The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), celebrated for spotlighting independent filmmaking and artistic discovery, once again brought a compelling selection of African stories to its 2024 edition.

This year’s lineup showcased a diverse array of films that probed the continent’s rich narratives, exploring themes of revolution, identity, and cultural resilience.

South Africa had the highest number of inclusions with three films – Questioning the Existence of Alec by Roger Horn, as well as Godide and Cloud Migration by Phumulani Ntuli from South Africa. Horn’s film had its world premiere, while Ntuli’s films will have their Dutch premieres. 

Kenya and Tunisia were both represented by two titles each; Stero – a short film by Kenyan filmmakers, Tevin Kimathi and Millan Tarus making its world premiere, and After the Long Rains by Damien Hauser – and The Sunflowers of the Moon by Douar al Kamar and Kaouther Ben Hania’s Oscar-nominated documentary, Four Daughters, from Tunisia. Egypt’s 2024 Oscar entry, Voy! Voy! Voy! (directed by Omar Hilal) also made the cut.  

Other notable selections included Nigerian director Ishaya Bako’s I Do Not Come To You By Chance (a movie adaptation of Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s novel of the same name), Cameroonian production La grotte sacrée (directed by Daniel Minlo and Cyrille Masso), and Senegalese filmmaker Ramata-Toulaye Sy’s highly acclaimed Banel & Adama.

International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) offers a high quality line-up of carefully selected fiction and documentary feature films, short films and media art. The festival’s focus is on recent work by talented new filmmakers. Its official selection generally includes more than 400 feature, mid-length, and short films from over 90 countries and also offers a high-quality line-up of exhibitions, performances, masterclasses and talks.

This year’s edition of IFFR took place from January 25 to February 4, 2024, in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Paramount+ debuted first-look imagery and a tease for the highly anticipated original series Lawmen: Bass Reeves.

Premiering this autumn in the U.S. and all Paramount+ international markets, the anthology series stars executive producer and Emmy Award nominee David Oyelowo, Lauren E. Banks, Demi Singleton, Forrest Goodluck, Barry Pepper, Honorary Oscar recipient Donald Sutherland and Emmy Award nominee Dennis Quaid. Executive produced by Oscar nominee Taylor Sheridan and created for television by executive producer and showrunner Chad Feehan, the eight-episode season is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios, Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch Productions and Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon exclusively for Paramount+. 

Lawmen: Bass Reeves will bring the legendary lawman and outlaws of the Wild West to life. Reeves (Oyelowo), known as the greatest frontier hero in American history, worked in the post-Reconstruction era as a federal peace officer in the Indian Territory, capturing over 3,000 of the most dangerous criminals without ever being wounded. Lawmen: Bass Reeves is an anthology series with future iterations that will follow other iconic lawmen and outlaws who have impacted history.
 
The cast also includes Shea Whigham and Garrett Hedlund as guest stars, and, in recurring roles, Joaquina Kalukango, Lonnie Chavis, Grantham Coleman, Tosin Morohunfola, Dale Dickey, Rob Morgan, Ryan O’Nan, Margot Bingham Mo Brings Plenty, Justin Hurtt-Dunkley and Bill Dawes. 
 
In addition to Sheridan, Feehan and Oyelowo, the series is also executive produced by David C. Glasser, Jessica Oyelowo, David Permut, Christina Alexandra Voros, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari and David Hutkin.

Debbie Ramsay has been appointed as the new editor of 5 News, ITN has announced today.

Ramsay joins 5 News from Channel 4 where she is Commissioning Editor for News and Current Affairs.

Before Channel 4, she worked at the BBC for 16 years. Most recently as an Executive Editor at BBC News in charge of commissioning original journalism, and before that as Head of Youth Journalism and in senior editorial roles at Radio 1 and 1Xtra, leading a large team of journalists to provide news for the BBC’s flagship multi-platform youth outlets.

Ramsay began her career working on local newspapers in the northwest of England, before moving into local radio there and in Birmingham before going on to Capital FM in presenting and breakfast news editor roles.

Debbie Ramsay says: “5 News already punches well above its weight, and this is a fantastic opportunity to work with an exceptional team to punch harder. The programme has incredible reach out of London and with women and I hope to tap into my experience of working with harder-to-reach audiences to boost that further.

“5News has a family feel and I want to emphasise that further with viewers who can play a role in telling us what they need, including as the team often do now, by covering stories that matter to them most and that no-one else is covering.”

Rachel Corp, CEO at ITN says: “I am delighted that Debbie Ramsay will be taking the reins at 5 News. She has an impressive track record as an editor and is known for producing bold and distinctive content. She is also passionate about reaching new and underserved audiences. That expertise not only chimes with the reach and agenda at 5 News but the wider work we are doing across ITN, and she will be a huge asset on my senior leadership team.

