British Urban Film Festival reveals 2024 dates

The 19th British Urban Film Festival (BUFF) will take place from October 17-25, 2024.

Further details, including the full schedule release and the awards programme, will be announced in the coming weeks. It will be the first edition under the new team of festival director Jennifer G Robinson and artistic director Laurelle Jones who both succeeded Justin Chinyere and Paula Crickard in March.

Last year’s edition, the first held outside of London, ran October 14-20 and opened in Leeds with the first public screening of the documentary “Oluwale” plus the UK premiere of “Mapantsula” (4k version) marking the 35th anniversary of the original release in South Africa.

Headline sponsor Calderdale Council hosted the BUFF Awards ceremony at Dean Clough in Halifax with Jordon Scott Kennedy’s “Suicide Kelly” winning the best feature film award, Andy Mundy Castle’s “White Nanny Black Child” winning the best documentary award and Billy Boyd Capes’s “Wings” winning the best short film award.

Actress Angela Griffin received the honorary award for recognition of a career which has spanned over 30 years. Speaking about BUFF, the Leeds native said::”It’s an incredible, incredible event…. encouraging and giving a platform for emerging filmmakers and creatives; for artists who aren’t always necessarily represented; and it promotes creativity and diversity… It’s an exciting event and an exciting thing to be part of and I’m really grateful to be a part of the British Urban Film Festival story”. .

Square Chapel in Halifax, Rich Mix & FOMO House in Shoreditch and Genesis Cinema in Whitechapel have been announced as host venues for the 8 day event with organisers confirming that the festival will retain the Up North, Down South hybrid model which has already seen multiple screenings take place this past Spring in London and Halifax.

BUFF Artistic Director, Laurelle Jones said: “BUFF 2024 is ready to take the UK by storm. This year we set the stakes higher with our programmes taking place Up North (Halifax) and Down South (London) providing audiences with a dynamic range of films, Q&A’s, and workshops.”