11 Aug British Urban Film Festival partners with Rich Mix for 2022 edition
Justin Chinyere, director of the British Urban Film Festival, has set a programme of 20 feature films and 74 shorts for the BUFF 2022 edition, which will run from November 26 to December 3 as a week-long festival from Rich Mix in Shoreditch.
Now in its’ 17th year, the BAFTA and BIFA accredited festival has struck a new partnership with the East London venue.
Scroll down for the full feature programme
The festival’s opening night will be headlined by the World theatrical premiere of Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe’s Absolutely Marvellous (UK), marking his debut in the director’s chair. Filmed over a 5 year period, the documentary profiles the aptly named Marvel Opara, the visually impaired mother of British Olympic heavyweight boxer Joe Joyce. Featuring interviews with close friends, family and boxing figures including Frank Warren and Spencer Fearon, cameras follow Marvel in and around Putney (where she’s lived for most of her life) as well as at ringside to be present for Joe’s fights to get a sense of how she comes to terms with her disability.
Four other features will have world premieres at the event, including Isaac Odeniran’s Child of The Occult (UK), about a self-proclaimed child of God and the attempts by his Occultist Nigerian father to initiate him. 11 features will be making their UK premieres at the festival including The Anger from Lebanese filmmaker Marie Surae, about a Muslim girl who escapes from her alcoholic mother to find love and salvation in the form of an older, European man; and No Bad Guys from prolific Australian filmmaker George Gittoes who spent 3 years in May Block, Englewood – known by many to be the epicentre of gun violence in Southside Chicago. The film follows the lives of both the gun carrying perpetrators and the bereaved families of the victims. Gittoes has recently moved from his native New South Wales in Australia to Kyiv in Ukraine where he’s been shooting his next project.
On Saturday 3rd December, awards will be given in several categories across the full official selection, including best short film, best feature film, best actor, best actress and best documentary. British-Nigerian Director Obi Emelonye (Black Mail) will receive this year’s honorary award in recognition of a film career which has spanned over 2 decades. This year’s ceremony will be hosted by actor/director Femi Oyeniran (The Evolution of Black British Music).
In a statement, Justin Chinyere said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Rich Mix and having such a wonderful home to host this year’s British Urban Film Festival.
“This is a building that I have frequented often and seen so many unique and popular events here that have championed diversity. Naturally, it feels like the perfect fit for BUFF and we can’t wait to showcase our film festival at such a well respected and diverse space.”
BUFF 2022 features line-up
Absolutely Marvellous, directed by Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe
Something Ain’t Right, directed by Susan Ruth Downs MD & Alex Voss
The Sun Rises in the East, directed by Tayo Giwa
Child of the Occult, directed by Adesola Sunday Oyin-Adejobi, Isaac Oluwole Olaleye
No Bad Guys, directed by George Gittoes
The Full Moon’s Selfie, directed by Natalia Girlina
Kash Kash – without feathers we can’t live, directed by Lea Najjar
Black Daddy the Movie, directed by Damon Jamal Taylor
Savage Land, directed by Campbell Dalglish & Dr Henrietta Mann
Pattern, directed by Ivan Madeira
The Anger, directed by Marie Surae
Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story, directed by Denise Dowse
Hostile, directed by Sonita Gale
When We Speak, directed by Tas Brooker
Mere Desh Ki Dharti, directed by Faraz Haider
Collision Course, directed by Bolanle Austen-Peters
Fenom, directed by Kayla Johnson
Donkey Dust, directed by Kit Akinluyi
The Wife and her House Husband, directed by Marcus Markou
Four O’Clock Flowers, directed by Peter Callow
