Projects in genres: Black

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.

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

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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

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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.

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Experimental documentary looking at the day that Muhammad Ali came to Tyneside in 1977 and the effect that this event had on the young Yemeni-British men who attended the Mosque. This film examines the emerging Arab/British identity and briefly introduced this historic community.  

Synopsis

Jeffrey Marshall is a professional musician, born without arms or legs. But do people come to his shows to listen to the music or to stare at the spectacle of how he's playing? In The Last Freak Show we join him in Nashville as he promotes his debut album before heading out to explore his personal and cultural identity as a disabled performer by becoming the star attraction in the last remaining freak show in America.

Synopsis

The story of two flatmates who share the same space but live completely different lives.

Synopsis

Eve Colman is searching for cheap accommodation. She views a property shared with Adam Smith and decides that this will be her home if she is offered the room. Eve moves in and holds a housewarming party. Adam painfully makes himself scarce at the party as it is clear to him that he is not an invited guest. Eve decides to compensate by cooking him a meal, albeit from his own resources and without his permission. They both eat quietly without talking until Eve decides to break the ice. Adam vents his frustration, but is rebuffed when Eve issues him a challenge to cook a better meal. She gets up and leaves the room, slamming the door behind her. Adam prepares a meal for Eve whilst she is in midst of preparing to find a new home. She is taken by the aromas that come from the kitchen, and is curious to investigate.  Eve to his change of heart, allowing him to be a man and treat her as a guest. When the meal is over, camaraderie builds and Eve sees an opportunity to nurture a deeper relationship with Adam, and the two of them conform to each other once physical contact is made. The germ of a fruitful alliance is now born.