Screen Nation Awards Souvenir Brochure 2014

SCREEN NATION Re warding E xcellence – C e l e br at i n g D i v e r s i t y

AWARDS NOMINATIONS

2014

Inspirational

BLACK WOMEN

British Film and Television

I N F OR M : K NO W : DI S C U S S : M I R R OR : U N W I N D : I N S P I R E

HIS DAY IS DONE His day is done. Is done.

The news came on the wings of a wind, reluctant to carry its burden.

Nelson Mandela’s day is done.

The news, expected and still unwelcome, reached us in the United States, and suddenly our world became sombre.

Our skies were leadened.

His day is done.

We see you, South African people standing speechless at the slamming of that final door through which no traveler returns.

Our spirits reach out to you Bantu, Zulu, Xhosa, Boer.

We think of you and your son of Africa, your father, your one more wonder of the world.

We send our souls to you as you reflect upon your David armed with a mere stone, facing down the mighty Goliath.

Your man of strength, Gideon, emerging triumphant.

Although born into the brutal embrace of Apartheid, scarred by the savage atmosphere of racism, unjustly imprisoned in the bloody maws of South African dungeons.

Would the man survive? Could the man survive?

His answer strengthened men and women around the world.

In the Alamo, in San Antonio, Texas, on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, in Chicago’s Loop, in New Orleans Mardi Gras, in New York City’s Times Square, we watched as the hope of Africa sprang through the prison’s doors.

His stupendous heart intact, his gargantuan will hale and hearty.

He had not been crippled by brutes, nor was his passion for the rights of human beings diminished by twenty-seven years of imprisonment.

Even here in America, we felt the cool, refreshing breeze of freedom.

When Nelson Mandela took the seat of Presidency in his country where formerly he was not even allowed to vote, we were enlarged by tears of pride, as we saw Nelson Mandela’s former prison guards invited, courteously, by him to watch from the front rows his inauguration.

We saw him accept the world’s award in Norway with the grace and gratitude of the Solon in Ancient Roman Courts, and the confidence of African Chiefs from ancient royal stools.

No sun outlasts its sunset, but it will rise again and bring the dawn.

Yes, Mandela’s day is done, yet we, his inheritors, will open the gates wider for reconciliation, and we will respond generously to the cries of Blacks and Whites, Asians, Hispanics, the poor who live piteously on the floor of our planet.

He has offered us understanding. We will not withhold forgiveness even from those who do not ask. Nelson Mandela’s day is done, we confess it in tearful voices, yet we lift our own to say thank you.

Thank you our Gideon, thank you our David, our great courageous man.

We will not forget you, we will not dishonour you, we will remember and be glad that you lived among us, that you taught us, and that you loved us, all.

On the 5th December 2013,

Mr Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela passed away and left behind his legacy, we will ALWAYS remember.

Thank You, Screen Nation

by Maya Angelou on behalf of the American people

Transcribed from a video produced by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Information Programs in December 2013.

Photo: www.cbc.ca (Denis Farrell/Associated Press)

S C R E E N N AT ION AWA R D S 2 0 1 4 : C ON T E N T S . . . .

A Tribute to Mandela .............................................................................................

Mayor of London ......................................................................................................

Screen Nation CEO, Charles Thompson MBE ............................................

Special Thanks .........................................................................................................

A Note from the Editor, Angie B .......................................................................

Our Writers ..................................................................................................................

An interview with Ali Baba and Caroline Chikezi ......................................

Performer’s Spotlight .............................................................................................

An interview with Obi Emelonye .......................................................................

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HONORARY AWARDS

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OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION – Bill Duke ............................................

EDRIC CONNOR INSPIRATION – Felix Dexter ..........................................

CLASSIC TV AWARD (UK) – Desmond’s .......................................................

CLASSIC TV AWARD (US) – The Cosby Show ............................................

CLASSIC MOVIE AWARD – Do The Right Thing .......................................

UK SCREEN ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS LIC PUB G TIN VO

LIC PUB G TIN VO

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YOUNG SHOOTING STAR (16-25) .................................................................

FAVOURITE FEMALE TV STAR .........................................................................

FAVOURITE MALE TV STAR ...............................................................................

FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN FILM .................................................................

MALE PERFORMANCE IN FILM ......................................................................

FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN TELEVISION .................................................

MALE PERFORMANCE IN TELEVISION ......................................................

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S C R E E N N AT ION AWA R D S 2 0 1 4 : C ON T E N T S . . . .

SCREEN CRAFT ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

LIC PUB ING T VO

LIC PUB ING T VO

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INDEPENDENT SPIRIT FILM PRODUCTION ............................................

DIVERSITY IN FACTUAL PRODUCTION ......................................................

DIVERSITY IN DRAMA PRODUCTION ..........................................................

FAVOURITE BLACK CHANNEL .........................................................................

FAVOURITE INTERNATIONAL FILM ..............................................................

PEOPLE’S CHOICE INTERNATIONAL SCREEN AWARDS LIC PUB ING T VO

LIC PUB ING T VO

LIC PUB ING T VO

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BEST AFRICAN FILM ............................................................................................. page 62 FAVOURITE NIGERIAN (NEW NOLLYWOOD) FILM .................................. page 63 FAVOURITE FEMALE AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL .................................... page 64 EMERGING SCREEN TALENT FAVOURITE MALE AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL .................................... page 65 EMERGING SCREEN TALENT

SCREEN NATION FEATURES

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Discuss: 7 Of The Best (Most Entertaining And ........................................ page 68 Culturally Engaging) Films Of 2013 Inform: FILM REVIEW: 12 Years A Slave .................................................... page 71 Know: SCREEN NATION Power List ........................................................... page 72 Inspire: Inspirational Journeys ......................................................................... page 75 Inform: FILM REVIEW: The Butler ................................................................. page 76 Discuss: Angela Bassett ........................................................................................ page 79 Inform: Why I Write ............................................................................................... page 80 Discuss: Changing The Perception Of Women In Music Videos ......... page 82 Know: An Interview With Jade Avia ............................................................. page 83 Inform: Take The Lead ......................................................................................... page 86 Know: Collins Archie-Pearce ........................................................................... page 87 Know: Pauline Long ............................................................................................ page 89 Unwind: NIGERIA Celebrate 100 ..................................................................... page 90 Inspire: Screen Legacies ..................................................................................... page 92

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MAYOR OF LONDON

Supporting Black Film in London I would like to send a message of support to the prestigious Screen Nation Awards, which acknowledges the contributions of Black actors and filmmakers to the film and television entertainment industry.

The Awards are an inspiration to those already working in this sector, and also those aspiring to enter it.

I am committed to supporting the development of London’s film industry and to promoting London as a globally competitive film location. That commitment includes making sure that our film and media sector attracts from the widest pool of talent.

Boris Johnson Mayor of London

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Screen Nation

Awards

CEO Charles Thompson MBE

2014, the 9th anniversary of these important Awards is a year of key anniversaries for some of the most memorable films and TV of recent times. From The Cosby Show to Desmond’s and Do the Right Thing, these iconic projects will never be forgotten.

Sadly 2014 is also the year that Screen Nation paid tribute and honoured the memory of my good friend and comic genius Felix Dexter, who tragially lost his fight for life the year before. He will always be remembered.

This year also happens to be the centenary of the creation of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and not only home to Nollywood, the world’s 2nd biggest film industry, but also the heritage of many of the UK’s very best screen talents. In a year where gloabl black film has found a new place on the world stage, Screen Nation is proud to once again celebrate‘ourselves’, wherever we may come from.

Each year, these awards present us with an opportunity to catch up with old friends, discover new ones and affirm our place in the world. In doing so we all do our part to enrich this important global industry and help continue the drive for diversity that can only bring a reward for all.

Joining us this year on this journey are all the incredible and generous sponsors and partners that make this event possible. My utmost gratitude goes out to all of them with special mention to Obi Emelonye, the 2014 Creative Director, Archie Pearce, Ravensbourne, Nollywood Movies, ABN TV and Vox Africa.

With the new addition to Screen Nation of the hugely successful Digital-iS Media Awards, a new chapter has been born and my gracious thanks go out to Sade Salami of Google and Rodney Borde-Kuofie of Vox Africa for helping bring Screen Nation Awards firmly into the digital age.

Partnership and doing for self has once again proven that with your support Screen Nation in all its guises continues to innovate and lead the way in building the recognition of, and the continued growth of Afrocentric entertainment on the big screen, TV and online.

To end I would like thank our wonderful hosts Caroline Chikezie and Ali Baba, a truly gifted team of event professionals led by Hazel Jordan of Tama ra Event Designers alongside a young almost all female team of hard working and fun filled volunteers and interns with special mention to Elaine Adu-Poku, Cassandra Peters, Angie Bagot, Sadie Wiliams, Natoya Ponds, Sandra Koenig, Georgina White and Annette Taylor.

Finally, thank you for your continued support of Screen Nation and I very much look forward to welcoming you all again in 2015 at the 10th anniversary of the awards show that I’m proud to say firmly belongs to all of us!

Charles Thompson MBE

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Screen Nation Awards 2014 would like to say a huge thank you to; ABN Television AfricaX5.tv Afrik Entertainment Afrinolly AJ Odudu Akin Salami Alex Afari Alexander Amosu Alfred Soroh Ali Baba Akpoborome Allesandro Castellani Amanda Foster Ambassador Lawal, Deputy Nigeria High Commissioner Amherst Enterprises Amoy Chung Andrea Charles Andrew Osayemi Annette Taylor Ann-Melody Areola Anthony Jordan Archie ‘Collins’ Pearce Arik Air Arnold Oceng Ashley Walters Ato Brown Anderson Ayan de First and the Oduduwa Drummers BEN TV Bill Dew – Black Limelight Bill Duke Blaak Blessing Jackson-Udoekpo Bola Agbaje Candice Xanthea Mitchell Carol Jiani Caroline Chikezie Cassandra Peters Cathy Hassan Celine Loader Chiwetel Ejiofor

Chris Fejan

J2 Konsults

Pauline Long

Christine Addy

James Sherwood

Peter Hogan

Christine Ohuruogu

Jason Njoku

Rakie Ayola

Colvin Hazzard

Jessica Hope

Rave ACS

Cornell John

Jimmy Akingbola

Ravensbourne College

Creative Skillset

John Simmit

of Design

Judith Jacob

Rebecca Osewa

Kamika Joseph

Regina Jane Jere

Kaniesha Seville

Rodney Borde-Kuofie

Karen Bryson

Sade salami

Kato Enterprises

Sadie Williams

Katrina Smith-Jackson

Sandra Koenig

Khali Best

Scene TV

Kirsten Brown

Selina Massaya

Edel Merimekwu

Letitia Hector

Sharon Duncan Brewster

Elaine Adu-Poku

Lian Okoli

Shavani Seth

Eleanor Laurina Williams

Lola John

Shirley Bohane-Phillip

Elizabeth Ocero

Louis Bagot

Emerson Braithwaite

Lovely Notebooks

Emmanuel Kuye

L’s Boudoir London

Sophia Jackson Spotlight Media World Services

Femi Elufowoju Jnr

Lynn Mann

Fernand Frimpong

Mahogany International

Fernand Frimpong Jnr

Medina Peters

Fidel Thomas

Michael Styles

Tama Ra Event Designers

Francesca Lee

Michelle Owusu

T-Boy

Mr Cee

Teju Ibukunoluw

Naomie Harris

The Nollywood Factory

Nataylia Roni

Tosin Cole

Natoya Ponds

Toya A Washington

New African Woman Magazine

Uche Egbuna

Nike Awoyinka

Vivacity PR

Nike Jemiyo

Vox Africa

Nollywood Movies

Weike Ezeigwe

Obi Emelonye

Will Beaton

Humphrey Barclay

OK! Nigeria

Winston Jordan

Iroko TV

Pam Joseph

Yetunde Oduwole

iSmile Photo

Park Plaza Riverbank

Yvonne Phillip

Cynthia Appiagyei Dawn Mason Destiny Ekaragha DJ Abrantee DJA Media DooWebDev Duncan Williams East End Studios Ed Vaisey MP

Freddie Annobil-Dodoo Gbenga Akinnagbe Georgina White Giorgia Rigodanza Glynis Kuffuor Google London Governor Godswill Akpabio Gozie Films Grace Shannan Hazel Jordan Hellen Sutton

Steve Osagie Sweet Lady Beverages Sync Photo

Victoria Thompson

...and all the other wonderful people who helped along the way, too many to mention. We thank you all.

