Author: Nikki Iyayi Kalista Sy's pioneering series Maitresse d'Un Homme Marié (Mistress of a Married Man) (2019) shattered the mould of Senegalese media, striking at the intersection of tradition, feminism and modernity. As the director and visionary behind the series, Sy not only carved out a space for Senegalese women to shine on screen but also challenged societal norms and sparked crucial conversations about female identity and sexuality. Sy's remarkable journey began as a self-taught writer, crafting an adaptation of MDHM into a television screenplay in 2016. Her vision resonated with Ser ..read more

As Jefferson Davis once said in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, aka my favourite film from 2023, - “Look, life is a journey!” As comedic as that line delivery was (thanks to the artistic delivery by Brian Tyree Henry), the essence was certainly true when I became a Freelance Film Critic! I’ve always been a film fan. I was a nerdy, sci-fi-loving kid who wanted to learn all about the force thanks to Star Wars (a love I still carry today). I would classify a cinema as my ‘second home’ thanks to Saturday trips to see the latest movies of the week. Watching directors such as Scorsese, Spielber ..read more

After exploding onto the scene with his 2021 directorial debut The Harder They Fall, filmmaker Jeymes Samuel pans his lens from the Old West to the New Testament with his sprawling new epic The Book of Clarence. Inspired by the biblical dramas Samuel grew up admiring and the scale with which they conveyed art and entertainment in equal measure, the film is an attempt to revive, with swagger, a hibernating genre for contemporary audiences who have seen it all. But they’ve never seen this. The Book of Clarence tells the story of Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield), a down-on-his-luck denizen of Jerusal ..read more

Omen UK release: 28 April 2024 Director: Baloji Review by Louise Gaidom Omen (2024) is the first feature film by Belgian-Congolese director, actor and musician Baloji. The film follows a young Congolese man who, after spending years in Belgium, returns to his birthplace of Kinshasa to confront the intricacies of his family and culture. The film isn’t strictly linear in nature. It introduces the perspective of peripheral characters, including some related to Koffi––his mother Mujila and sister Tshala––and others outside of their family, as well as homeless teenager Paco. This change in perspect ..read more

Io Capitano UK release: 5 April 2024 Director: Matteo Garrone Review by Drew Chateau A pursuit of happiness occurring across two continents, the audience is treated to this heart wrenching, familial triumph against adversity. Seydou [Seydou Sarr] and Moussa [Moustapha Fall], 16-year-old cousins and best friends, dream of leaving Senegal and becoming stars in Italy. They are not yet alive to all that entails, but soon grow beyond their years during their labyrinthine journey across the Sahara Desert, the corrupt underbelly of Libya and the Mediterranean Sea. At a time where anti-immigration sen ..read more

Black Britain Unspoken, part of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Access, the talent development division for underrepresented creatives, is returning for a third series in 2024. Black Britain Unspoken aims to give opportunity and voice to Black British filmmakers who are breaking into the industry, as data shows Black people continue to be underrepresented across director, writer and producer roles in the UK.1 During WBD’s fireside chat on Wednesday, 27 March, 11:30 – 12:15 at TNB XPO, Black Britain Unspoken alumni will join Rico Johnson-Sinclair, Training & Skills Director CrewHQ, to discuss ..read more

Get involved with The New Black Film Collective and London’s Screen Archives exciting new project, Undocumented. Undocumented seeks to address the lack of Black stories in screen archives through a public programme that deepens community engagement through practical, discursive and intergenerational activities and sessions.  London’s Screen Archives (LSA) is a unique network of over 70 organisations across London with a collective vision – to preserve and share London’s history on film over the last 100 years through their collections. Archives play a pivotal role in telling the stories o ..read more

Drift UK release: 29 March 2024 Director: Anthony Chen Review by Drew Chateau Drift stuns its viewers with calming, delightful scenes of an idyllic Greek island, juxtaposed delicately with the main character Jacqueline’s [Cynthia Erivo] destitute living circumstances. The introduction of the spontaneous bond Jacqueline forms with benevolent American tour guide Callie [Alia Shawkat], leads to the reveal of Jacqueline’s unspeakable pain, and Callie’s past struggles that have led to both avoiding their original countries. Despite the gorgeous intrigue created by each protagonist’s story, portraya ..read more

Origin UK release: 8 March 2024 Director: Ava DuVernay Review by Kai Williams Origin, released in the United Kingdom on March 8th, 2024, is a monumental film directed by the acclaimed Ava DuVernay. The film delves into the life and groundbreaking work of American journalist, author, and Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson and her journey writing Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents — a profound exploration published on 4 August 2020, illuminating how the caste system has shaped different societies: America, Germany, and India.   The film opens with a tragedy that shook the nation ..read more

The Film & TV Charity, Film London and Bectu will unveil major initiatives to advance the careers of Black professionals in the screen industries UK-based film network The New Black Film Collective has announced it will use its TNB XPO convention to offer a huge programme of new opportunities for Black film, TV and screen industry professionals. The convention at Rich Mix London from 25 - 28 March brings together experts, creatives and professionals from the screen industries, which includes films, TV, VFX, animation and games.  With speakers from Film London, the British Film Institu ..read more