A UNITED KINGDOM

  • 2017 British Urban Film Festival Unveils Lineup, and BUFF Awards Nominees

    [caption id="attachment_23566" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Free In Deed Free In Deed[/caption] The 2017 British Urban Film Festival will feature over 30 film screenings plus 2 masterclasses, The Live Script Readings and the BUFF Awards ceremony, all hosted at the BT Tower from September 6 to 12. The London premiere of Free In Deed will open this year’s 2017 British Urban Film Festival on Wednesday September 6th and will feature a live Q&A with actor David Harewood who stars in the lead role as a pastor with healing powers set in an American black church. The following day, the festival will feature the London premiere of ‘A Landscape of Lies’ directed by Paul Knight with a cast including Marc Bannerman and TV presenter Andrea Mclean. Also screening at the festival will be the London premiere of Chapter and Verse on Friday September 8th. The movie centers around a reformed gang leader from Harlem, played by Daniel Beaty, and also stars Omari Hardwick and Emmy award-winning actress Loretta Devine. Both Beaty and director Jamal Joseph (a former black panther) will feature in the Q&A. The festival program will also feature the London premieres of Blue Hollywood, directed by Francesco Gabriele, hair documentary Back to Natural, and Stay Woke, a documentary from B.E.T about the Black Lives Matter movement. On Saturday September 9,  Africa features heavily in the line-up with the documentary Black Stars of Highlife and African rom-com Potato Potahto, starring O.C Ukeje & Joselyn Dumas. Other festival highlights include the 5th annual renewal of the Live Script Readings, hosted by actor Wil Johnson on Thursday September 7th; an acting masterclass with Ashley Walters on Monday, September 11th; and a Make-up masterclass with artist Joy Adenuga on Tuesday September 12th. This years shorts include: STREETS PAVED WITH GOLD – directed by Victor Richards SEE YOU YESTERDAY – directed by Stefon Bristol JOCELYN – directed by Rachel Wang and Mark Currie CREAM – directed by Palesa Lebona BLACKLAND – directed by John Sailsman JUNIOR – directed by Pearl Gluck STAY WOKE – directed by Laurens Grant IN HUMANS WE TRUST – directed by Tim Kent ADAM AND EVE – directed by Jermaine Wong CATFORD JESUS – directed by Dan Jones and Chris Michael Fretwell NEON – directed by Mark J Blackman LEROY – directed by Marley Morrison PARALLEL UNIVERSES – directed by `Liran Nathan WHEN KIDS GROW UP -directed by Shahaub Roudbari AMBER – directed by Andi Osho THE DEAL – directed by Johann Myers and Mark Oliver ART OF LOVE – directed by Quason Matthews BROKEN – directed by Daniel Alexander REMEMBERANCE DAY – directed by Rob Woods HUM – directed by Stefano Nurra PADLOCK MEN – directed by Lewis T Powell DEIDRE – directed by Jo Southwell WE LOVE MOSES – directed by Dionne Edwards NEW NEIGHBOURS – directed by E.G Bailey MORNING GLORY – directed by Robert Bertrand 5 X 5 – directed by Kate Herron THIS IS MY STORY – directed by Vicki Kisner BLOOM – directed by ARCADE GIRL – directed by Tze Hao Wong THE DATE – directed by John Dunn

    Nominees for the 2017 BUFF Awards

    Best Short FIlm Cover Me, Hush, Signs of Silence, Lifeline Blessing Anyiam-Osigwe Award for Best Actress Pippa Nixon, Rosamund Pike, Jade Asha, Juanita Ingram Best Actor Dylan Duffus, David Oyelowo, David Gyasi, Ed Hayter Best Film A United Kingdom, The Intent, To Dream, Residential Best Live Script: TBA Best Female Emerging Talent Isis Davis, Maia Watkins, Kate Lassman Long, Krystine Atti Best Male Emerging Talent Elijah Baker, Louis Chandler-Joseph, Aubrey Whyte, Freddie Thorp BUFF Honorary Award: Ashley Walters

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  • MOONLIGHT and LOVE & FRIENDSHIP Lead Nominations for London’s Critics’ Circle Film Awards