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You see a Hoodie, I see a Hero

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Angie says…

I for one cannot contain my excitement for this year’s Film and Television Awards, and that’s not just because I’ve been honoured with the task of editing this publication. It’s because of what Screen Nation have created and what we continue to accomplish each year.

It’s inspiring to see so many achieve dreams that they may not have thought were possible and each year the community comes together to celebrate and encourage the growth of others in this challenging industry.

Following on from our last issue ‘Magnificent Males’, this year’s theme is something close to my heart. This year we take note of the amazing females in Film and Television, as well as other areas in the media industry. I like to call them ‘fierce females’ because they are driven, ambitious and represent the ‘can do’ attitude that is needed make it. Ladies, I salute you.

Screen Nation

Awards EDITOR’S

NOTE

Congratulations to all nominees and winners of the 9th Screen Nation Awards and thank you to all who continue to support the rise of Screen Nation.

Life is full of challenges, instead of giving in, prove to yourself and only yourself that you can overcome anything. Learn from your mistakes, be humbled by your success and cherish those moments of bliss.

Angelica L. Bagot x Angie has always aspired to work in the film industry. She discovered her love for screenwriting while analysing scripts during her time at Intandem Films. She graduated from the University of Surrey with a degree in Media Studies. Angie is currently training as an advanced actor at Identity Drama School and she is working on her original screenplay ‘Seventeen’ which has been adapted into a Short Film and will be made into a Webseries this year. She lives by her motto ‘The challenges you overcome today will shape the person you are tomorrow’. She joined Screen Nation in 2013 and hopes to have a fruitful career in the Film and TV industry...

Publisher Charles Thompson, MBE

Editor Angelica L. Bagot

Design Black Limelight

Writers Lisa Ocero

Contributors Samantha Asumadu

Sam Thorne

Bola Agbaje

Rasheida Adrianus

Charmaine Hayden

Eleanor Williams

Levar Polson

Francesca McLeod

Cover Concept Cathy Hassan www.cathyhassan.com I www.burrograndeproductions.com Screen Nation would like to express our gratitude for the photographers whose images have been included in the creation of our Inspiring Black Women front cover. Thank you.

STAY CONNECTED WITH SCREEN NATION Web: www.screennation.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/screennation Facebook: www.facebook.com/ScreenNationAwards

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Contact Angie via:

angie-bagot@hotmail.co.uk Follow her on Twitter:

@AngieBagot and visit and support ‘Seventeen’ on Facebook:

/SeventeenOnline

Our writers...

Feature Writers Lisa Ocero is a freelance journalist from London currently studying Broadcast Journalism at the University of West London. She is an active member of the National Union of Journalists along with previous experience with Mother and Baby magazine and now the Screen Nation Awards editorial and press team. As an entertainment, fashion and beauty enthusiast she is constantly delving into all forms of media seeking to perfect her craft.

Who are the Inspiring Black Women in British Film and Television?

The most inspiring women in British film and television are those that show true talent, fearlessness and passion.

Thandie Newton has not only broken the UK but has blended right in with her American counterparts, adapting her accents to different roles. Newcomer, Lupita Nyong’o is also a force to be reckoned with, proving to be a true rising star. Lastly, Naomie Harris who has said RIP to the traditional Bond girl and hello to the new reformed, courageous, chocolate MI6 agent.

Sam Thorne is a freelance film writer, feature editor and critic. He is known for maintaining a consistent

internet presence with several online publications, whilst also studying for a BA Hons in Film and Television studies at Aberystwyth University. He is interested in exploring issues of culture, race and diversity. He hopes to pursue a career as a film critic or entertainment journalist.

Twitter: @Sams_Reel_Views Who are the Inspiring Black Women in British Film and Television?

For me, I’d say two important actresses in British film and television are Thandie Newton and Naomie Harris.

They have both been consistently good in a myriad of roles, and as time passes they seem to only become more crucial and more influential in the acting world.

Rasheida Adrianus is a Dutch-based writer and producer. She has written for ‘The Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network’ (WEEN) in New York, ‘Queens Magazine’ in Africa and has appeared as a guest blogger for Hellobeautiful.com, an online Fashion & Beauty platform for women of colour in America. Girls ‘N Cocktails is one of the current projects that Rasheida is working on, it is a media and entertainment brand targeting Cosmopolitan women of colour between the ages of 21 and 35.

Website: Girlsncocktails.com Facebook: /joingnc Twitter: @GirlsnCocktails Who are the Inspiring Black Women in British Film and Television?

Naomie Harris and Thandie Newton, both women prove that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and they deliver great work, every single time!

Eleanor Williams is a recent graduate of the University of Surrey, she completed a degree in Media Studies.

Along with her degree, Eleanor has accumulated a wealth of experience with media agencies in Public Relations.

She is quite proud of her very small appearance on screen for the Orange Rock Corps Television Ad in 2009.

Twitter: @theconquerer Who are the Inspiring Black Women in British Film and Television?

Naomi Harris! She has shown her range as an actress with the variety of the roles played from Calypso in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ to Winnie in ‘A Long Walk to Freedom’.

Editor’s view Angelica Bagot is working on her original screenplay ‘Seventeen’ which has been adapted into a Short Film and will be made into a Webseries this year.

Who are the Inspiring Black Women in British Film and Television?

Naomie Harris, Thandie Newton, Freema Agyeman, Marsha Thomason and so many more. They are the women we see in Films and on Television everyday and those who are aspirant to follow in their footsteps. Not to forget, those who are working behind the scenes making the wheels turn.

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Our writers...

Guest Writers Samantha Asumadu is a documentary filmmaker, former journalist and the founder of Media Diversified.

An organisation whose motto is ‘Tackling the Lack of Diversity in UK Media and the Ubiquity of Whiteness’.

She has been campaigning on issues such as Women’s representation in Theatre, Sickle cell and Anti-Imperialism since 2001. As a journalist she was based in East Africa, Great Lakes region where she covered stories such as Acid Attacks, Blood Minerals in Congo & the Kampala bombings of 2010 for different outlets including CNN, Deutsche Welle and Agence France Presse.

Twitter: @honestlyAbroad

Website: Mediadiversified.org.

Who are the Inspiring Black Women in British Film and Television?

Actresses Nina Sosanya and Ellen Thomas were on our screens weekly in the hit Channel 4 show ‘Teachers’ in the early 2000s greatly missed now. Wumni Mosake has been impressing me since I first saw her in the BBC’s ‘The Body Farm’, I’ve since tried to watch everything she’s been in. I’ve only recently become acquainted with the work of Director Amna Asante and actress and playwright Zawe Ashton but I look forward to seeing more from both of them and can’t wait until Asante’s ‘Belle’ is released!

Charmaine Hayden is the CEO of Face 4 Music (F4M). Her role is first and foremost to ensure that the women on her books are not exploited and are financially rewarded for their efforts. However she also places importance on ensuring that her models are comfortable, happy and most importantly are in a safe, secure environment.

F4M models are a double award winning model agency. They have been providing talent for TV, print and music videos for just over 7 years. Clients include but are not limited to Tinie Tempah, Alexandra burke, Lilly Allen, Little Mix, and A$AP Rocky as well as corporate giants Sony, BET, BBC and Clover.

Who are the Inspiring Black Women in British Film and Television?

I definitely think that Simone Pennant, Kayne King, and Naomie Harris are probably some of the most inspirational black females in television and film. They have all contributed substantially with a huge body of work. I do however feel they should be celebrated a little more.

Bola Agbaje is a playwright/screenwriter and is included in Debretts People of Today 2014.

Bola was a member of the Young Writers Programme at the Royal Court Theatre. Her first play, ‘Gone Too Far!’, premiered upstairs at the Court in 2007, directed by Bijan Sheibani, and then transferred downstairs for a sell out run in 2008. The play won the 2008 Oliver Award for an Outstanding Achievement in an affiliated theatre, Bola was also nominated the same year for the Evening Standard Awards for Most Promising Playwright of 2008.

Bola’s screenplay adaption of ‘Gone too Far!’ for Poussin Rough Pictures and the BFI premiered at the London Film Festival 2013 and won the 2014 Discovery award at the London Comedy Awards.

Twitter: @bolaagbaje Who are the Inspiring Black Women in British Film and Television?

There are quite a few I have worked with and I feel have made a great impact in the industry for example; Destiny Ekaragha, Adelayo Adedayo and Shanika Warren-Markland. I cannot possibly name them all but these women inspire me every day.

Levar Polson is named after LeVar Burton who played Kunta Kinte in the Roots mini-series. He is a graduate from the London School of Economics with a background in social sciences, but his greatest passions are in writing, cinema and film theory. If he could have a career that is in any way a mixture between cultural theorist Stuart Hall and late film critic, Roger Ebert, he’d be beyond content!

Blog: Charminganalysis.blogspot.co.uk Who are the Inspiring Black Women in British Film and Television?

Marianne Jean Baptiste – I watched the Mike Leigh film Secrets and Lies when I was quite young. I always remember the powerful scenes between her character ‘Hortense Cumberbatch’ and her biological mother, played

by Brenda Blethyn. Having watched Secrets and Lies again I’d definitely say she is my choice for an inspirational black British actress, most of all for carving out a career based on her craft and going where the work/opportunities are available as opposed to waiting for them to find her.

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The

e StoTn HAT D E S U F E R THE . r e d l i u B

Tel: 0115 998 8787 ef Mobile: 0750 1666 943

INTERVIEW: Francesca McLeod

Ali Baba Welcome! To my knowledge, this is your first UK performance, how excited are you to test your sense of humour overseas?

Good day and thanks for having me here. First thing, this is my first international UK awards ceremony.

This is big. I have been to several events In the UK, now this one is awesome on a higher level. I’m not going to pretend that I have the words to describe how I feel. Because I don’t.

This is your first time collaborating with Screen Nation.

Please tell us what this means for you?

The Screen Nation Awards has in its very short life broken great grounds and taken African entertainment in general and brought it to a place of respect and value. I am HONOURED and to be honest, it feels like I am an award recipient.

As a comedian who was your inspiration growing up?

A lot of influences have simmered into the person I am today. From Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Benny Hill, Red Foxx, Pappy ‘LUWE (Nigerian) George Buns, Sunday Ajiboye (Nigerian), Michael Crawford, Dick Gregory...

There were many. Each of these guys had a seed of greatness their performances and works planted in me.

You are well known in Nigeria, what has been your biggest achievement so far?

My greatest achievement would have to be being recognized as one of the frontline comedians that created what is now a vibrant comedy profession.

The others are Mohammed Danjuma, BASORGE TARIAH jnr, Tee A, Yibo Koko. It may seem as nothing now, but if you knew the challenges of convincing Nigerians back then that stand up comedy, as an act, was worth paying big bucks for... You may begin to appreciate why it’s a great achievement. And everyday as I see more and more joining the profession and comedians doing well at the trade and fulfilling their life long ambitions through comedy... I am eternally grateful to God. Tell us about the future, what would you like to accomplish this year?

There 6 major projects... A late night show, content provision for television, 3 books on the different expressions of my talent, a water tourism project, monthly event for premium clients and be a better person.

Is it harder for a black comedian to make it big in the entertainment business or is difficult full stop, despite race?

It’s not difficult once the comedian has the basic requirements. The talent of a comedian is made up of spontaneity, originality, creativity, good knowledge of everything which helps in developing his materials, his stagecraft, ability to blend current affairs with history, the unique ability to read an audience well, which then informs the performance... These things are not race bound. What affects the comedian could, not totally though, be the business part of his career. How he packages himself, his clientele, marketing skills, positioning and networking, financial dynamics (what he earns, how he manages same, his lifestyle, savings, fees,...) people who he chooses to help him actualize his ultimate goal.

