Projects in genres: Black

Synopsis

Having left Brixton and become a successful business woman, Tiki returns to catch up on her old flame, Soweto. He appears to have wasted his life away, living in a squat. The two people and cultures collide but has Tiki got it all figured out?

Synopsis

An urban comedy which features drug barons, pom dealers and aspiring DJs - and an unfortunate case of canine mistaken identity.

Synopsis

Goldie, the Godfather of Drum and Bass, takes us on a roller coaster ride through his frenetic life. A journey that takes us from Wolverhampton to Tokyo, Miami to Hong Kong; through his years in council care and his life as a musician and international pop star. Along the way we meet his family, his collaborators and his celebrated friends, David Bowie and Noel Gallagher.

Synopsis

A high-octane action thriller set in the post-apartheid South African ghetto.

Through themes of racial identification and reflections on Hollywood-style violence, Hijack Stories mixes social commentary and humour while looking at the most painful and violent aspects of South African society.

Sox Moraka (Tony Kgoroge) is a talented actor and part of the rising black middle class in Johannesburg. He fled poverty in Soweto to become a well-known television personality for South Africa's new "Rainbow Nation". Sox acts and lives the part, dating his blond co-star and living in a penthouse flat in the white suburbs. While hosting music video shows, the ambitious thespian dreams of becoming an action hero - the African Wesley Snipes. The possibility of landing a role as popular TV gangster Bra Biza sends Sox back to the ghetto to rediscover his roots. Bumbling along in an unfamiliar, violent world, he meets the street-wise Grace, who introduces him to notorious gangster and old school friend Zama Zama or the General as he is endearingly tagged by his posse. The posse consists of Fly, the kamikaze getaway driver, and Joe, a disillusioned activist whose prophetic asides about South Africa's current state provide a constant morality check. They decide that Sox is truly in need of 're-education' and so begins his crash course in the seductive, yet deadly, finer points of gangster life. One terrifying night, Sox learns that gangster life isn't all game play and, as a result, each of the characters' lives will change forever.

Synopsis

The 1981 Toxteth riot was the most violent civil disturbance in Britain this century. Over three days more than £11 million worth of property damaged, 1,000 police injured, 500 people arrested. Citizens of the deprived area reacted angrily to high unemployment and years of racial harassment from the police.

Hearing from the rioters, community leaders, victims, local and national government members, this unique documentary recalls how this situation escalated out of control. Ordinary people caught up in the riots gave their views and accounts as to the reasons for, and the inadequacy of the authorities' response to, the days of disorder and destruction.

Synopsis

The story deals with the conflict and cross-cultural tension experience between a British educated African man and his black American wife in an African setting.

The film revolves around Emma, a black American who grows up in America's deep south. Her dream is to settle in Africa where, she believes, people will not view her with suspicion, but accept her as an integral part of the human race.

Kofi Boateng, the husband, is born of African parents having lived in London since the age of sixteen. He is an architect with a multi-national firm. He refuses to go to Africa because he believes the continent is not developed enough to appreciate his talent.

By sheer coincidence these two characters meet in a nightclub in London. For Emma it is a dream come true, because of the possibility that one day they could settle in Africa. Whilst Kofi also sees this union as a way of eventually living in America.

The story unfolds, ten years into the marriage in London.

Synopsis

A highly stylised intimate portrait of the fantastic life of Louis Armstrong. The film charts the story of the innovator, the first great jazz soloist, bandleader, pop star, actor and American cultural ambassador, Louis Armstrong.

Narrated by Danny Glover, The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong is a sensitive insight into the life of the man behind the trumpet; an epic story that spans 70 years from his childhood days on the streets of New Orleans to the glamorous Hollywood films like High Society and Hello Dolly, punctuated by timeless hits like What a Wonderful World and When You're Smiling.

Synopsis

London 1961. Alex, a jazz musician, and Faith, a singer, share an uneasy life together. The relationship 'on the rocks' Faith is willing to try to win back Alex by any means. Alas her attempts at making Alex jealous by leaving the club with a stranger backfire. Assuming that Faith has found a new beau Alex leaves their flat not knowing that Faith has been waiting for him.

Synopsis

In King Hayle I the camera navigates around a statue of Emperor Haile Sellassie I, acting as a pivotal device to which spectators visually anchor themselves. King Hayle I is an attempt at repairing the umbilical cord between the praxis of art, life and spirituality . . .

Synopsis

Set around youths in contemporary London, where cultures, class and race intermingle and influence each other freely and adopted American street style is the fashion of the day. Three teenagers, Jamie aka Rage, a rebellious rapper, Godwin (G), an introverted pianist, and Thomas (T), a forlorn DJ in search of a cause, find themselves in a slow spiral which begins to erode their bond of friendship after a botched-up attempt at a burglary fuelled by desparation. They are not professional thieves but teenagers in pursuit of a dream, to cut a hip hop record. Their failed act will sound a wake-up call which forces them to re-evaluate the true nature of their friendship, as their denied separate paths creep in.


Was their dream and friendship about making a record or based on a subconscious need of helping each other on their journeys of self-discovery and awakening? Hovering in the background of our protagonists' story are Jamie's friend and mentor Marcus, an elderly Rastafarian with a flawed wisdom and a penchant for marijuana which he cannot afford, and Jamie's single mother Ellen, a young woman struggling to navigate her children through the mine-filled existence of a London council estate where the resident charismatic drug lord Pin rules supreme.

Synopsis

Simple . . . is a 10 min short film about a writer who gets writer's block. Stuck at his computer with a deadline to meet, Wesley is accused by Pamela of being a two timing cheat. He says he is not - she says he is. But the answer is really . . . Simple!

Synopsis

Ruky has just been ordered to leave the UK by the British Home Office. Her world is suddenly torn apart.


Ebenezer her boyfriend could marry her and she would be granted a permanent visa, but he's a deeply religious man who would only marry for love.


Lucky Okoro has just inherited his late father's millions. His close friend and laywer Dele is anxious to help him consolidate his investments, all for just 10% of the total value.


Ruky soon meets Lucky and Dele, and the quest begins to find out what she really wants.