THE 18th British Urban Film Festival (14 to 20 October) supported by West Yorkshire Combined Authority has announced that this year’s opening night presentation will be the 4K restoration UK premiere of ‘Mapantsula’, by Oscar nominated director Oliver Schmitz. 

Preceding the movie (which premiered earlier this year at Berlinale) will be the screening of documentary short ‘Oluwale’ by Leeds-based director and lecturer Jeremiah Quinn. 

David Oluwale was a British Nigerian who lived in Leeds for most of his adult life. 

He died in April 1969 after being assaulted by two police officers. His death briefly caused a national scandal but was virtually forgotten until the release of police files thirty years later. 

The way Oluwale has been remembered was brought into sharp focus last year after a Blue Plaque commemorating his life was stolen in a racist hate crime.

‘Mapantsula’ tells the story of Panic, a petty thief who becomes involved in the anti-apartheid movement. It uses flashbacks to reveal Panic’s experiences in prison, where he is questioned and abused by a white police officer, Stander.

Panic also remembers his relationship with his girlfriend, Pat, who works as a maid for a white family, and his friends and neighbours in the Soweto township, where he rents a room.

Panic sees the violence of the police against the black demonstrators, who demand equal rights and an end to racial discrimination. He also faces the choice of whether to join the resistance or to keep up his criminal activities for personal gain. 

At the time of its release 35 years ago, the film was only ever screened once in public before being banned, but now, a new opportunity for it to reach a greater audience exists.

Director Oliver Schmitz along with producer Aaryan K Trivedi (who will both be attending BUFF 2023) have spent the past several months working on restoring the film which played to packed out audiences at the Berlin Film Festival in February.

Considered the first to kick off a wave of anti-apartheid films, Mapantsula played at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival (the first South African film to do so) and showed audiences outside of the country just what was happening within its borders.

Mapantsula is the climax to the opening day of screenings at Everyman Leeds on Saturday 14 October which also includes ‘If the streets were on fire’ and ‘Sex Change: Shock! Horror! Probe! Day 2 highlights (also in Leeds) on October 15 include White Nanny Black Child, by Andy Mundy-Castle and No Shade, by Clare Anyiam-Osigwe. The festival moves to Vue Halifax on Monday October 16.

BUFF founder, Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe, said: “The programming team at BUFF, led by Justin Chinyere, have outdone themselves this year with one of the strongest line-ups of films the festival has had in its storied history.

“I am honoured to be hosting the primetime slot on Saturday the 14th – showcasing the power of storytelling with two films that will resonate strongly with the city of Leeds in Oluwale and Mapantsula”.

Both directors will be in attendance for a Q&A following the screening with BUFF founder Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe.

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