Decolonising the Conversation around Diversity

Growing up, Chapter Arts Centre’s Anim18 Project Coordinator (and our FEDS trainee) Umulkhayr Mohamed thought that a career in film wouldn’t be a possibility for her. Ahead of our upcoming I.D. (Inclusion & Diversity) Screening Day, read her thoughts on what we should be doing to try and finally overcome this. A career in film … More

Our commitment to diversity

As the lead body for film, and in our role as a public funder and a Lottery distributor, it’s essential that the BFI represents a contemporary Britain – in the films we fund and show, the audiences who watch them, and the filmmakers, actors and crews who make them. Film has the potential to be … More

Black History Month returns with a host of cinemas presenting screenings across the UK. BHM is a chance for cinemas launching or running year-round strands to showcase their offer, and bring standout Black talent to audiences, uncovering under-appreciated works and rediscovering films that have captured and impacted our culture significantly.

Of course, Black history should be interwoven into our education and cultural understanding all year round, not just for one month, but we still need to take opportunities to highlight the experiences of African diaspora people up to the current day. As an opportunity to raise up the stories of those who have been marginalised, Black History Month can be used as a vehicle to start or continue important conversations and continue creating change – in on-screen representation, recognition of cultural impact, and looking to a more inclusive future.

Black history matters. Black Lives Matter. You’ll find further resources here.

Black History Matters | Don John | TEDxSouthampton

Bookable – Dear White People

Winner of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival’s Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent, Dear White People is a sly,  provocative satire of race relations in the age of Obama. Writer/director Justin Simien follows a group of African American students as they navigate campus life and racial politics at a predominantly white college in a sharp … More