    [caption id="attachment_12014" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Love & Friendship Love & Friendship[/caption] Barry Jenkins’ drama Moonlight and Whit Stillman’s comedy Love & Friendship lead the nominations for the 37th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards, garnering seven nominations each. Both are up for Film of the Year, as well as multiple acting honors. The gala ceremony will be held on Sunday January 22nd, 2017,  in London, at The May Fair Hotel. Following close behind is Maren Ade’s German comedy Toni Erdmann with six nominations, while La La Land, Manchester by the Sea and American Honey have five citations each. The winners will be voted on by 140 members of The Critics’ Circle Film Section. The nominations were announced at The May Fair today by actress Chloe Pirrie and actor-filmmaker Craig Roberts. The 22nd January ceremony will again be hosted by actor-filmmakers Alice Lowe and Steve Oram, who won the critics’ Breakthrough Filmmakers prize in 2012 for their screenplay for Sightseers and have gone on to write and direct Prevenge and Aaaaaaaah!, respectively. “Our critics nominated more than 160 titles for Film of the Year alone, representing the range of wide opinions and the sheer number of movies critics watch each year,” says Rich Cline, chair of the Critics’ Circle Film Awards. “There was love for everything from Aferim to Zootropolis, including Captains America and Fantastic, plus acclaimed women from Jackie, Julieta, Moana, Christine, Krisha and Victoria to Miss Sloane and Florence Foster Jenkins. Making it onto that final list of nominees is never easy.” British actors Naomie Harris, Andrew Garfield, Kate Beckinsale and Tom Bennett each received nominations both for specific performances and for their body of work in 2016. Unusually, the writer-directors of four Film of the Year contenders are also nominated for both Screenwriter and Director: Moonlight’s Jenkins, Toni Erdmann’s Ade, La La Land’s Damien Chazelle and Manchester by the Sea’s Kenneth Lonergan. In addition to Film of the Year, Gianfranco Rosi’s immigration-themed film Fire at Sea is also nominated for both Foreign-Language Film and Documentary. Also contending for Film of the Year are Andrea Arnold’s American Honey, Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals, László Nemes’ Son of Saul and Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake. Last year’s ceremony saw George Miller winning both Film and Director for Mad Max: Fury Road, with three awards going to Andrew Haigh’s 45 Years and the Dilys Powell Award presented to Kenneth Branagh. The full list of nominees for the 37th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards: FILM OF THE YEAR American Honey Fire at Sea I, Daniel Blake La La Land Love & Friendship Manchester by the Sea Moonlight Nocturnal Animals Son of Saul Toni Erdmann FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR Fire at Sea Son of Saul Things to Come Toni Erdmann Victoria DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years Cameraperson The Eagle Huntress Fire at Sea Life, Animated BRITISH/IRISH FILM OF THE YEAR American Honey High-Rise I, Daniel Blake Love & Friendship Sing Street ACTOR OF THE YEAR Casey Affleck – Manchester by the Sea Adam Driver – Paterson Andrew Garfield – Hacksaw Ridge Jake Gyllenhaal – Nocturnal Animals Peter Simonischek – Toni Erdmann ACTRESS OF THE YEAR Amy Adams – Arrival Kate Beckinsale – Love & Friendship Sandra Hüller – Toni Erdmann Isabelle Huppert – Things to Come Emma Stone – La La Land SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR Mahershala Ali – Moonlight Tom Bennett – Love & Friendship Jeff Bridges – Hell or High Water Shia LaBeouf – American Honey Michael Shannon – Nocturnal Animals SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR Viola Davis – Fences Greta Gerwig – 20th Century Women Naomie Harris – Moonlight Riley Keough – American Honey Michelle Williams – Manchester by the Sea DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR Maren Ade – Toni Erdmann Damien Chazelle – La La Land Barry Jenkins – Moonlight Kenneth Lonergan – Manchester by the Sea László Nemes – Son of Saul SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR Maren Ade – Toni Erdmann Damien Chazelle – La La Land Barry Jenkins – Moonlight Kenneth Lonergan – Manchester by the Sea Whit Stillman – Love & Friendship BRITISH/IRISH ACTOR Tom Bennett – Love & Friendship, Life on the Road Andrew Garfield – Hacksaw Ridge, Silence Hugh Grant – Florence Foster Jenkins Dave Johns – I, Daniel Blake David Oyelowo – A United Kingdom, Queen of Katwe BRITISH/IRISH ACTRESS Kate Beckinsale – Love & Friendship Rebecca Hall – Christine Naomie Harris – Moonlight, Our Kind of Traitor, Collateral Beauty Ruth Negga – Loving, Iona Hayley Squires – I, Daniel Blake YOUNG BRITISH/IRISH PERFORMER Ruby Barnhill – The BFG Lewis MacDougall – A Monster Calls Sennia Nanua – The Girl With All the Gifts Anya Taylor-Joy – The Witch, Morgan Ferdia Walsh-Peelo – Sing Street BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH/IRISH FILMMAKER Babak Anvari – Under the Shadow Mike Carey – The Girl With All the Gifts Guy Hibbert – Eye in the Sky, A United Kingdom Peter Middleton & James Spinney – Notes on Blindness Rachel Tunnard – Adult Life Skills BRITISH/IRISH SHORT FILM Isabella – Duncan Cowles & Ross Hogg Jacked – Rene Pannevis Sweet Maddie Stone – Brady Hood Tamara – Sofia Safonova Terminal – Natasha Waugh TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT American Honey – Robbie Ryan, cinematography Arrival – Sylvain Bellemare, sound design High-Rise – Mark Tildesley, production design Jackie – Mica Levi, music Jason Bourne – Gary Powell, stunts La La Land – Justin Hurwitz, music Moonlight – Nat Sanders & Joi McMillon, editing Sing Street – Gary Clark & John Carney, music Rogue One – Neal Scanlan, visual effects Victoria – Sturla Brandth Grovlen, cinematography

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