“She is joining 5 News at a time of growth, bucking the trend on linear and expanding its reach, and I can’t wait to see what she does with the programme next.”

Daniel Pearl, Commissioning Editor at Channel 5 says: “Debbie is an outstanding and high-profile appointment. She has held senior roles at the BBC News and Channel 4 and will help accelerate the recent growth of 5 News.

“Debbie is well placed to build on the success of Cait’s superb editorship, during which she relaunched the News as an hour with the brilliant Dan Walker and Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije. We’re excited to see how Debbie develops 5 News and how she can bring its unique and distinctive voice to even more viewers.”

Debbie will take up the post later in the autumn, taking over from Cait FitzSimons who has been 5 News editor for 5 years.

SERIES IS WRITTEN AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY SIR LENNY HENRY AND COMING TO SCREENS THIS AUTUMN

The first look stills from Sir Lenny Henry’s Three Little Birds led by rising stars Rochelle Neil (The Nevers, Guilt), Yazmin Belo (What Just Happened) and Saffron Coomber (Tracey Beaker Returns, Eastenders), have been released ahead of the series coming to ITV and ITVX this Autumn and BritBox International in the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa and Nordic markets in 2024. The series is produced by Tiger Aspect in association with Douglas Road.

Spirited, moving, funny and utterly heartfelt Three Little Birds is a triumphant celebration of immigration, community and the strength of Black womanhood inspired by the life-affirming stories of Sir Lenny Henry’s mother and all those who have travelled to make Britain their home.

Set in 1957, post-Windrush, and amidst the booming decade set alight by promise, the rhythm of rock and roll, swing, Hollywood starlets and fabulous fashion Three Little Birds will introduce Dudley and the rest of the world to gregarious sisters Leah (Neil) and Chantrelle (Coomber) and their virtuous, bible-loving acquaintance, Hosanna (Belo), as they board a cruise ship from Jamaica bound for a new life in Blighty.

Lured to the UK in search of new beginnings by their older brother Aston (Javone Prince-Dodger), who asks Leah and Chantrelle if they’ll bring him a potential wife from back home, they convince Hosanna to give up her job as a trainee nurse and embark upon the journey to ‘the mother country. An effervescent mix of strong personalities they all have very different reasons for leaving their family and friends behind in Clarendon, Jamaica, though they soon discover it’s not all it’s cracked up to be, not least the dramatic change in weather. While we learn shocking truths about the lives they left behind the voyage of discovery is not smooth sailing for our trio, but they are determined to succeed and overcome the many obstacles of integration and build a new life in Britain.

The series also stars Bobby Gordon(Hollyoaks) as the sisters’ new factory-worker colleague Shelton, Arthur Darvill (The Sandman, Broadchurch) and Beth Hayes (Mr Selfridge, Black Mirror) as Chantrelle’s employers Mr and Mrs Wantage, who expect far more from her than just cooking shepherd’s pie and minding their three children as their new live-in Nanny.

Three Little Birds was filmed in The Midlands and has been commissioned for ITV by Head of Drama, Polly Hill, working alongside Nana Hughes who is overseeing production for ITV. The drama will premiere on ITV1 and be available for streaming on ITVX. Tiger Aspect Productions produces the six-part drama, written by Sir Lenny Henry and guest episode writers Carol Russell and Avril Russell, in association with his production company Douglas Road Productions. Both companies are part of the Banijay UK group. The series is co-produced by BritBox International, with Diederick Santer as Executive Producer. Banijay Rights handle international distribution.

Charles McDougall, Yero Timi Biuand Darcia Martin will direct two episodes each and Sir Lenny Henry, Lucy Bedford, Kate Crowe, Russell T Davies, Charles McDougall and Angela Ferreira serve as Executive Producers with Stella Nwimo producing.

The BMW Filmmaking Challenge will provide five shortlisted filmmakers with access to a £10,000 production fund.

The BMW Filmmaking Challenge, in partnership with the BFI has been launched to celebrate BMW’s new flagship vehicle, the BMW i7, which features a 31.3-inch widescreen rear-passenger screen.

To encourage filmmakers even more, Coel herself will mentor the five shortlisted filmmakers alongside an executive producer from the BFI to create a 90-second short film.

The chosen filmmakers will be given the budget to produce their films using a new format and 8K / 32:9 cinematography. The BFI said “high-profile talent” will be drafted in to judge the challenge.

A winning film will be selected to premiere as part of the closing night gala of the BFI London Film Festival in October 2023.

Coel said: “I hope this Filmmaking Challenge provides an opportunity for creatives to explore new and interesting perspectives, allowing us to discover the stories yet to be told. The BMW i7’s technology and theatre screen, which is much wider than we’d traditionally watch, will push creatives to think more expansively. I look forward to geeking out with the filmmakers about their ideas and providing a sounding board as a mentor throughout this process.”

