Projects in genres: Black

Synopsis

A British-Nigerian woman tormented by her inability to have children experiences a transformative baptism leading her on an unexpected journey that offers her a chance to rebirth herself.

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Moving from the frozen landscapes of the Jura mountains to the urban centres of Port-au-Prince, Ouvertures brings the Haitian revolutionary Toussaint Louverture back to life. In France a Haitian researcher tries to read the past within the stratigraphic layers of Jurassic limestone, whilst in Haiti a group of young actors translate and rehearse scenes from 'Monsieur Toussaint', a play written by Édouard Glissant, that recounts the last days in the life of Louverture dying in exile in a prison cell in the Jura, 1803. Ghosts from the pantheon of Haitian history visit Louverture on his deathbed and put him to trial. As the play proceeds the actors become possessed by their characters, and eventually the ghost of Louverture joins the group and takes them on a voyage for a new kind of exile. Official Selection Berlinale 2020 - Forum - World premiere

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A Ugandan mother tries to navigate her past traumas through participating in the country's first beauty pageant for plus-size women. Grierson British Documentary Awards 2020 - Winner - Best Student Documentary BAFTA Film Awards 2021 - Nomination - Best British Short Film

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1860s Sheffield, England. The famous Shakespearian actor Samuel Morgan Smith has just finished rehearsals and takes his daily walk through the City Centre and out into the Yorkshire countryside. As always he encounters many fans on his walk but suddenly something changes. An accusation. Samuel is about to play a role that is all too familiar for a Black Man, whether then or today. This film is inspired by true stories.

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Built from conversations with trans feminine people around the world, particularly the UK, Indonesia and Canada, the film documents We Dig, a threatre performance which centres around the actual excavation of a giant hole - a literal representation of a queer community needing to bury itself for protection.

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Our generational story begins in 1969, with our protagonist Caleb, in the heyday of his early 30's throwing a 'Blues' (a house party). We immerse our viewer into a world that was vibrant, in every sense of the word, paying homage to the exciting era of when Britain was introduced to something that changed it forever. In our story the night unfolds and we are introduced to our antagonist Sean, whose curious nature leads him into prohibited spaces. The plot thickens as we continue our story into 2016 with Caleb, now a grandfather, navigating his way through his sound system legacy and guiding his 21 year old grandson, Trojan. Memories of Sean and an illness Caleb bats away lurk underneath his routine catch up with his grandson. With the aim to shoot a feature film that encapsulates the communal aspect of the Sound System Culture in today’s society, we made this short to tease the viewer into our world. We explore social dynamics, history and a music scene that made an indelible imprint on bass culture in England. Official Selection, New York Indie Shorts Awards 2026

Synopsis

As a sci-fi obsessed woman living in near isolation, Beverly Glenn-Copeland wrote and self-released Keyboard Fantasies in Huntsville, Ontario back in 1986. Recorded in an Atari-powered home-studio, the cassette featured seven tracks of a curious folk-electronica hybrid, a sound realised far before its time. Three decades on, the musician – now Glenn Copeland – began to receive emails from people across the world, thanking him for the music they’d recently discovered. Courtesy of a rare-record collector in Japan, a reissue of Keyboard Fantasies and subsequent plays by Four Tet, Caribou and more, the music had finally found its audience two generations down the line. 'Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly Glenn-Copeland Story' tells the time-travelling tale of this mystical musician and vocalist, as the present finally catches up with him and he embarks on his first international tour at the age of 74.   Capturing five decades of relentless musical output and shifting manifestations of gender and sexual identity, set against a backdrop of profound social change, the film celebrates the unpredictable rhythms of life. A lullaby to soothe those souls struggling to find their place in the world.

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An underground jazz club in Harlem struggles to keep going after the death of its founder, Seleno Clarke.

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Through a dynamic fusion of movement and dialogue, THE CONVERSATION explores the challenges black men and women experience when communicating their racial experience to white partners.

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An unremarkable newsagents sits between a courthouse and a business centre. It’s here that sparks fly between well-dressed Kyle and the equally poised Jamie. Yet despite their composed outward appearances, both are struggling to move on from hardships they’d rather keep hidden. As their feelings for one another blossom, these difficult pasts resurface threatening their relationship before it has really even begun. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2019 - Love Strand - World premiere

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Dave struggles to keep his Tourette’s on the down-low while on a date with Jess. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2019 - Laugh Strand - World premiere

Synopsis

Exploring how punk influenced politics in late-1970s Britain, when a group of artists united to take on the National Front, armed only with a fanzine and a love of music. Developed from Rubika Shah's short film WHITE RIOT: LONDON (Sundance 2017, Berlin 2017). Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2019 - Documentary Competition - World premiere Winner Grierson Award for Best Documentary, BFI London Film Festival 2019 Official Selection Berlin International Film Festival 2020 - Generation 14plus - International premiere