THE WINNERS of the British Urban Film Festival awards 2023 were crowned at the prestigious ceremony hosted by founder Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe, at Halifax’s Crossley Gallery in West Yorkshire last week.

Guests in attendance included Hollyoaks actresses Nikki Sanderson and Dawn Hope, Coronation Street actress Elle Mulvaney, Waterloo Road actor Liam Scholes and cast members from the Channel 5 documentary White Nanny Black Child, which won its first major award as a production in the best documentary category.

The film, which first premiered at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival features a group of adults who share their experiences of growing up as children of Black Nigerian immigrants who were privately fostered by white British families in a controversial practice known as ‘farming’.

Across the 11 awards that were handed out on the night, the film Wings picked up two including best short film for director Billy Boyd Cape and best actor for Damari Green.

There were wins for director Jordon Scott Kennedy in the best feature category, Jo Southwell in the best soundtrack category and Davy Lazare in the best script supervision sponsored by Lime Pictures, new for 2023 and named in honour of script supervisor Amanda Nally who passed away in December 2022.

In a night of many firsts, actress Ronke Adekoluejo won her first film honour, picking up the Blessing Anyiam-Osigwe award for her performance in Guests.

In her acceptance speech, the British Nigerian actress said: “Thank you to Timi Akindele Ajani for creating the story and the character which I’m sure was inspired by people like my parents who fearlessly left their homes to find themselves in another. Guests is a beautiful and profound film and it’s a gift that keeps on giving”.

In addition to the eight competitive categories, the actress Angela Griffin was presented with the prestigious honorary award, becoming the second female to win the festival’s highest accolade succeeding director Amma Asante who accepted the honour in 2018.

Speaking via videolink the Leeds-born actress spoke about being around for “a very long time” – a testament to the 30 plus year career she has amassed to date.

“By being in Coronation Street from 16, Holby City, Cutting It, Waterloo Road, Lewis, I realised that.. people could see themselves – all those brown and black and young and northern and working class and people with accents.. people who didn’t come from the typical places or sound the same.

“I was there to represent”.

For more information please visit: https://britishurbanfilmfestival.co.uk/buff-awards

See below the full list of nominees and winners:

Best short film
Wings – dir. Billy Boyd Cape (winner)
Old Windows – dir. Paul Holbrook
Five Weeks – dir. Geej Ower
Guests – dir. Timi Akindele-Ajani

Best actress (Blessing Anyiam-Osigwe award)
Ronke Adekoluejo – Guests (winner)
Jo Martin – The Call
Kate Caryer – Whose voice is it anyway?
Sureni Kay – Outside Chance

Best actor
Damari Green – Wings (winner)
Luke Boydon-Jones – Hamster
James El-Sharawy – Ghanimah
Alan Stuart – Suicide Kelly

Best feature (Victor Adebodun Award)
Sponsored by MSD UK

Suicide Kelly dir. Jordon Scott Kennedy (winner)
Boy in the Corner dir. Joshy Lee

Best documentary (sponsored by PBS)

White nanny Black child dir. Andy Mundy-Castle (winner)
Our place is here dir. Tracy Kiryango
If the streets were on fire dir. Alice Russell
Tour de Moon dir. Dr. Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian

Best soundtrack
Echo dir. Jo Southwell (winner)
Breakable dir. B Welby
The Nightingale dir. Robbi Stevens
Ezekiel Fitzgerald dir. Aj Singh

Best script supervision (Amanda Nally award): sponsored by Lime Pictures

You fit the description dir. Davy Lazare (winner)
Lemon dir. Tala Nahas
Somewhere I’ve Been dir. Jonny Durgan
Subs die. Joe Warner

Best live script (3 winners/recipients)
Sponsored by Phoenix Radio 96.7fm (Calderdale)

Say Yes – Lara Genovese, Michael James Nelson
Vatican Diaries – Michael Sedge, Joel Jacobs
The Monster in Mummy – Steve Sloan, Donia Youssef

Honorary Award recipient:
Angela Griffin

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