What would be your advice to young black talent trying to make it within the industry?

All of my last answer and a lot more about how to manage fame, wealth and being relevant. page

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Caroline Chikezie It’s a huge honour to have you here with us, for people who are unaware of who you might be please tell us more about your acting history?

That’s very kind, thank you. I have been acting in film and television for over 15 years. It was a childhood dream of mine to be an actress. Some of the movies I have starred in, include ‘Aeon Flux’, ‘Eragon’, ‘The Sweeney’ and the soon to be released ‘Everly’.

How did you get cast and what was it like working with the crew of Footballers Wives?

I was in LA when I got a call from my UK agent, letting me know that the producers of Footballer’s wives wanted to meet me, so I flew back, had the meeting and got the role. It was a great experience, the cast were lovely.

I’ve actually just been reunited with the Footballers wives costume department, as they are dressing me for the new series of ‘24’.

You have been acting for many years, what has been your favourite project?

I’m really enjoying working on the movie ‘Everly’, opposite Salma Hayek. I played an assassin and I got to do loads of cool stunts. It’ll be out later on in the year.

What has been your biggest struggle within your acting career thus far?

Convincing my parents to give me their blessing to become an actress!

Who’s acting profession do you respect and admire and why?

I love Naomie Harris, as a person and also her career trajectory. She’s an amazing actress and her roles are so diverse.

Screen Nation are presenting their 9th award show this year, what do you know about past events?

Yes, a big congratulations to Screen Nation on their 9th award show! It’s a prestigious event that myself and my peers look forward to each year where we get an opportunity to honour and acknowledge outstanding black talent in the industry.

What would be your advice to young talent wanting to start a career in media industry?

If it’s your heart’s desire, really go for it and never give up. Ever.

Do you have any acting or directing plans for the future?

If so, would this be in the UK, or in LA? I worked as a producer on the movie ‘Black November’.

That definitely ignited my interest in producing more movies in the future and eventually directing. On the acting front, I am currently filming the new series of ‘24’ in London and I also have some other exciting TV and film projects lined up for 2014.

Meet the hosts This year we have two amazing hosts for the 9th Screen Nation Awards Ceremony.

Nigerian powerhouse comedian, Ali Baba and stunning actress Caroline Chikezie take centre stage here in our exclusive interview. Check it out!

PERFORMER’S

SP Carol Jiani

WORDS: Eleanor Williams

TLIGHT

AT THE AFTER PARTY

Nigerian born singer Jiani moved to Montreal, Canada in the 1970’s to study at Concordia University. This move proved to be the beginning of a blossoming career spanning three decades in the music industry.

Best known for Hit N Run Lover, which peaked at number 4 in the US Billboard Club Play charts in 1981, Carol’s success prompted an album of the same name and several more sets throughout the early 1980s. Her uptempo second single, Mercy, gained her popularity with many prominent DJs. Skipping the pond in 1983, she recorded Vanity with Ian Levine and scored a UK number one on the Hi-NRG chart, two years later. Now based in the UK, Jiani has remained active on the music scene.

AT THE AFTER PARTY

Nataylia Roni The Birmingham-born singer-songwriter has performed on Blue Peter and The Box TV, and reached number 5 in the dance charts with the group B-yond.

A solo career has followed, with work in the theatre and as a session vocalist, and Nataylia also had a memorable role in Channel 5’s 2010 talent show, Don’t Stop Believing.

AT THE RECEPTION

Ayan De First and the Oduduwa Talking Drummers

The Oduduwa Talking Drummers, formed by Ayan DeFirst, perform music from a variety of African countries but most notably the sounds of Yoruba, Ibo and Hausa, tribes originating from Nigeria. Elements of African cultural heritage combine in creating this most authentic of music, strengthened by the rich diversity of nationalities represented and the use of traditional African instrumentation. Ayan initially formed the Yorube Talking Drummers (managed by Biyi Adepegba) in London in the late 1990s – the first such troupe in Europe. A striving for recognition in the West has propelled various incarnations relentlessly on tour throughout the continent, and talking drums now feature around the world in many types of music.

Nike Jemiyo

ON THE MAIN STAGE

Where the raw emotion of Emeli Sandé meets the soulful musicality of Alicia Keys, Niké weaves her own classical influences to create a unique sound. 2009 saw the singer-songwriter’s Youtube debut, which attracted a fan base at a phenomenal rate – with over 23,000 subscribers contributing to the 8 million views on her videos.

Niké wrote her first song at 13 whilst studying at the Centre for Young Musicians in South London. She performed widely, and at 15, recorded for the DOGMA film soundtrack at Abbey Road studios.

Her first EP, 2011’s Beautiful, was supported by live dates at 93 Feet East, Ronnie Scott’s and the Beach Break Live Festival. Niké’s music addresses issues of identity, insecurity and love which many can relate to. Her single, A Better Version Of Me, inspires self-belief in young women by pitching tales of her personal comeback against a gospel-meets-big band production. Inspired by the song, Niké is also launching an accompanying mobile app, Better Version.

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Who are the Inspiring British Women in Film and Television?

I know our sisters are working really hard, trying to break the concrete ceiling into the mainstream. We have almost conquered the soaps and the TV dramas.

Obi Emelonye

Screen Nation’s Creative Director

What is required is to create a veritable film industry aimed at ourselves but open to the world, where we can show our talent by playing roles with soul. It will take more than just the ladies to do that.

We all have to pull together to continue the work that has been done so far by all our sisters…

I’d hate to mention names though.

“The aim is to make a show that we will be proud of artistically but it is the simple fact of celebrating ourselves that means the most. Unless we do, no one else will” Why did you decide to choose a career in the film industry?

I would say that a career in film chose me.

I started as a Theatre Artist with a degree in Drama. However, when I came to the UK 20 years ago, I discovered that I had to be pragmatic and find a new career. So I went ahead and studied law and practiced as a solicitor until about 2006 when I decided to focus on films after building my career in the sector through short courses and making small budget films.

The Nollywood Film industry is one of the largest in the world! In your opinion, what does it need to be number one?

We are number three in terms of the number of films made. We are really prolific but what we need to do is to make up grounds in the quality stakes. We can do that by increasing our budgets, paying more attention to the factors of production and sorting out distribution on all platforms.

Tell us about ‘Last Flight to Abuja’. What was your most memorable moment whilst shooting this film?

Shooting Last Flight to Abuja was an education.

I decided to enter uncharted territories by making a film so steeped in technical stuff.

Shooting at the airport was great. Having a plane as my set was amazing and working with all those great people; in front and behind the camera was the stuff dreams are made of.

To see what we have produced fills me with pride. It is not a perfect film but represents a huge stride forward for Nollywood.

When you look at you career so far, what has been your most valuable experience?

Every film represents a journey… an experience, if you like. And having made many that have enjoyed relative commercial and critical success makes it a journey of a lifetime. Shooting the Mirror Boy in Gambia, with Presidential support provided a conducive working environment that I have never experienced before. The technical stuff on Last Flight to Abuja stretched my knowledge and confidence and working in Igbo language provided a unique experience in ONYE OZI. What are you looking forward to the most at this years Screen Nation Awards?

As a winner of a Screen Nation Award in 2011, I know what the awards can do to a filmmakers career. So to be part of the team and have the huge title of artistic director, well that’s phenomenal.

The aim is to make a show that we will be proud of artistically but it is the simple fact of celebrating ourselves that means the most.

Unless we do, no one else will.

INTERVIEW: Rasheida Adrianus

Obi Emelonye, a former professional footballer and lawyer, graduated from The University of Nigeria, Nsukka with a BA (Hons) degree in Theatre Arts. He went on to study for an LLB Law degree from the University of Wolverhampton.

He also completed a Postgraduate Degree in Legal Practice (with Distinction) from the London Metropolitan University, and practiced Law for a few years before leaving to concentrate on his first love: the creative arts.

Obi is a passionate, self-taught writer, director and producer with a multi-disciplinary style. Since the early 2000’s, this visionary British-Nigerian has gained an enviable reputation as one of the brightest creative minds working within Nigeria’s burgeoning film industry, commonly known as Nollywood.

Over the last few years, his relentless drive and sense of cinematic style have marked him out as a global pioneer for a bold new cinematic identity for Africa.

He has written, directed and produced 6 feature length digital films, all receiving consistently positive critical reviews and with a number winning awards. Uniquely, it was Obi who first released a Nollywood film theatrically on UK screens in 2004. That film, Echoes of War, was the touchpaper that launched the emergence of African cinema into the UK mainstream.

Many filmmakers would be content with simply getting their films made, but Obi is no ordinary filmmaker and has succeeded where many others have struggled. He has secured international distribution for most of his films and set himself apart as a truly international commercial filmmaker.

Last Flight to Abuja earned five nominations at the African Movie Academy Awards, and Obi took home the prize for Best Film by an African Based Abroad. The film is currently up for five major Africa Magic Viewers Choice awards.

Visit www.amvcaawards.dstv.com to vote for Last Flight to Abuja. www.screennation.com page

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HONORARY

AWARDS

OUR SPECIAL HON Outstanding Contribution Award to Film and TV (International)

Bill Duke

WORDS: Sam Thorne

The legendary African-American

Godfather of US Cinema Acting and directing are two demanding abilities requiring vast reserves of talent, patience, integrity and ingenuity. Although intimately related and intertwined, it’s rare to find someone who has conquered both mediums and left an impression both on the acting and directing world.

Of that narrow minority, Bill Duke is a stand-out individual who has, for several decades, spent time both in front of and behind the camera, whilst also being a notable humanitarian and activist as well as founder and CEO of his own company, Duke Media.

Bill Duke serves on the Board of Trustees at the American Film Institute, and has been appointed by then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California State Film Commission Board. He has also served as the Time Warner Endowed Chair in the Department of Radio, Television and Film at Howard University in Washington DC, and was inducted into the National Endowment of the Humanities by former President Bill Clinton.

Car Wash was Duke’s feature film debut, in which he played Duane, a troubled car wash employee attempting to resist a life of crime. He then appeared opposite Richard Gere in the controversial American Gigolo, with his portrayal of Leon, a homosexual pimp. With the advent of the 80’s action film, Bill was cast as several gruff and tough characters in Commando, Predator, and Action Jackson.

Whilst maintaining his presence in cinema on camera, in the early 80’s Bill Duke earned his name as a leading director for television. A small sample of his TV resumé might include the popular shows Falcon Crest, Dallas and Cagney & Lacey, to name but a few. This led to his first directorial task on the big screen, the crime drama, A Rage in Harlem.

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In the early nineties, Duke directed many feature films, establishing himself as a cinema mainstay with such commercial hits as Sister Act 2, Deep Cover, The Cemetery Club and Hoodlum.

For his contribution to American cinema, Bill recently received a Lifetime Achievement tribute from the Directors Guild of America, taking his place among the most acclaimed American directors of cinematic history including Stephen Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, and Clint Eastwood. He is also celebrated for helping to pave the way for African Americans in cinema, doing his part to create a more racially accepting and unified cinematic landscape.

after-school programme, which helps inner city youth excel in school and life.

He is also an AIDS activist who has made a pioneering film in The Faces of HIV. In addition, he has recently established the Duke Media Foundation, which educates young people on the importance of media literacy – be it film, TV, apps, gaming or mobile TV, and how all of these elements are slowly converging into one digital platform. The Foundation offers guidance on the financial, legal and creative implications of branding for potential young entrepreneurs.

All things considered, Bill Dukes is a worthy honoree – for his distinct presence in several iconic films, his extensive filmography as a director, his personal pursuits and charitable work.

As an actor, director, and humanitarian, Bill Duke is a man to be celebrated, for the sheer positive influence he’s had both within cinema, and beyond.

Regardless of achievements in acting or directing, Bill Duke is to be commended for much more than simply entertaining us. A humanitarian and activist who devotes a significant amount of his time to charity, Bill is on the board of directors of the Educating Young Minds

Photos: Above: © www.billduke.com, Below: Bill Duke in Payback (1999)

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WORDS: Lisa Ocero

OUR SPECIAL HON

Edric Connor Inspiration Award:

Felix Dexter 26 July 1961 – 18 October 2013 Felix Dexter – British Actor, Comedian and Writer.

