set within inner-city estates Ali discovers the hardest obstacles to overcome are in the mind.

Synopsis

Midnight Madness is Europe's first basketball film.

The film follows Nhamo Shire, the founder of the Midnight Madness tournament, and two players, Mike Martin and Pierre Henry-Fontaine, as they battle through the summer to make it as one of the top 10 basketball players who will go to Los Angeles to train and compete against their American counterparts.

Nhamo recollects how in 1999 he launched the first Midnight Madness in Harlesden as a means of deterring teenagers from gangs and crime when they are most vulnerable: night time. 9 years on we follow him as this extreme basketball tournament rages in twelve cities across the UK. Midnight Madness culminates at Crystal Palace where 5,000 screaming fans attend the finals.

We also follow Mike Martin who lost his mum a couple of months before the summer and wants to win the tournament as a tribute to her memory and Pierre Henry-Fontaine who's dream of making the big time in the United States ended prematurely. He now sees the opportunity of playing against the Americans in their own backyard as a means of proving to himself he can play and compete with the best.

Far from the violent picture painted in the media of inner city life we discover through Midnight Madness passionate, hardworking and touching individuals trying to make a difference.



 

Synopsis

Motherland is a breathtaking passage, which sweeps the continent of Africa. With an all-star cast, it is a vivid cinematic centrepiece washed with an African aesthetic. A bold empowering sophisticated story of Africa, which in progressive dignity reaffirming terms looks at Africa's past, present and future. Motherland is an epic and unprecedented entry into the canon of African-owned cinema, which charts the glory and majesty of the Motherland (Enat Hager). Motherland is a film that unapologetically calls for African unity, self-determination and the African rebirth.

From the acclaimed producers of the multi-award winning 500 Years Later, Motherland is Directed by Owen ‘Alik Shahadah. Motherland has been in the making since 2004 and is expected late 2009.

Synopsis

In Kisumu, Kenya, a group of boys create and perform an Aids awareness show for local audiences, based on their own lives as HIV orphans, and their experience of life on the streets. In so doing, they find a voice, and discover a sense of purpose.

Synopsis

The dynamic pace of Quincy's basketball match soon calms when he is faced with a life changing dilemma.

Synopsis

Sanctuary is the true story of one woman, Marjorie, who tries to seek asylum in the UK. Speaking of her experiences in her own words, this film illustrates the journey she goes through - her inward journey as she confronts the affects of her torture and her outward journey as she struggles for asylum

Synopsis

A compelling portrait of a community living on the fenceline of big industry in Texas. Civil rights, environmental pollution and a battle against corporate power.