Winners announced for 2022 BUFF Awards

This year’s 8th annual British Urban Film Festival awards took place at Rich Mix in East London and was the climax to BUFF 2022 – the UK’s premier film showcase for diversity and representation (established by Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe MBE in 2005). Actor, writer and director Femi Oyeniran (The Evolution of Black British Music) hosted proceedings alongside co-presenter Mosique Lavontelle (MLavontellePresents, The Hotlist UK).

This year’s BUFF honorary award was presented by producer/director Don Omope (Makate Must Sell, TATU, The Wedding Party) and received by prolific British Nigerian filmmaker Obi Emelonye in recognition of his 20+ years contribution to cinema with films including Black Mail, The Mirror Boy, Oxford Gardens and Badamasi.

Results
Best Short Film Award – nominees

My Jerome (dir: Adjani Salmon)
Dysphoria (dir: Yennis Cheung)
Fifty Four Days (dir: Cat White & Phoebe Torrance) – WINNER
Puzzled Path (dir: Kenneth Ma)

The Blessing Anyiam-Osigwe Best Actress Award – nominees

Shin-Fei Chen (Dysphoria)
Sophie Cartman (Four O’Clock Flowers) – WINNER
Kelise Gordon (Long Walk Home)
Ledisi (Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story)

Best Actor – nominees

Nicholas Pinnock (Can I Help?) – WINNER
Kelechi Udegbe (Collision Course)
Wil Johnson (The Track)
Bally Gill (Bus Driver)

The Victor Adebodun Best Feature Film Award – nominees

The Wife and her House Husband (dir: Marcus Markou) – WINNER
Donkey Dust (dir: Kit Akinluyi)
Four O’Clock Flowers (dir: Peter Callow)
Pattern (dir: Ivan Madeira)

Best Documentary (sponsored by PBS) – nominees

Buddleia – The Unchained Story (dir: Tracy Kiryango) – WINNER
Fenom (dir: Kayla Johnson)
Hostile (dir: Sonita Gale)
Black Daddy: The Movie (dir: Damon Jamal Taylor)

Best International Film – nominees

Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story (dir: Denise Dowse) – WINNER
Collision Course (dir: Bolanle Austen-Peters)
Child of The Occult ( dir: Adesola Sunday Oyin-Adejobi, Isaac Oluwole Olaleye)

Best Soundtrack – nominees

Silent World (dir. Charlie Dennis) – WINNER
When the Rain sets in (dir. James Hughes)
Wetin Man Go Do (dir. Lukas Zeickner)
Remember Me – The Mahalia Jackson Story (dir: Denise Dowse)

Best Live Script Award – 3 recipients

Helen Alexis Yonov (Burden of Light) – WINNER
Stephen Graham (I’m a Gun) – WINNER
Hecham Elhajoui (War Criminal) – WINNER

The British Urban Film Festival Honorary Award recipient:
Obi Emelonye