What does a young boy who’s just arrived in the UK from the small island of Saint Kitts do?

Well, grow up to become an award winning comedian, actor and writer of course! Felix Dexter was the bearer of all things funny. and graced our television screens with undeniable talent. How many people do you know that can weave through different accents faster than single women at a wedding trying to catch a bridal bouquet?

Exactly, not many – but Felix was one of the rare breed that could pull off any comedic feat, which is why he has been awarded Screen Nation’s Edric Connor Inspiration Award.

This special honour has been bestowed upon a man with brains as well as wit.

He graduated with a Law degree, and was a member of the Inns of Court, which was “extremely useful in his stand-up comedy career, enabling him to stun hecklers into silence with shouts of ‘objection!’” as his website would have it.

Continued overleaf...

ABOUT THE EDRIC CONNOR INSPIRATION AWARD Trinidadian folklorist, singer and actor Edric Connor (1913-1968) became well known in the British theatre, television and film world. He is acclaimed for being the first black actor to perform in Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon, as Gower in Pericles (1958). Some of the films he starred in include Moby Dick (1956) and King of Kings (1961). He also became a filmmaker himself and shot one of the first documentaries on the Trinidad Carnival.

Previous recipients of Screen Nation’s Edric Connor Inspiration Award: t 2011 Trevor McDonald

t 2005 Paul Barber

t 2009 Don Warrington

t 2004 Floella Benjamin

t 2007 Moira Stuart

t 2003 Rudolph Walker

t 2006 Mona Hammond

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After training to become a barrister, he found that his love for comedy was far greater, and therefore pursued it full-time. However, seeing Felix in a traditional courtroom white wig might have been just as funny as his stand up.

Joking aside (no pun intended), the comic actor who played a vast range of characters reflecting the African-Caribbean community, came to a national prominence on the BBC TV sketch show The Real McCoy. His TV credits went on to include The Fast Show, Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge, Have I Got News For You, and one of his most recent regular appearances as Omar in Citizen Khan.

Felix also took on theatre roles, which included a part in the Royal Shakespeare Company playing Autolycus in The Winter’s Tale. He starred in the West End run of One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, where he inadvertantly gave Christian Slater chicken pox, almost bringing the production to a standstill.

He has left a huge, irreplaceable footprint in British comedy, and will truly be missed.

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DESMOND’S

Classic TV Award: UK

celebrate their 25th ANNIVERSARY

WORDS: Lisa Ocero

Ask anyone who knows good British television in the 90s and it’s almost certain that Desmond’s will pop up. Ask anyone under the age of 20 about Desmond’s and they will probably say “isn’t that the show with some guy called mincepie?” Nevertheless people are sure to recognise the phenomenon that was once Channel 4’s longest running sitcom.

Set in a Peckham barber shop, the classic sitcom, created by Trix Worrell, first hit our sets in 1989. There was a hunt for a new and exciting black comedy ordered by Farrukh Dhondy, then Commissioning Editor for Multicultural Programming at Channel 4. Producer Humphrey Barclay, Trix, Charlie Hanson and Al Mitchel, amongst other writers, came up with the Ambrose family and the rest is history.

For six consecutive years, we watched the Ambrose family bicker, make up, row some more and make up once again, truthfully depicting a family that loved each other but couldn’t stand each other at times – just like many of ours.

Photos: © Channel 4

Now, after 25 years, Desmond’s are celebrating their anniversary and will be presented with a well deserved ‘Classic TV’ plaudit at the Screen Nations Awards, bringing to light what the show stood for and the influences it had on British Television. The cult comedy revolutionised what we were used to seeing by introducing a Caribbean family not only onto our screens but into our hearts, mirroring the lives of many who had also come to England raising British-born children.

privacy, Desmond was once again riled by the mockery, getting his ‘apron’ all up in a twist.

The late, great comedic genius that was Norman Beaton who played Desmond showed his innate inability to adapt to changing times and ideas, and was often challenged by his three children, Michael, Gloria and Sean.

This is one of many examples of the humour which resonated strongly with audience’s own childhood experience; the loud banter, the constant teasing and the inevitability that one would soon become the butt of any joke. The show depicted the everyday life of a Black family, which was uncommon in British television of the 90s, and although not the first Black sitcom to air on TV, was notable for its specific focus on Black British Caribbean culture in a work environment. Desmond’s gave an insight of this culture to a wider audience, but blended it with European aspects to broaden mainstream appeal.

His wife Shirley, witty yet caring, was the voice of sanity when trying situations arose – such as Desmond’s discovery of Sean’s video games, complete with instructions for gamers to ‘beat the deadly mortal advances of the dreadful demon barber of Peckham’. Although warned

by Shirley against this invasion of Sean’s

Hanson, alongside Leo Davis and first director Mandie Fletcher, created a cast that had aspirations beyond the barber shop – from Desmond’s life-long wish to return back to Guyana, Michael’s passion for banking, Gloria’s ambitions in fashion journalism and Sean’s urge to reach university and explore his

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Continued overleaf...

DESMOND’S

...Continued

musical talents. When Caribbeans had arrived in post-war England, they were seen as a social problem. Skip to the nineties where there was a more positive change in this representation, and Desmond’s had broken down the negativity even further by depicting a family who owned a thriving business. The confidence of the UK Caribbean community was further reflected as we saw the mixing of different cultures, with Tony, the white barber and Matthew, the eternal student from Gambia and a man of many ‘African sayings’.

Classic TV Award: UK

Above, L-R: Desmond’s creator Trix Worell, with stars Gyearbuor Asante, Mona Hammond, Justin Pickett, Carmen Munroe, Geff Francis, Ram John Holder and Kim Walker

The quintessential comedy that merged British and Caribbean humour was developed further when Paulette Randall took over for the fifth series, and viewers have yet to enjoy another programme which captures this innovative mixture. Is the television industry denying us the joy of being able to relate to the AfricanCaribbean community? As the years continue, there are promising signs for Black British talent on TV, but as for a predominantly Black show like Desmond’s, well we’ll just have to grab the remote and turn to the Africa Channel to revive the memories of a barber shop in the bustling streets of Peckham. www.screennation.com page

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The Cosby Show

Classic TV Award: US

WORDS: Eleanor Williams

Widely regarded as one of the most successful sitcoms of the Eighties and in NBC’s history, The Cosby Show celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

Credited for single-handedly reviving the sitcom genre in America, The Cosby Show focused on The Huxtables, an African-American family from Brooklyn, New York, and the trials and tribulations of their family life. First pitched to ABC but rejected, the show eventually found a home on the NBC network and ran for eight consecutive seasons from 1984 to 1992.

In its time, ‘The Cosbys’ were nominated and won several television awards including an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1985, and a Golden Globe for Best Performance for Bill Cosby in 1987. continued

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>>

The Huxtables were led by obstetrician and patriarch Heathcliff (Cliff) Huxtable, played by Bill Cosby, and his lawyer wife Claire, played

by Phylicia Rashad. The initial premise for the show as proposed by Cosby was for the main protagonist and his family to be from a blue collar background with the father working as a limousine driver and Rashad’s character as a stay-at-home mother. After much discussion, Cosby changed this concept to make the Huxtables affluent professionals living and raising a family in New York City.

Marcy Casey and Tom Werner were two former executives from ABC who had overseen successful sitcoms like Three’s Company.

Having been fans of Cosby, they believed that his past as a stand-up comedian provided the perfect material for a family-based situation comedy, in as much as it drew heavily upon personal experience. This contributed to many narratives throughout shows which tackled topics like teenage pregnancy and dyslexia; a personal struggle of Cosby’s own child, Ennis. It also created a platform for other successful sitcoms of the era, whereby comedians brought their own background experiences to bear upon shows such as Home Improvement and Everybody Loves Raymond. The success of this format saw an increased growth in audience share for situation comedies, at a time when action dramas like The A-Team were predominant.

The Cosby Show was revolutionary for an American sitcom, not only for reviving a genre during a period when action dramas ruled the box, but for opening the door to a scarcely told story of upper middle class AfricanAmerican families. Though some have criticised Cosby for assimilating bourgeois ideals, it inarguably opened discussion about class and race in American society. Thirty years on, and NBC are looking to apply the same magic once more with the hopes of a similar success for Cosby and his forthcoming new sitcom.

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OUR SPECIAL HON

CLASSIC MOVIE AWARD

DO THE RIGHT THING WORDS: Sam Thorne

Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing (1989) is a historic film, a milestone in contemporary American culture. The structure and concept are distinctly simple, but its fiery social message and compelling cast of characters are unforgettable. The film was named the best of 1989 by popular critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, who in later years revised that statement and claimed it was instead one of that decade’s best films. The legacy does not end there, as in 1999 it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry, after being deemed culturally significant.

Do The Right Thing is the story of a small interracial community in Bedford-Stuveysant Brooklyn. On the hottest day of the summer, tension slowly builds between the square’s inhabitants, racial differences slowly drive a wedge between the African Americans who inhabit the community and the humble Italian family who own the local pizzeria.

A riot breaks out after a young black man is unjustly killed by white police officers, Mookie (Spike Lee) is torn between siding with the community he exists in and his Italian employer Sal (Danny Aiello). In a time of public uproar, rage and revolution, the question is, will Mookie do the right thing?

One of the many reasons Do The Right Thing is a screen legacy is due to the illustration of important thematic components such as race and social conflict. Lee’s direction stirs the audience and sets up expectations, only to exceed them in the film’s final gripping moments.

Do The Right Thing is must-see, there’s no doubt that it is deserving of the Classic Movie Award, for a film so genuine, so thought provoking, so profound.

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OUR SPECIAL HON

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO AFRICAN ARTS

presented to Governor Godswill Akpabio

Turning the Red Carpet... GREEN white GREEN Talent from Nigeria and across the Nigerian Diaspora lead the way in the fight for award recognition at the 9th Screen Nation Film & Television Awards, featuring in every category. Leading the way amongst them all is the magnificent contribution of His Excellency, Governor Godswill Akpabio, the much deserved recipient of the first ever Screen Nation Outstanding Contribution to African Arts Award.

In the year that Nigeria commemorates its centenary, the Screen Nation Executive committee led by the renowned Nollywood producer Obi Emelonye felt that only one man could represent the whole of Nigeria at the awards in terms of their overall contribution to the growth and development

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of African Arts and Nollywood in particular, which is the biggest cinema artfrom across Africa and the 2nd biggest movie industry across the world.

The unspoken efforts of titans such as Governor Godswill Akpabio have led directly to the success that this industry is now witnessing across the globe and at the same time providing much needed employment opportunities to the youth and contributing to creating a new legacy of images of Africa for the world to enjoy.

His Excellency’s contribution to Nigerian movie-making will go down in the history of African cinema for being wide ranging, wisely considered and visionary and it is

no wonder that under his guidance and Godfatherly stewardship, the wonderful state of Akwa Ibom has seen the emergence of the very best top tier Nollywood stars such as super producer Enem Isong and Nollywood queen Ini Edo. Screen Nation is proud to recognise in some small way the truly amazing achievements of His Excellency and anticipates Governor Godswill Akpabio’s arrival in London, where he is to be presented the first ever Screen Nation Outstanding Contribution to African Arts Award by Mr Ed Vaizey MP, UK Minister for Culture, Communications and the Creative Industries.

