IN 2019 a film, ‘Hero’, unknown to a British audience was bought into the UK by an ambitious film maker, Frances-Anne Solomon with the plan to take it across the United Kingdom.
With the support of dozens of volunteers and community groups it was a resounding success with over 40 screenings, across Scotland, England and Wales.
This was the seed for the Windrush Caribbean Film Festival. Joining forces with Patricia Hamzahee and Garry Stewart, the trio founded the Windrush Caribbean Film Festival (WCFF). Launched in the middle of a world-wide pandemic, WCFF started its life online in 2020.
For the next year, with the ongoing pandemic, it remained online but the desire to bring films, workshops and debates which celebrated and educated the country about the contributions of those pioneering Windrush generation, and their descendants to our existing life in Britain, to cinemas across the UK, never waned for the founders.
Finally, in its third year, WCFF comes to cinemas in Wales, London and Birmingham. Spearheading the Welsh screenings, June 17 – 19 is Yvonne Connikie. Yvonne is an independent Black Film promoter who is also a freelance film exhibitor and producer, Having founded the Black Film Festival Wales in 2000 which she ran for 8 years, Yvonne recently created a new screening platform, Cinema Golau to support the work of emerging
Black Filmmakers in Wales and curate Black Welsh and Black independent film.
Yvonne worked as an assistant Curator (Black London Film Heritage), to a curate the first DVD compilation entitled ‘Big City Stories’.
Yvonne was also a former Chair of the New Black Film Collective (TNBFC) and spent 3 years programming for the Portobello Pop-Up Cinema.
Yvonne has recently worked with The Independent Cinema Office and Ffilm Cymru Wales on various film projects. She is presently a PhD candidate at the University of South Wales, researching the leisure activities of the Caribbean Elders in Cardiff and Newport.
Yvonne now brings a plethora of films to Wales. Headlining the first day is Rebel Dread about the life of the legend that is Don Letts. This will be followed by a Q&A with Reggae artist, Aleighcia Scott and the man himself – Don Letts. June 17-19 promises to be a weekend filled with a host of films, talkbacks and family activities at Riverfront in Newport.
From Wales, WCFF moves onto its London leg where director Patricia Hamzahee takes over the helm. Patricia is the founder of Integriti Capital and one of the WCFF UK Directors.
After some 20 years in investment banking and financial communications, Patricia helps social enterprises attract private capital and advises private capital providers on their responsible investment strategies.
Through Extend Ventures, she is also working to diversify access to funding for Black and ethnic minority businesses. Patricia also works to diversify access to philanthropic capital for small, under resourced Black-led non-profit community organisations as co-founder of the Black Funding Network.
The first London screening is a specially sponsored event which will form part of Westminster council’s own Windrush celebrations. This will be an invitation only screening on Windrush Day itself, June 22, with some Limited Free tickets available for giveaways.
The next London outing will form the official WCFF London showing where anyone will be able to join in the celebrations. This will take place in non-other than the heart of Black Briton, ‘Brixton’.
On June 25, the Ritzy cinema, situated in Windrush Square will play host to a film hailed as Britain’s first black feature film, Pressure by Sir Horace Ove. This will be followed by a full panel paying tribute to Sir Horace, headed by the film’s producer, Robert Buckler.
On July 1, the final screening heads to Genesis cinemas in east London. Genesis Cinema host ALT A REVIEW is: the Bespoke print and online www.alt-africa.com arts and culture newspaper leads in pushing diversity and inclusion across the creative industry, www.alt-africa.com has supported the Windrush Caribbean Film Festival since its inception and will host the final screening in London at the Genesis cinema on July 1.
This screening will feature a number of short films including, Jason Osbourne’s Superheroes wear hoodies , with Q&A with the man himself. The main film on the night will be Don Letts’ Rebel Dread followed by a Q&A with Don Letts about the film.
A panel debate examining the vexed relationship between the community, government and the police with Lee Jasper and Lee Lawrence.
ALT A REVIEW founded by Joy Coker, is a print quarterly going out guide FREE in selected Sainsbury’s stores UK and where sold £3.99. For more info follow Insta: @alt_africa_
The final night of the screening will be on 17 July. This will be held in Birmingham and it will also be the scene for the festival awards including the prestigious Paulette Wilson Award, named after the Windrush campaigner Paulette Wilson who sadly died before she was able to receive any compensation.
Director Garry Stewart, founder and Director of Recognize Black Heritage & Culture, community and Black Heritage Walks Network is the host for the night. Garry is a Citizen Historian and community archivist who’s been documenting and curating the African Caribbean experiences history.
Ending on a high note, the festival will showcase an iconic film which received its world premiere at Cannes in 1980. Babylon, the film which highlights some of the struggles experienced by Black people in Britain during that period is still recognised in folklore as one of the most seminal Black British films of its era. The screening will not only be followed with a talk back with screen and play writer Dr Martin Glynn, it will culminate in the Awards presentation.
In addition to the cinema screenings, WCFF will be accompanied by a packed on-demand programme. Some of its offerings will be receiving their first airing. To access the on-demand programme, at your leisure, Festival
Passes are available for purchase on the festival’s website. www.windrushfilmfestival.com.
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