On a recent trip back to London, I attended a couple of events that made me feel really pleased. One was the launch event for The TV Collective, a newly launched group aimed at Black and Asian professionals working in the TV and Film industry. The event – a conversation between Pat Younge, formerly head of American-based Travel Channel and soon-to-be Chief Creative Officer at the BBC, and Channel 4 news presenter Krishnan Guru Murthy – was well supported by important figures in the TV world. The Collective, started by TV producer and good friend of mine Simone Pennant, is growing in prominence and is ruffling some feathers in the industry which can only be a good thing.
The other event I attended was a film screening hosted by Rapture Films, a monthly faith-based black film community in London. Although they show predominantly African American movies (many of which the UK doesn’t get to see) for now the aim is to also feature the work of black British film makers.
It definitely felt like something was in the air when I went back to London and I was happy to see people really taking the bull by the horns and moving forward from the ground level. A sinking economy forces people to get creative.
I wrote a piece on it for The Guardian entitled ‘Black British film making gets a boost’. Enjoy.
Follow The Collective on Twitter here
The hopeless optimist in my would like to believe that there is indeed a chance for the black experience to be enjoy a level of success in the world of cinema and tv. Sadly the reality bites!Anytime the brits try this it ends up as a bizarre adaptation of an black American concept and not something that is original and unique to the UK. For instance, movies about immigration, a hot topic in most western societies hardly makes the cut (of course except for Dirty Pretty Things). The Americans have at least addressed this topic in a number of recent releases, The Visitor, Amreeka, La Misa Luna, Sin Nombre to name but a few. Indeed many cities in the UK would serve as an exciting backdrop to a black/ asian or migrant story, stories are not what’s scare it’s the will of the media to expand film in that direction. Instead, the focus is on a dithering (and ageing) Hugh Grant with the tedious scenes of some quaint little London side street, and repeats of generational miscommunication Asian story. Let’s wait for Madea goes to Dorking in the next independent film festival.
hell of a lot more interesting than what I was supposed to be searching for, (cant believe I’ve got to work on a sunday!) came across your site by accident really and gave the thumbs up on stumbleupon. Thanks for the diversion! bp.