Black Films Matter takes the stage at British Urban Film Festival this June

The British Urban Film Festival (BUFF), formed in 2005, showcases urban independent cinema in Britain. Its 2018 line-up brings to the fore some of the most interesting features in Black film.

One highlight, No Shade, was directed by former dermatologist, Clare Anyiam-Osigwe. The film is about a dark-skinned British woman coming to terms with her love-hate relationships with men and her skin tone.

The film stars Adele Oni in her debut lead role, Kadeem Pearse who has also starred in Chewing Gum, Shone Romulus and Judith Jacob. It is the first feature to be released by the festival under its new BUFF Originals slate.

Other feature film premieres include Moe Lynch’s documentary Fantastic: The Legacy of Slum Village with contributions from Kanye West and Common and Never Heard, a family drama starring David Banner, Romeo Miller, Master P, Robin Givens, Karrueche Tran, Kandi Burruss, Karen Abercrombie, Diezel Braxton, Brian White and Dorien Wilson. Both films will be screened at the Curzon Soho in London’s West End.

Further screenings include The Counter 1960, directed by Tracy Twinkie Byrd; Kings, directed by Jamaal Scott; and Rolling in the Deep, directed by Marcellus Cox. All 3 films will be shown as part of “Black Films Matter” at the Bernie Grant centre in North London on 7 June.

The annual BUFF awards ceremony on Monday 4 June will be headlined by director, Amma Asante, who’ll be in attendance to receive the festival’s highest honour. The screenwriter, director, and former actress directed the critically acclaimed movie, Belle, in 2013.

BUFF will be hosted at 6 venues including the Bernie Grant Centre in Tottenham, the Mile End Genesis Cinema, the Rio Cinema in Dalston, the Curzon Soho cinema, the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton and the Regent Street Cinema. The Festival is slated for 6 days, June 4-9.