London Breeze Champions Black Voices in its Biggest and Boldest Programme to Date

BritFlix Buzz, Film

Now in its 10th year, this BIFA accredited international film festival has no less than 160 films screening across ten days (5 in cinema and 10 online) of its annual flagship festival.

The opening and closing gala films are by Black and British Asian filmmakers from the UK, Nigeria, Malawi, South Africa and Jamaica.

With themes of ‘resistance’ and ‘resilience’ front and centre at this year’s edition, the festival opens on 22nd October with a debut feature documentary from British Asian filmmaker, Johan Nayar. The Banjo Boys tells of the extraordinary rise of Malawian duo, Madalitso Band from busking on the streets of Lilongwe fifteen years ago to now playing world stages, including for the BBC at Glastonbury this year.

Later that evening, we welcome director Andy Mundy-Castle (White Nanny Black Child) and Oscar nominated photographer/filmmaker, Misan Harriman (The After), to the stage following a screening of their film, Shoot the People exploring whether protest movements actually influence social change.
Closing the festival on 26th October is the first feature film to emerge from the female-led and innovative LAB Studios in Jamaica – a new production house creating compelling universal stories from Jamaica and the Caribbean.

Romcom, Love Offside from director Dale S. Lewis (Incision ) stars Judi Johnson (Once Upon A Time In The District) Mike Merrill (Straw) and Sundra Oakley (Washington Black/Bob Marley: One Love,). London Breeze is delighted that Sundra Oakley and co-screenwriter, Daneil Campbell, will be joining us for a live Q+A.

Elsewhere in the programme we have feature documentary Mother City about grass roots activism in Cape Town to stop the city corporation from selling off public property that could be used for social housing to alleviate the homelessness crisis – a universal tale!

We also have debut shorts such as the thrilling Dante’s Inferno: The Ascension from Idris Elba’s stunt double, Sofian Francis; animation Two Black Boys in Paradise by Baz Sell; and soon to appear at BFI London Film Festival, debut short from student filmmaker, Warren Mendy: So Here We Are.