SCREEN ACHIEVEMENT

UK

AWARDS

UK SCREEN ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Rising Talent AJ Odudu BIG BROTHER, CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER, BIG BROTHER’S BIT ON THE PSYCH

Ben Bailey Smith aka Doc Brown 4 O’CLOCK CLUB

Gary Carr DEATH IN PARADISE, DOWNTON ABBEY, BLUESTONE 42

Javone Prince PHONESHOP, PLEBS, QUICK CUTS

Kane Robinson aka Kano TOP BOY

Karla Crome MISFITS, PRISONERS WIVES, LIGHTFIELDS

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UK SCREEN ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Young Shooting Star (16-25) Ade Oyefeso YOUNGERS, MISFITS

Adelayo Adedayo SOME GIRLS, GONE TOO FAR

Calvin Demba YOUNGERS

Khali Best EASTENDERS

Khalil Madovi 4 O’CLOCK CLUB

Shavani Seth YOUNGERS

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UK SCREEN ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Favourite Female TV Star AJ Odudu

IC L B G PU TIN O V

BIG BROTHER, CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER, BIG BROTHER’S BIT ON THE PSYCH

Alesha Dixon BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT, YOUR FACE SOUNDS FAMILIAR

Chizzy Akudolu HOLBY CITY

Natalie Gumede STRICTLY COME DANCING

Zawe Ashton FRESH MEAT, CASE HISTORIES

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UK SCREEN ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Favourite Male TV Star Ashley Walters

IC L B G PU TIN O V

TOP BOY, TRUCKERS

Cornel John EASTENDERS

Jimmy Akingbola HOLBY

Nonso Anozie DRACULA, THE BIBLE, GAME OF THRONES

Patrick Robinson CASUALTY, STRICTLY COME DANCING

Wil Johnson EMMERDALE

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UK SCREEN ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Female Performance in Film Naomie Harris MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, SKYFALL

Rakie Ayola DREDD, NOW WILL DO

Shanika Warren-Markland GONE TOO FAR, THE KNOT

Sophie Okonedo AFTER EARTH

Thandie Newton HALF OF A YELLOW SUN

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UK SCREEN ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Male Performance in Film Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje THE INEVITABLE DEFEAT OF MISTER & PETE, BEST LAID PLANS

Aml Ameen THE BUTLER

Chiwetel Ejiofor 12 YEARS A SLAVE

David Oyelowo THE BUTLER

Idris Elba MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM

Mentions:

Daniel Kaluuya Kick Ass 2, Welcome to the Punch Noel Clarke The Knot, Star Trek Nonso Anozie Ender’s Game

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UK SCREEN ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Female Performance in Television Angel Coulby DANCING ON THE EDGE, THE TUNNEL

Lorraine Burroughs ICE CREAM GIRLS, TOP BOY

Nikki Amuka-Bird LUTHER

Nina Sosanya LAST TANGO IN HALIFAX, WIZARDS VS. ALIENS

Sharon Duncan Brewster TOP BOY, THE BIBLE, THE MIMIC

Zawe Ashton FRESH MEAT, CASE HISTORIES

Mentions:

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Ashley Madekwe Revenge

Jaye Jacobs Waterloo Road Sophie Okonedo The Escape Artist, Mayday

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Freema Agyeman The Carrie Diaries, Old Jack’s Boat Lenora Crichlow - Black Mirror, Burton and Taylor, Back in the Game Wunmi Mosaku Dancing on the Edge

UK SCREEN ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Male Performance in Television Ashley Walters TRUCKERS, TOP BOY

Chiwetel Ejiofor DANCING ON THE EDGE

David Oyelowo COMPLICIT

Idris Elba LUTHER

Jimmy Akingbola HOLBY CITY

Lennie James RUN, THE WALKING DEAD, (LOW WINTER SUN)

Nonso Anozie DRACULA, THE BIBLE, GAME OF THRONES

Mentions:

Arinze Kene Youngers

Hugh Quarshie Holby Nathan Stewart Jarrett Paradise

Nicholas Pinnock Top Boy, Ice Cream Girls Tobi Bakare The Tunnel www.screennation.com page

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SCREEN CRAFT ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

SCREEN CRAFT ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Sponsored by the BBC

Independent Spirit Film Production Fedz – TOP DOG

Gone Too Far – DESTINY EKARAGHA It’s a Lot – FEMI OYENIRAN & DARWOOD GRACE

Sable Fable – STEPHEN LLOYD JACKSON

The Fade – ANDY MUNDY-CASTLE

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SCREEN CRAFT ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Diversity in Factual Production Bad 25 – BBC2 Burma: My Father and the Forgotten Army – BBC2

First Amongst Equals: The Laurie Cunningham Story – ITV1

In the Shadow of the Sun – BBC4 Martin Luther King And The March On Washington – BBC2

The Cruel Cut – C4 Mentions:

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Kony: Hunt for the World’s Most Wanted – BBC1 / Swinging into the Blitz – BBC2

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Diversity in Production Factual Award

SCREEN CRAFT ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Diversity in Drama Production Dancing on the Edge – BBC2

Death in Paradise – BBC1

Holby City – BBC1

Luther – BBC1

RUN – C4

Top Boy – C4

Youngers – C4 Mentions: page

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Casualty – BBC1 / Doctors – BBC1 / Waterloo Road – BBC1 /

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Diversity in Production Drama Award

SCREEN CRAFT ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Favourite Black Channel ABN TV

BEN TV

Nollywood Movies

The Africa Channel

Vox Africa

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IC L B G PU TIN O V

SCREEN CRAFT ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Favourite International Film (made by or starring British talent)

IC L B G PU TIN O V

12 Years A Slave

House At The End Of The Street

Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom

The Butler

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PEOPLE’S CHOICE INTERNATIONAL SCREEN AWARDS

PEOPLE’S CHOICE INTERNATIONAL SCREEN AWARDS

Best African Film B for Boy – Chika Anadu, Nigeria/UK

Half of A Yellow Sun – Biyi Bandele, Nigeria/UK

Mother of George – Andrew Dosunmu, Nigeria/USA

Nairobi Half Life – David Kitonga, Kenya/Germany

Of Good Report – Jahmil X.T. Qubeka, South Africa

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PEOPLE’S CHOICE INTERNATIONAL SCREEN AWARDS

Favourite Nigerian (New Nollywood) Film (Released in Nigeria and/or premiered in UK/Online) Amina

IC L B G PU TIN O V

Confusion Na Wa

Flower Girl

Hoodrush

Onye Ozi

Tango With Me

Turning Point

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PEOPLE’S CHOICE INTERNATIONAL SCREEN AWARDS

Favourite Female African International Emerging Screen Talent Adepero Oduye (USA/Nigeria) 12 Years A Slave, Steel Magnolias, Pariah

Damilola Adegbite (Nigeria) Flower Girl

Danai Gurira (USA/Zimbabwe) The Walking Dead, Mother of George

Linda Ejiofor (Nigeria) The Meeting

Lupita Nyong’o (USA/Kenya) 12 Years A Slave, Shuga

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IC L B G PU TIN O V

PEOPLE’S CHOICE INTERNATIONAL SCREEN AWARDS

Favourite Male African International Emerging Screen Talent Alex Ekubo (Nigeria)

IC L B G PU TIN O V

Anthony Monjaro (Nigeria)

Chris Attoh (Ghana)

Femi Jacobs (Nigeria)

Joseph Benjamin (Nigeria)

OC Ukeje (Nigeria)

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Inform | Know | Discuss | Mirror | Unwind | Inspire

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best

(most entertaining and culturally engaging)

12 Years A Slave Directed by: Steve McQueen. Starring; Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Micheal K. Williams, Adepero Oduye, Brad Pitt 12 Years a Slave is the harrowing, heart-wrenching adaptation of the memoirs of Solomon Northup. Solomon (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a liberated African-American from the northern states, soon stripped of his freedom as he is kidnapped and forced into twelve years of slavery under several owners – the worst of whom being the detestable Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender). Solomon endures all manner of degradation in the hope that he will someday rejoin his family.

films of 2013

In his Oscar nominated performance, British-born Ejiofor gives a fine performance as a man unjustly enslaved. British director Steve McQueen’s direction is meticulous, making Solomon’s travails as rich as they are tragic. There’s no doubt that Mcqueen has established himself as one of cinema’s unforgettable storytellers, and UK talents Michael Fassbender and Benedict Cumberbatch are equally strong as the opposing masters that Solomon serves. Cast, direction, music and pacing all combine in this masterpiece, with not a single misstep. Historical film-making at its very best.

WORDS: Sam Thorne

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Fruitvale Station

Blue Caprice

Directed by: Ryan Coogler. Starring; Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Kevin Durand, Octavia Spencer

Directed by: Alexandre Moors. Starring; Isaiah Washington, Tequan Richmond, Joey Lauren Adams

Fruitvale Station is another highly acclaimed film which makes use of a real life account to tell its tale. In his first feature, director Ryan Coogler depicts the last day in the life of Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan).

Blue Caprice is a highly unorthodox drama from Alexandre Moors, with a script based closely on the events now known as the 2002 Beltway sniper attacks.

Grant was fatally shot in the back following an incident on the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) on New Years Day 2009, following a public disturbance which eventually lead to an act of police brutality.

Fruitvale Station is a powerful and tragic film, rendered all the more so by the bitter knowledge that the implicated officers were never brought to justice. Coogler puts us firmly in the place of Oscar Grant, skilfully helping us to identify and empathise with the character before, ultimately, mourning him.

Fruitvale Station is one part emotional drama, one part shocking and sadly still relevant social message.

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Unlike many films drawn from factual sources, Blue Caprice doesn’t directly attempt to relate to its subjects, but suggests a possible underlying motive for the events as they unfolded. The attacks in question were clearly indefensible, but the movie does a great job of rationalising them, providing a more than plausible account of the ways in which an impressionable, abandoned young boy might be driven to such acts.

Blue Caprice features outstanding direction and a fine score, but the essence of the film is the enigmatic relationship between John (Isaiah Washington) and Lee (Tequan Richmond). Blue Caprice resonates with a rare, haunting tone of moral ambivalence that remains equivocal; neither white nor black, but varying shades of grey. It is a true ‘indie’ great, and one of this year’s most underrated films.

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Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Lee Daniels’ The Butler

Directed by: Justin Chadwick. Starring; Idris Elba, Naomie Harris

Directed by: Lee Daniels. Starring; Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, Aml Ameen, Terrence Howard, Vanessa Redgrave, Cuba Gooding Jr, Lenny Kravitz, Robin Williams, John Cusack, Alan Rickman

Nelson Mandela was no doubt a great, unforgettable man and as one would expect, this adaptation of his autobiography is superb realised.

Though the epic subject matter is South African, the wealth of British talent behind Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom makes the film a compelling watch from an international and cultural perspective.

Idris Elba plays an incredibly authentic Mandela that will be remembered throughout the ages, giving a performance which is likely to be considered career defining. British actress Naomie Harris is also to be praised for her role as Winnie Mandela, in another one of the film’s high points.

English director Justin Chadwick took on a hugley ambitious project in choosing to adapt the autobiography of such a prominent historical figure, but there’s no doubt that the result is one of this year’s most culturally enriching film triumphs.

The Butler is the historical tale of Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), son of a slave, who transcends his background to become one of the most trusted key Whithouse staff, serving the US Presidency through several terms.

Gaines’ life story is inspirational, and played masterfully by Forest Whitaker and Aml Ameen, with a host of famous cameos capturing successive Presidents. The appeal of The Butler lies not only in the grand sweep of its social history, but in the genuinely endearing depiction of a humble, wise man. Not to be overlooked, however, are the vivid female performances from Mariah Carey and Oprah Winfrey as Hattie and Gloria Gaines respectively – the women who shaped Cecil.

The Butler presents an entertaining microcosm of contemporary American social progress, and is not to be missed.

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Go For Sisters

Mother Of George

Directed by: John Sayles. Starring; LisaGay Hamilton, Yolanda Ross, Edward James Olmos

Directed by: Andrew Dosunmu. Starring; Danai Gurira, Isaach De Bankole, Yaya Alafia

Go For Sisters is a refreshingly original drama directed by veteran auter, John Sayles.

The narrative involves two former friends who go their separate ways in life, only for a twist of fate to cause them to rely on each other once more.

Andrew Dosunmu’s thoughtful domestic drama features a newly-wed Nigerian couple who struggle to conceive a child. Danai Gurira is notable among the strong cast as the stern wife who struggles to deal with the possible implications of infertility.

Bernice (LisaGay Hamilton) plays a parole officer assigned coincidentally to deal with her old friend Fontayne (Yolanda Ross), a recently recovered drug addict. When Bernice’s son Rodney goes missing, she assumes the worst and turns to Fontayne for help, alongside disgraced ex-detective Freddy Suarez (Edward James Olmos) as they dive headfirst into the seedy underbelly of Tijuana.

