Although there are quite a few film festivals in the United Kingdom, until 2005 it lacked festivals showcasing independent cinema. The British Urban Film Festival, that should not be confused with the BUFF International Film Festival held in the Swedish city of Malmö, was created by Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe with the support of actors, filmmakers, journalists and film critics who wanted to fill this gap.
The main goal of the British Urban Film Festival is to mobilize and develop young, up and coming British urban talent in the independent film and television sector. The festival is open to feature-length and short live action films, documentary films, and videos in various genres (music videos, stand-up comedy, etc.). Besides, BUFF hosts a script competition for unfilmed scripts which includes script reading sessions.
Over the years, the British Urban Film Festival has screened plenty of films featuring now famous actors and actresses, such as Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jimmy Akingbola, Sadie Frost, Clint Dyer, Ashley Walters, Aml Ameen, David Essex, Noel Clarke, and many others. It proves once again that independent cinema isn’t some kind of “second grade” cinema, as some viewers might believe. A lot of independent films are much better in terms of artistic quality than much-talked-of blockbusters, and BUFF strives to illustrate this.
BUFF is a competitive festival. Its jury presents awards in several categories such as Best Short Film, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Script, Best Emerging Talent, Best Video, Best Movie, Best Documentary, Best Comedy, and Honorary Award. The categories may vary from year to year.
The British Urban Film Festival is held every year in London. It is the only film festival in the UK that is free to attend by the general public. Alongside competitive screenings and the awards ceremony, it features special screenings, Q&A sessions, and other events.
Photo: joy-de-vivre.com