All five films will be available on BFI Player. The BFI will open applications in March 2023.

To promote the challenge, Coel features in a 90-second film, written and directed by Aliyah Otchere. You can watch the full clip below.

BFI has hired Ama Ampadu as a senior production and development executive for the BFI Film Fund.

Independent producer Ampadu who has 12 years of experience as a producer, will work alongside Louise Ortega, with a central focus on filmmaking debuts, as well as working closely with BFI NETWORK to ensure there is a practical crossover for new and emerging talent.

Ampadu will report to Natascha Wharton, the film fund’s Head of Editorial. Alongside Ortega and the rest of the team, Ampadu will also oversee the fund’s slate, which has projects at various stages of production, supporting filmmakers at each stage of the filmmaking process and beyond, as well as developing outreach strategies to engage filmmakers with the BFI.

Mia Bays, director of the BFI Film Fund, said: “We are really energized that Ama is joining us and bringing a producer’s perspective to the team and one that is very international. We welcome her pragmatic approach and highly developed skills and relationships with filmmakers, and have no doubt that she will enrich the team, the organisation and the projects she supports.”

Ampadu added: “I’m excited by the possibilities that lie ahead working within the framework of the new BFI 10-year strategy. Engaged with the contemporary creative scene and immersed in an array of scripts and story ideas, I’m a dedicated supporter of under-acknowledged artists, diverse stories and voices. I plan to listen and be of utmost service in discovering and nourishing the best of U.K. talent in all its diversity and beyond, championing ground-breaking projects that resonate with audiences.”

The film fund is currently closed for applications until the launch of a new National lottery Filmmaking Fund in March 2023.

Main Image Credit: BFI/ Getty

TBB has the first clip and images of ‘African Queens‘ the new Netflix docu-drama from Jada Pinkett Smith.

From Executive Producer, Jada Pinkett Smith comes a new documentary series exploring the lives of prominent and iconic African Queens. The first season will cover the life of Njinga, the complex, captivating, and fearless 17th-century warrior queen of Ndongo and Matamba, in modern-day Angola. The nation’s first female ruler, Njinga earned a reputation for her blend of political and diplomatic skill with military prowess and became an icon of resistance.

Jada says “As the mother of a young Black woman, it is immensely important to me that she learns the lessons of the African Queens who paved the way for our success and the success of generations of Black women.”

Netflix has Greenlit a Two-Season Order of Doc Series About African Queens From Westbrook Studios and Nutopia with Jada Pinkett Smith to Executive Produce. The series, which will focus on a different queen each season, will blend premium docudrama with expert interviews and insights.

The first season feature Njinga, the complex, captivating, and fearless 17th-century warrior queen of Matamba and Ndongo, in modern-day Angola. The nation’s first female ruler, Njinga earned a reputation for her blend of political and diplomatic skill with military prowess and became an icon of resistance.

Season two will cover the life of Cleopatra, the world’s most famous, powerful, and misunderstood woman — a daring queen whose beauty and romances came to overshadow her real asset: her intellect. Cleopatra’s heritage has been the subject of much academic debate, which has often been ignored by Hollywood. Now our series re-assesses this fascinating part of her story

Both series are written by Peres Owino (Bound: Africans vs African-Americans), NneNne Iwuji (Yellow). British director Ethosheia Hylton directed series one.

African Queens is Available to watch on Netflix from Wednesday 15th February

Netflix announces the return of the Documentary Talent Fund, to support emerging filmmakers.

This year sees the programme extend to include the Republic of Ireland as well as the UK.  Building on the success of year one, the fund will continue to inspire and discover a new generation of documentary storytellers.  

The opportunity will be open to everyone and will give five filmmakers, and their teams, the chance to make a short documentary film with a budget of £30,000 each. All teams will be under the guidance of Netflix and other filmmaking professionals.

Last year, our filmmaking teams were selected from thousands of applicants to become the inaugural Netflix Documentary Talent team. Representing the whole of the UK, Netflix supported stories from Derry to Tewkesbury, Liverpool to Bristol. As a result, Love Languages, a film by Jason Osborne and Precious Mahaga has been long listed for best British Short Film by BAFTA this year and the ten films have now seen over 40 festival screenings including Urbanworld Film Festival, Iris Prize, London Short Film Festival and Aesthetica. Now the search is on to find our 2023 cohort. 

Whether you’ve never picked up a camera before or have limited experience, do not be shy. The Documentary Talent Fund is designed to guide you through every step of the way: to nurture and encourage. Throughout the year, the chosen teams will take part in Netflix hosted workshops covering all aspects of production including legal, creative, HR, production and finance. 

In their finished forms, each documentary must be between 8-12 minutes long and will live on Netflix UK’s social channels. The brief for these fully funded short documentaries is the theme of Connection.