The film’s wider themes reflect on Nigerian culture in contrast with modern America, and the difficult process of adapting, particularly for women.

The film revolves around two well written and acutely observed female characters played by undeniably great actresses who clash as old friends but are forced ultimately to reunite. With its fresh concept and willingness to explore the female psyche and perspective, Go For Sisters certainly makes for a welcome cinematic change.

Mother Of George is a subtle, engaging drama which explores the common ground between two cultures, and the ways in which we are shaped by our surroundings.

Donsunmu’s film remains one of the surprisingly unsung cultural gems of 2013.

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12 Years A Slave

WORDS: Levar Polson

There have been a handful of high profile films centred on slavery. None have managed to acco mplish what director, Steve McQueen (Hunger, Shame) has achieved with12 Years A Slave. The film work s so well due primarily, to its honesty. From top to botto m and any which way, this film impacts as truth ful.

Steven Spielberg borrowed from accounts of Oskar Schindler’s life to frame a story around the evils of the holocaust. Similarly, Steve McQueen utilises a character piece, centering on one man’s strug gle, but juxtaposed against the backdrop of an era of unre lenting, human indignity. Solomon Northup is this film’s anchor, however the story is moulded in ways wher eby he becomes a passenger within the narrative.

In other words, Solomon is us. We endure and share in his harrowing journey, as opposed to gazing upon it with detachment.

Paradoxically, however, this film is beautiful.

McQueen masterfully oscillates between iniquity and beauty, between the natural and unnatural, but does so in ways that blend subtlety and potency. Single shots capture societal hierarchies just as much as individual characters symbolize entire struggles.

To portray this effectively requires more than dialogue. Thankfully, Chiwetel Ejiofor is an actor with great aptitude. He conveys Solomon’s perplexities, grief and despair, almost entirely through physicality.

This is a nuanced performance of the highest order, with expression being as important, if not more so, than words.

The resulting impact goes a long way to defle ct suggestions that a film helmed by a Black Briti sh director, starring a Black British actor, would in any way dilute the poignance of this period. McQ ueen and Ejiofor prove that signifiers such as ‘African Ame rican’ and ‘Black British’ act as cultural barriers, but that this story transcends socio-cultural boundaries and resonates on levels which exceed creed.

Sex, education and religion are presented here as sub themes. A special mention must go to newc omer, Lupita Nyong’o, who plays “Patsey”, framed as an object of twisted desires. It would be possible to indulge in an entire review based upon the interplays betw een Patsey and her subjugators. It is yet another example as to why this film is evocative; there is so muc h subtext that can be deconstructed in enlighten ing ways.

Early in the film, with Solomon chained and blood ied in a Washington DC den, we see the dim silho uette of The White House, a symbolic representation of change! Yes, there has been progression in term s of practices. The question remains, however; just how far have we come in terms of attitudes? Darin g to raise such questions alone goes some way to explaining why 12 Years a Slave is more than just a film.

“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds” Bob Marley

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SCREEN NATION

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Power List

Cheryl Boone Isaacs President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the first African-American to hold this office), and a Black Women in Hollywood Honoree.

Trailblazers

Anne Mensah

As Sky’s TV Drama Commissioner, Anne has developed many popular shows, spreading consistently hard-hitting drama across Sky channels. Her career began as a graduate management trainee on ITV’s London Bridge, and she has worked her way up to her current, highly respected position.

Visionaries Ade Rawcliffe

Ava DuVernay

Diversity and Talent manager at Channel 4. Ade commissions content from new, diverse, grassroots talent throughout the UK. With an enviable career as producer for the BBC (Big Brother, Right to Reply and The Big Breakfast), the British-Nigerian superwoman works with The Alpha Fund, to identify and support diverse talent, start-ups and regional innovation.

Writer, producer, director and distributor of independent film, and head of the award-winning DVA Media + Marketing. Black Women in Hollywood Honoree.

As ITV Talent Manager, Michelle can spot a gift from a mile away. She develops the best talent in the industry for Shiver, the multi-award winning factual arm of ITV Studios which has produced such shows as Strictly Kosher and Weight Loss Ward.

Peace Anyiam Osigwe CEO of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AAMA), Peace launched what has become known as the African Oscars in 2005, and has done much to raise the profile of the hugely successful Nigerian film industry.

Game Changers

Amma Asante British Writer & Director – Belle

Kerry Washington Lead actress – Scandal Shonda Rhimes Creator, Executive Producer & Head Writer – Scandal

Lorna Cooper

Nicole Beharie Actress – Fox’s Sleepy Hollow

Lupita Nyong’o Folake Folarin-Coker

Michelle Matherson

Editor of MSN TV, whose prestigious interviewees have included Samuel L Jackson, Pam Grier and Sandra Bullock. Lorna’s career began with Kiss FM and radio magazine show The Word, and her current role has furthered her interests in celebrity, movies and music whilst raising the MSN channel to prominence.

Actress – 12 Years a Slave and Black Women in Hollywood honoree

Naomie Harris

Already a successful Nigerian lawyer, Folake launched her clothing line Tiffany Amber in 1998. Diffusion brand TAN

by Tiffany Amber and couture line Folake Folarin followed, awarding her Arise Magazine’s Fashion Brand Of The Year, and African Fashion International’s Designer Of The Year.

Betty Adewole This 21 year old Nigerian-British model is the face of Tom Ford’s Spring/Summer 2014 campaign. Adewole is no novice, having modelled for Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith and Issey Miyake.

Queens of TV

2014’s Watchlist

Gabrielle Union Lead actress – Being Mary Jane Debra Lee Chairman and CEO at BET Networks Mo Abudu Also known as ‘the Oprah of Africa’, Mo is Nigeria’s favourite TV producer, media personality, talk show host and entrepreneur. Since hosting Moments with Mo, she has launched Ebony Life TV, Africa’s first global Black multibroadcast entertainment network.

Breakthroughs

Actress – Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom

Screen Gems

Jacqueline Lyanga Director, American Film Institute Fest Stephanie Allain Executive producer, director of the Los Angeles Film Festival – Dear White People

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde

Gugu Mbatha-Raw Lead actress – Belle Quvenzhane Wallis Lead actress – Annie Regina King Director & Producer – Let the Church Say Amen Bola Agbaje Playwright & Screenwiter – Gone Too Far Destiny Ekaragha Director – Gone Too Far Debra Odutuyo The British-Nigerian writer, director and producer of hit comedy Meet the Adebanjos has been at the top of her game since 2005.

Since her debut in 1995, this Nigerian actress has appeared in hundreds of films, and termed an icon by the 2013 Time 100 list. She is also an activist, singer and mother of four.

Genevieve Nnaji Starring in Half of a Yellow Sun with Thandie Newton and Chiwetel Ejiofor, Genevieve was awarded Best Actress in a Leading Role by the African Movie Academy in 2005. Appearing in over 80 films, she is one of the highest paid actresses in Nollywood.

Naomie Harris

JOURNEYS

Inspirational

They’re gorgeous, dangerous and always dating the hottest guy around! Who wouldn’t want to be a ‘Bond Girl’? Well, as the first Black actress to play “Eve Moneypenny” in Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond film, Naomi Harris knows all about it. And for the record, Naomie likes to be referred to as a Bond ‘Woman’!

Naomie was raised by her mother, a screenwriter who has worked on Eastenders, so it’s clear that the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree. At the age of nine, this talented performer was already gracing our TV screens as Joyce in the BBC’s Simon And The Witch, so it’s fair to term Harris an industry veteran who can easily take on any role demanded of her. From the role of Tia Dalma in Pirates of the Caribbean to the controversial (and, according to Naomie) challenging character of Winnie Mandela in Mandela: Long walk to Freedom, she excels every single time!

WORDS: Rasheida Adrianus

These women are an inspiration to many and with their go-getting attitude; Thandie Newton and Naomi Harris are living proof that we can achieve anything we put our mind to... ...even Hollywood!

Photo: © 2013 Dave J Hogan

Antonia Thomas

Ashley Madekwe

Carmen Ejogo

Thandie Newton and Naomie Harris are just two of a rising group of Black British actresses who are currently taking Hollywood by storm!

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Lenora Crichlow

Marianne Jean-Baptise

Marsha Thomason

Sophie Okenodo

Zawe Ashton

Thandie Newton Thandie Newton had been in the business for almost a decade when her role as Nyah Hall in Mission Impossible II introduced her to a mainstream audience in 2000. This was just the beginning of a blossoming career in which she has co-starred with heavyweights such as Will Smith in The Pursuit Of Happiness and Whoopi Goldberg in Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls.

Photo: Getty Images

We all have dreams. Some small, some big – and then we have what some consider unattainable dreams, like becoming a successful Black British actress in Hollywood, for example.

While many of us tend to limit ourselves in the certainty that some things will simply never happen, there’s a group of inspiring women who prove that there’s no such thing as an unattainable dream, and their inspirational journeys can motivate and empower us to become whoever we aspire to be!

Breaking into the entertainment industry doesn’t happen overnight, and making it in Hollywood as a Black actress from the UK is quite exceptional.

Freema Agyeman

Photos, L-R: IMDB, IMDB, Jason Bell © CBS, IMDB, IMDB, Dave M. Benett, IMDB, Sarah Dunn, Stephen Lovekin © Getty Images, Dave M. Benett

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Thandie’s route to success has been one of finding, embracing and connecting with her ‘otherness’. During her inspiring TEDTalk in 2011, she recalled being the only Black girl in a Catholic school, and the way in which acting enabled her to escape from this feeling of being different – or, as she calls it, her ‘dysfunctional self’. She turned out to be a gifted actress and by eventually embracing who she was, she excelled at it. The sense of otherness that shaped her at a very early age became her unique edge, and the reason why she is today one of the best Black British performers in Hollywood.

According to Ebony Magazine’s list of rising Black British actresses, Thandie Newton is now considered a ‘Hollywood regular’, and we couldn’t be more delighted for her. www.screennation.com page

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The Butler

WORDS: Levar Polson

pshots, vividly as a profound series of Polaroid sna ed crib des t bes be may ler But ents in Lee Daniels’ The ngst some of the most poignant mom amo set , life y inar aord extr ’s man rendered events of one 20th Century America. of Cecil Gaines’ in the 1920’s deep south, we learn farm on cott a on ing ring upb his farms Beginning with generations of slavery. These cotton from g ivin der e cod ival surv l gica early education; a sociolo arenas of the worst displays of s, act as paradoxical signifiers for bud ing som blos ul, utif bea ir the with the concentration camps of WWII. human hate, in no way dissimilar to professional life and mirrors microshifts in Gaines’ personal and Director Lee Daniels juxtaposes a teenaged Gaines (played by nts. He begins by showing us how eve ical olit io-p soc ro, mac with m the ives an education in life behind and via a twist of fate, rece farm the es leav ) een Am l Am ’s navigate an unjust Kidulthood ond. Eventually Cecil learns how to diam d she poli to gh, rou a from that moulds him allow, until destiny has him es to the limits that his world will society. He stretches his opportuniti ite House walls. ending up of course, within the Wh itaker. Although being Cecil is owned by actor Forrest Wh of er ract cha the t tha e not to nt be, in world of It’s importa subservient as he was required to as be to nes Gai s vey con er itak a man of stature, Wh , entertainment and music. brimming with star cameos, from film also is film The . sion divi ual pet per l to shake off their star ey and Cuba Gooding Jr all do wel Car iah Mar , vitz Kra ny Len , frey Oprah Win status to serve the narrative.

David Oyelowo, who depicts film, however, goes to British actor the of e anc form per t dou stan The

feelings. He is an s, in a way that invokes a variety of son two il’s Cec of st elde the , nes for his professional Louis Gai feels an unshakable embarrassment but er, fath his s love rly clea who one that intelligent boy tion with this character’s arc. It is nec con p dee a feel but help ’t ldn acquiescence. I cou . Louis shifts from being angry especially for conscious black men s, nce erie exp of t hos a ses boli sym s him at odds with his family, radicalism. It is a position that put in g blin dab to t, ulan pet at ewh , we witness and som to change. Most significantly though te rou ient pat and ive vers sub e mor tionship via who favour a osites, to eventually salvaging a rela opp nch stau g bein from go son how this father and means a flawless film, but another’s aims. The Butler is by no discovering a mutual respect for one for having experienced. it is one that you feel all the better

Read the full review at charminganalysis.blogspot.co.uk

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Lupita Nyong’o

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“I’m not going to allow you to enslave me on film, in celluloid, for all to see.”

Angela Bassett

WORDS: Samantha Asumadu

Last year NPR published an article entitled ‘At the Cinema, the Women are gone’, in which the writer Linda Holmes did some ‘back-of-theenvelope math’ and found that in the DC area where she lived on one Friday there were “617 showings, (at the movies), 561 of them – 90 percent – are stories about men or groups of men, where women play supporting roles or fill out ensembles primarily focused on men.” Now, consider that women of colour are never just deemed ‘women’ they are ‘black’ women, ’latina’ women and so on, you must wonder what the racial make up of that tiny contingent of women featured actually was.

In April, Broadchurch actress Olivia Coleman, young at 39, admitted that “It’s harder to get roles as you grow older,” echoing what many other well known names of the British film industry have said over the years. “The typical roles for older women are similar in television and film. They include the good wife, the contented homemaker, the harpy, the matriarch, and the bitch, the feisty older woman or the loveable granny, the nurturing mother or the sadistic mother. The actresses playing these roles were the lucky ones.

When the usual suspects pay lip service to diversity, it is often the inclusion of women they want to address rather than the lack of Black and Asian minority ethnic FTSE 100 directors, radio presenters or actors. It’s only when we have more women writer/directors and more BAME writer/directors getting the kind of funding that white male directors have access to that we’ll see diverse roles for women, both Black and White. That will also hopefully go a way to counteracting the now glaringly obvious visual that male actors age, but their love interests don’t.

When you consider all of the above, what roles are actually out there for older black women, and what choices do they have? Angela Bassett’s career has been going from strength to strength since the nineties. She has a new lauded role as Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau in ‘American Horror Story: Coven and she is perhaps the exception that proves the rule. For years a film I watched time and time again was ‘Strange Days’, directed by Katherine Bigelow, co-written and produced by James Cameron. It was only as an adult that I realised the reason for this was that one of the protagonists – Bassett – was a black woman, and a fully rounded black woman character at that. She had flaws, integrity and useful skills. There was love between her and the leading man and she was integral to a complex narrative, all that you’d hope and expect from any engaging character on screen.

In an interview about her role as Voletta Wallace – rapper Biggie Smalls’s mother – in the film Notorious, Angela said the following when asked about the roles she chooses to take: “This is a career about images. It’s celluloid; they last for ever. I’m a black woman from America. My people were slaves in America, and even though we’re free on paper and in law, I’m not going to allow you to enslave me on film, in celluloid, for all to see. And to cross the water, to countries where people will never meet people who look like me. So it becomes a bigger thing than me just becoming a movie star, and me just being on TV.” To have the kind of career that she has enjoyed as an Oscar nominated actress, it’s not only the number of roles you take, it’s the quality. For any actress hoping to have longevity in their career, it’s worth looking at the path that Angela Bassett has chosen.

Photos Top Left and Bottom: ‘American Horror Story’ (2011) © Frank Ockenfels/FX

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. . . e t i r w Why I ‘If you don’t like someone’s story, write your own.’

No truer words can be said about telling stories than the famous quote by Chinua Achebe. I follow his words to the letter.

I started writing plays in 2006 but that burning desire to tell stories started a few years earlier. I attended Identity Drama School in the early days; in fact I was one of the first students. For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to be an actor. I adored adventure movies like Hook and The Goonies, and always wanted to be in them.

However, it was at drama school in my early twenties that I was faced with the harsh realities of what life was like for a black actor in the UK and, dare I say it, a black female actor. There were no roles for me. I wouldn’t be written into an adventure story like The Goonies. In truth, we were barely written into any stories.

Each time I flipped the pages of a script, a black woman was scarcely featured in the character description. It was like we didn’t exist. Actually, the reality was that we were invisible. So I decided that I didn’t care if those who wrote plays and films didn’t see

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me, I was going to be seen and the only way to do it was to write a role for myself.

I am proud to be a black woman. My experiences are ones I think need to be shared and seen by everyone. I write culturally specific roles because I want to, I have to, and, most importantly, I need to!

I was once asked by a white actor when would I stop writing for black roles. My response was, “When everyone else starts, and when all of the stories have been told.”

There is a perception that once you tell one story about the black experience, that’s it. But it’s certainly not it. There are so few stories about us that each character has to represent us ALL. A black woman in a show has to appeal to all shades of black, every class and speak for us all, when we don’t put these expectations on white characters.

Photos: Above: © Suki Dhanda, Below left & right: scenes from Gone Too Far Below centre: Gone Too Far, Shoot Day 24

I write culturally specific roles because I feel that I need to take a stand and be counted.

We cry, we laugh and we love just like everyone else.

y r o t s s ’ e n o e m o ‘If you don’t like swrite your own.’

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Changing the perception of

women in music videos WORDS: Charmaine Hayden

‘Sexuality is not always negative, it can be used to enhance confidence and respect if executed correctly’.

One of the biggest debates in the music industry addresses the way in which women are perceived in music videos. Interestingly, ‘video girls’ are now treated like celebrities in our society, and are more recognisable in the media than some of our politicians. Women are often drawn to the appeal and attention that such a career can bring. However, there is also a stigma that comes with the role. Women who appear in music videos are often branded ‘promiscuous’, and it seems to be a difficult stigma to shake. This often comes about through over-sexualised videos, where women may be scantily clad or dancing provocatively, but would the same be said if we were looking at well known individuals – Julia Roberts for example – if she were playing a ‘vixen’ type role in a Bond film?

So what is the allure of the Video Vixens? Is it their voluptuous bodies and glamorous looks, or is it down to the active audience who use these images to depict the women as something they are not? I am often questioned about my views on how women are perceived in music videos, and to put it very plainly I see this as nothing more than an acting role. People tend to focus on stigmas and stereotypes often associated with this career, which in turn encourages them to reach negative conclusions.

At F4M, our models take on each job as any actress would, with professionalism and grace.

I truly believe that women in entertainment should be viewed as acting professionals; they are as integral to some productions as the camera and the director, and should be treated as such.

There was a very distinct reason for us creating an agency for ‘real women’, and it was a little more complex than just identifying a demand in the industry. There was a need to create a positive image for these models, particularly women models in this industry, and provide a safe environment for them to work in. I felt that we could provide that protection whilst introducing an elite selection of women to the career paths they wanted to follow.

It is really important to stress that these models are not bimbos, they are intelligent young women who have made a well informed decision to promote their beauty. We have worked with models who are law graduates, forensic scientists, prison officers, ambulance drivers, students and mothers. They are brave women who aren’t perfect, but are happy with themselves – flaws and all. Sexuality is not always negative, it can be used to enhance confidence and respect if executed correctly.

To find out more about F4M visit

www.f4mmodels.com

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The time has come for the negative perception of women in music videos to become nothing more than a distant memory, and part of a history that has evolved. These women are actors taking on characters, they are women taking charge of their own destinies and that should be celebrated, not stigmatised. Nowadays it is very rare to find British women in particular, portrayed in a way that is negatively looked upon. The women we see on television represent health, inner beauty and self confidence, and those are role models we should be promoting.

Inform | Know | Discuss | Mirror | Unwind | Inspire From hosting at the Jump Off to hosting her own show on Capital Xtra and the Breakfast Show with Kojo! We caught up with the glamorous, fierce radio host Jade Avia for an exclusive interview.

01.00 – Finally got back into my house due to the Train strikes!!

04.00 – 1st alarm on both phones ...and it starts over!

AN EXCLUSIVE WITH

JADE AVIA

Jade, what’s happening? Tell us about your new show.

It’s been a crazy and exciting few months for me. I’ve been doing the Breakfast Show for almost 2 years now, I’ve launched my new girl talk show online, Lip Gloss And Candy Floss, filmed my first TV show and loads more! It feels like I’m living a dream!

At the time of the Capital Xtra launch I was also presenting a solo show 3-6am on Sundays – it was very hard work! But I love being on the radio. Plus, I wanted to make sure I had a solo show too, as the two presenting styles are very different.

As you can imagine, I was always tired but the hard work paid off as with the launch the bosses also offered me a very popular slot which is now 4-8pm with my Sexy Bum Sunday show! I’m really excited about developing the show.

Once I left university and moved to London, I applied for a presenting role and got it! I was working my butt off doing online debates, online music video charts, weekly news reports, working on an event and had a full time job at a gym.

I was working so hard that my face and name began getting very popular and Kojo approached me to demo for the breakfast show. The rest is history!

What’s it like working with Kojo?

It’s great, he’s very funny on and off air, he’s also very hard working. We have a great time doing the show together!

Do you have any strong views on the range of opportunities that arise in media for Black women like yourself?

YES. It is easy for people choosing talent to stereotype you into a certain roles, and although I feel that it is getting better, this is something I really struggle with.

I’m lighter skinned and I have it hard at times, especially with TV gigs. So when I see a darker skinned female presenter doing their thing, it’s very inspirational – it shows that anything is possible. I believe in the laws of attraction, hard work and self belief.

Do you think you’ll be branching out into Film or TV anytime soon?

Jade: [Laughs] I haven’t tried my hand at acting yet, but never say never. I’ve just finished my first TV series, which is a sports gossip show called Gossip Match on Trace Sports, that will be being launching very soon.

In five years, where would you like to be?

How did you come about working at Capital Xtra?

INTERVIEW BY: Angelica Bagot

Married to Drake, swimming in a pool full of Nutella... OR Married to Drake and doing my thang in the TV and Radio world. I would love to have my own business inspiring young girls, that would be amazing.

What does a typical day consist of, for you?

As the show ends so early my days differ drastically, but I’ll tell you what I did yesterday.

04.00 – 1st alarm on both phones 04.05 – 2nd alarm on both phones 05.30 – arrive at Capital Xtra 06.00 – on air on Capital Xtra 09.00 – eat breakfast 09.30 – Breakfast Show debrief 11.30 – Gym, get those squats in for the BOOTY! 15.00 – Catch up with my agents about the coming month 16.00 – Lunch with a friend and a spot of shopping 18.00 – Screening for Kevin Hart’s new movie Ride Along, getting ready for the interview in February and it was hilarious.

21.00 – Childish Gambino at The 02 Shepards Bush with my girly CoCo, Capital Xtra presenter.

Photos: © Nasryne Ramazannezhad

It is not easy for black women, but as a black female you can either be the victim and let that defeat you, or you can rise above it and use what you have to become a huge inspiration to other girls trying to get into the media industry.

Which British-born Black women do you find inspirational?

Looking at what Emeli Sande has done in her career is amazingly inspirational, from being the girl who featured on Chip’s tune Diamond Rings to a world wide sensation!

Did you foresee the career path you are on? Was this the dream all along?

As I said before, I do believe in the law of attraction, and it’s a fact that if you write down your goals you are 30% more likely to achieve them.

In 2011, I wrote my goals on a Google document. People told me I was aiming too high when I said that I want to be presenting on a national radio station by the end of 2013, but I was confident in my ability and my passion for radio.

What advice would you give to readers trying to break into the industry?

Work Hard.

Take rejection as a learning curve.

Believe in yourself and your ability.

Make the most out of every opportunity.

What’s the last film you watched at the cinema, and what did you think of it?

The last film I watched was Ride Along, with Kevin Hart and Ice Cube. I’m really happy for Kevin Hart, he’s hilarious – good film! www.screennation.com page

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Take the

lead WORDS: Angelica Bagot

The lineup of films and television shows in 2014 is proving to be an exciting one...

Take a look at some of the most highly anticipated releases for this year, each with a black female lead.

Being Mary Jane This American drama television series stars Gabrielle Union and was created by the accomplished Maya Brock Akil, who is well known for the hit series Girlfriends and The Game.