Kate Townsend, VP  Documentary Features said, “We were thrilled with the results of last year’s inaugural Documentary Talent Fund. The filmmakers we collaborated with inspired and surprised us, and we’re so pleased with how they made the most of this opportunity. The resulting films were varied in subject matter and style and provided a brilliant response to the brief. This year we’re looking to go one step further, on the theme of Connection and we encourage filmmakers to interrogate this and come forward with their unique take and vision, whatever that looks like.”

Townsend will lead a team of industry professionals who will form the judging panel to select this year’s recipients. This will include Julia Nottingham (Founder and CEO Dorothy Street Pictures); Orlando Von Einsiedel (Oscar and BIFA winning Director, Virunga, The White Helmets, Evelyn and Founder of Grain Media); Tamana Ayazi (Director, In Her Hands); Jenny Popplewell (Director, American Murder: The Family Next Door), Alex Brunati (Line Producer, Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee) and Tanisha Artman (CEO SBTV). 

The final docs will be launched in early 2024, and will be showcased at an event attended by industry figures to help our talent expand their networks and advance their careers.

Elisabeth Hopper returns as Lead Producer of the fund, supported by Georgie Yukiko Donovan as Supervising Producer and Daisy Ifama as Assistant Producer.

Read TBB’s interviews with last year’s documentary filmmakers HERE.

You must be a UK or Ireland resident to apply. Only one application will be accepted per person. 

Entries will be open from 16th January to  16th February. For the first round, applicants will be required to submit a logline (one sentence); a short synopsis and a creative statement about their documentary idea.  Further details on how to apply can be found at www.netflixdocfund.co.uk  

Till the powerful film by Chinonye Chukwu has its exclusive preview at BFI London Film Festival as part of the Mayor of London’s Gala.

Co-written by Michael Reilly, Keith Beauchamp, and Chukwu who also directs, Till is produced by Beauchamp, Reilly, Whoopi Goldberg and Barbara Broccoli/Eon Productions. The film is based on the true story of Mamie Till, an educator and activist, who pursued justice after the brutal lynching of her 14 year old son Emmett who was murdered whilst visiting his cousins in Mississippi in 1955.

Till is Chukwu’s second film to feature at LFF. Her debut film Clemency starring Alfre Woodard and Aldis Hodge premiered at the festival in 2019.

Director: Chinonye Chukwu

Producers: Keith Beauchamp, Barbara Broccoli, Whoopi Goldberg, Thomas Levine, Michael Reilly, Frederick Zollo

Screenwriters: Michael Reilly, Keith Beauchamp, Chinonye Chukwu

Cast: Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Tosin Cole, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett, Whoopi Goldberg

Till comes to UK cinemas January 13th 2023

Channel 4 has teamed up with award-winning organisation, We Are Parable to create a mentoring and training programme for 60 Black TV, filmmakers and content creators across the UK.

The new scheme Momentum will be run in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow and London as part of Channel 4’s drive to create new opportunities for Black people to progress in the film and TV sector, across the UK.

The 60 filmmakers will be paired with a mentor and offered one to one sessions over a six month period. Additionally, they will have access to masterclasses and discussions with top experts from across the industry including from Channel 4 and Film4 as well as Apple, Altitude, Park Circus, STX and many more. Those taking part will get help with everything from script development, financing and funding to collaborating, sales and even distribution as part of a comprehensive guide to what they should do next to advance their careers.

Channel 4 and We Are Parable first worked together on The Black to Front Project. Last September, Channel 4’s entire programming schedule was fronted by Black talent and contributors across all genres and advertisements for one day, with the aim of amplifying Black voices and talent in front of and behind the screen.

Momentum, which is funded by Channel 4’s training and development strategy 4Skills, is part of the important legacy of the ground-breaking Black to Front Project.

Channel 4 Creative Diversity lead Neila Butt says: “The Black to Front Project was a huge commitment and an industry-first from Channel 4, and we are very proud of it. We always wanted it to have a strong legacy and for it to lead to significant commitments. We loved working with We Are Parable at the time so it’s great to be partnering with them again as we continue our work to nurture and support Black talent, especially across the nations and regions.”

Channel 4 is committed to delivering a step-change in diverse representation across its own platforms and in the wider industry. It is the first broadcaster to ring-fence commissioning spend for ethnically diverse-led indies and has guaranteed a commission from each genre team for at least one new show with ethnically diverse talent and/or ethnically-diverse stories at its heart every year.

We Are Parable also worked with Film 4 last year on the launch of the short film series Foresight, an anthology that explores alternate realities through the lens of five Black British directors which will be shown on All 4 and Film4 later this year.

Channel 4’s new national HQ in Leeds, as well as Creative Hubs in Bristol and Glasgow, are core to its 4 All the UK strategy to attract and develop talent from across the UK, both on and off-screen.