The show follows Mary Jane Paul, a single black female and successful TV news anchor who is searching for satisfaction in both her personal and family life. She is a figure that many can identify with, as Mary Jane spends more time than necessary searching for Mr Right.

Akil captures the comedic and emotional essence of one black woman’s life, which is sure to leave the audience stocking up on tissues one minute and roaring with laughter the next. One thing is for sure, this show will have you permanently attached to your television screen!

A one hour pilot aired on BET last year, and the first episode aired in January 2014. If you haven’t already acquainted yourself with Mary Jane Paul, I strongly recommend you do so.

BET’s first scripted drama, Being Mary Jane aired in the UK on Monday 3 February.

Belle The highly anticipated British drama film, directed by Amma Asante, is due to hit the US box office on the 2nd of May and will arrive at UK cinemas in June.

British born actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars as the eponymous character Dido Elizabeth Belle, a mixed-race aristocrat in 18th Century England.

This gripping tale, written by Misan Sagay, is inspired by a true story and follows Dido, who is raised in privilege alongside her cousin Elizabeth Murray (Sarah Gadon) as together they navigate the complex social hierarchies of the time.

The film highlights the presence of black people in an upper class 18th Century society, and will undoubtedly contribute to changing what we once thought of as a history set in stone.

This is definitely not a film to be missed!

Scandal We all know it, we all love it. Scandal is an American political thriller created by Shonda Rhimes, starring Kerry Washington (Save The Last Dance, Fantastic Four, The Last King of Scotland ) as Olivia, a professional ‘fixer’ who makes problems disappear before anyone even knows they exist.

Olivia once worked in high office, but found it hard to separate her job from her romantic life.

This wouldn’t have presented so much of a problem, had the man she was having an affair with not been the President of the USA. Not only has Scandal paved the way for other black women to be cast in such high profile roles, it has allowed the audience to connect with this character on levels we didn’t expect.

Season 3 will resume at the end of February, but in the meantime, catch up on Channel 4oD.

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Collins Archie-Pearce The Man with a Plan

With the focus on Hollywood and its elite over the award season, it is easy to forget others who are making a notable contribution to film.

The Nigerian film industry, or ‘Nollywood’ as it is commonly referred to, is the second largest in the world. Nollywood produces over 2,000 movies a year, which puts Nigeria firmly ahead of Hollywood but behind the Indian film industry (Bollywood). From often humble beginnings, most directors and producers owe the success of Nollywood to films addressing local concerns, along with wider Nigerian culture, morals and religion.

The Nigerian film industry did not come to the fore until the late 1990s, and its fruits can now be found not only in Africa but across the world. Nollywood is particularly popular in the UK, and someone to have benefitted from this industry in the UK in particular is Collins Archie-Pearce.

Collins is acknowledged to be the top commercial film producer of Sierra Leonean heritage working in the African UK film industry today. But he is not only a film producer; he is also known within the tight-knit Nollywood UK movie sector as a talented Stage Director, Screenwriter, actor and film promoter.

In the course of a remarkable career, Collins has featured in many of the most well-known Nollywood movies in the UK, including Rubicon, Amina, Shameful Deceit, Battered, London Na Wa and most recently The Soul, along with many more. He is also known as the man who produced Perfect Plan, the first ever Sierra Leonean movie that premiered in the UK to sold out audiences.

Encouraged by that success, Collins went on to produce Ibu in Sierra Leone (2013), which remains the biggest movie ever produced in that country and, of course, stars John Okafor, widely considered one of Nigeria’s most talented comic characters as his alter-ego Mr Ibu (a sort of African ‘Mr Bean’). Ibu in Sierra Leone was premiered at the Odeon Cinema in Greenwich in October 2013, and due to its huge success, Collins is developing a follow up.

Collins Archie-Pearce has an unstinting passion for the entertainment business, and is a driving force behind the growth of the Nollywood film industry in the UK. He has paved the way for Sierra Leone to be included within the growing African international film industry, and we are sure to hear much more about him in the coming years.

Connect with Collins Archie-Pearce at:

www.archiepearceproduction.com

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Inform | Know | Discuss | Mirror | Unwind | Inspire Entrepreneur, philanthropist, fashion designer, TV presenter – Pauline seems to excel in every sector of the industry that she explores. In 2006, she founded the prestigious beauty pageant Miss East Africa UK, and went on to develop Mr East Africa UK in 2008. She funded these contests herself, and it has been said that the events served as the voice of underprivileged East African children, as they helped to highlight the plight of children abandoned and orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS and genocide.

Her creative talents were clearly established during her time as the beauty and fashion editor of UGPULSE magazine, a role which later led directly to the introduction of her own publication in 2008.

Pauline is, in her own right, a philanthropist whose work is geared towards encouraging Africans to give back to Africa. This warm hearted and inspirational movement emerged as her own personal response to the conflicts in various parts of the continent, and their deleterious effect upon the African child.

Pauline is widely regarded as an influence and an inspiration. She was recently included in Black Women in Europe’s Power List for her contribution to bettering the lives of others. Her work with the Pauline Long Empowerment and Mentoring Club is a further example of this, and she has also signed a number of rising artists to her award-winning film business, East End Studios. As if all this were not enough, she still finds the time to host the popular Pauline Long Show on Sky 182!

Among her most recognisable achievements is the BEFFTA Awards UK, founded in 2009. The BEFFTAs rapidly became one of the most highly anticipated events in the African-Caribbean calendar, and continues to celebrate innovation in entertainment, film, fashion and the arts. All in all, Pauline is, herself, a woman to be celebrated.

WORDS: Angelica Bagot

Pauline Long

Entrepreneur, philanthropist, fashion designer, TV presenter... and more!

EAST END STUDIOS

A 6,000 Sq FT East London Film Studio

www.eastendstudios.co.uk

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celebrate With over 50 languages and 250 dialects and ethnic groups, Nigeria is Africa’s most culturally diverse country and the largest by population.

WORDS: Rasheida Adrianus

Experience Nigeria

Appreciate Nigeria

Millennium Park - Abuja

The three largest ethnic groups of Nigeria are the Hausa-Fulani, residing in the north, the Igbo who live in the southeast, and the Yoruba who are predominant in the southwest. Each has their own signature dish and culture. So, for a true taste of Nigeria’s richness, be sure to try at least one of the following dishes:

The park is located near the former Presidential Palace and is divided into two parts. One side is dedicated to nature, and the other to the scientific knowledge of the natural environment. Millennium Park was designed by Italian architect Manfredi Nicoletti and inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth. It is one of the biggest attractions in Abuja, and thousands of people visit the park daily.

Former capital Lagos is the second fastest-growing city in Africa, and the seventh in the world. Lagos has some of the most popular beaches in Nigeria.

Lagos Bar Beach This beach is named after the distinctive sand bars that add unique character to the coastline of Lagos.

The Slave Port- Badagry The Ancient Slave Port, also known as the ‘Point of No Return’, was founded in the early 15th century.

Its protected harbour led to the town becoming a central base for the export of slaves to America.

Olumo Rock (‘Under the rock’ - Abeokuta) Abeokuta was originally inhabited by the Egba people, who found refuge there during the inter-tribal wars of the 19th century. Today, Olumo Rock is a popular tourist destination. The centre consists of a fast food restaurant, museum, a giant telescope to view Abeokuta, a recreational park, an amphitheatre and more. page

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Tuwo Shinkafa & Miyan Kuka Tuwo Shinkafa a northern Nigerian fufu recipe that is prepared with soft rice and is usually served with northern Nigerian soups, such as Miyan Kuka.

Miyan Kuka is a traditional Nigerian soup of beef and dried fish, seasoned in onion and chilli and thickened with dried baobab leaves. Tuwo Shinkafa is the signature dish of the Hausa people.

Akpu & Draw Soup Akpu is a popular Igbo dish, but largely consumed

by Yoruba people as well. Akpu is made from Cassava and water. It is usually served with Draw soup, which is made from okra or pumpkin seeds.

Amala Ati Ewedu This dish is indigenous to Yoruba people. Amala is made from yam flour and water, and can be served with a variety of other dishes, but the most common combination is Amala with Ewedu soup, made from the Ewedu leaf.

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We remember their legacies, we celebrate their lives.

They inspired nations.

Felix Dexter

Komla Dumor

(26 July 1961 – 18 Oct 2013)

(3 Oct 1972 – 18 Jan 2014)

Felix Dexter was a comedian, writer and actor known for Room to Rent (2000), Soul Patrol (2000) and The Planman (2003). He was also a popular stand-up, and the star of The Real McCoy and Citizen Khan.

(16 Nov 1930 – 21 March 2013)

(27 Nov 1945 – 31 Dec 2013)

BBC Presenter Komla Dumor, who died suddenly at the age of 41,was a Ghanaian journalist who worked for BBC World News and was the main presenter of its programme Focus on Africa.

The South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician and philanthropist served as President from 1994 to 1999. He was South Africa’s first black Chief Executive, and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election.

A Nigerian novelist, poet, professor, and critic who was best known for his first novel and magnum opus, Things Fall Apart (1958), which is the most widely read book in modern African literature.

American actor, best known for his portrayal of Will Smith’s uncle, the patriarch and Judge Philip Banks, in the TV sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Stuart McPhail Hall

Peter James O’Toole

Shirley Temple

Also...

James LaRue Avery

(18 July 1918 – 5 Dec 2013)

(23 April 1928– 10 Feb 2014)

American film and television actress, singer and dancer, and a child star of the 1930’s. She later entered politics and became a diplomat, serving as US Ambassador to Ghana and later to Czechoslovakia.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Albert Chinualumogu Achebe

(3 Feb 1932 – 10 Feb 2014)

(2 Aug 1932 – 14 Dec 2013)

Dennis Farina

(29 Feb 1944 – 22 July 2013)

Juanita Moore

(19 Oct 1914 – 1 Jan 2014)

Jamaican-born cultural theorist and Stage and film actor who attended American character actor of film American film, television and stage sociologist who lived and worked the Royal Academy of Dramatic and television, and former Chicago actress. She was the fifth African in the UK from 1951. Hall, along Art and began working in the police officer. He was often typecast American to be nominated for an with Richard Hoggart and Raymond theatre, gaining recognition first as as a mobster or policeman, and Academy Award, and the third in Williams, was one of the founding a Shakespearean actor at the Bristol was best known for his roles in the Supporting Actress category figures of the discipline widely Old Vic before making his film Get Shorty, Midnight Run and at a time when only one African known as British Cultural Studies. debut in 1959.

TV’s Law & Order.

American had won an Oscar. Best remembered as Annie Johnson in the movie Imitation of Life (1959).

Kenneth Howard “Ken” Norton Sr. (9 August 1943 - 18 September 2013) American boxer and former WBC World Heavyweight Champion.

Ethel Coley (d. 8 June 2013) Jamaican-born singer and restauranteur, and leading light of the musical, Hair.

Collette Johnson (d. 31 August 2013)

Actress and writer, best known for The Real McCoy (1991), She’s Out (1995) and The Bill (1984).

James Milton ‘Jim’ Kelly (5 May 1946 - 29 June 2013)

American athlete, actor and martial arts expert who rose to fame with his role in the 1973 film Enter the Dragon.

Eusébio da Silva Ferreira (25 January 1942 - 5 January 2014)

Mozambique-born Portuguese footballer, considered one of the greatest of all time, who scored 733 goals in 745 matches.

Donaldson Toussaint L’Ouverture Byrd II (9 December 1932 - 4 February 2014)

American jazz trumpeter. A sideman for many other players of his generation, Byrd also pioneered developments in funk and soul.

George Duke (12 January 1946 - 5 August 2013)

Celebrated keyboardist, composer, producer and arranger of both jazz and mainstream genres. Also a Professor of Music, and leader of his own Trio.

... and page

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Danny Aiello Roger Ebert James Gandolfini

Ray Harryhausen Elmore Leonard Conrad Bain

David Frost Ronnie Jordan Yemi Ajibade

Richie Havens Richard Street Robert F. Chew

Yusef Lateef Chris Kelly Amiri Baraka