Saturday 5 April 2025
Doors: 11am
Screening: 11.30am -
10.30pm
(PG)
Brixton Oval
Coldharbour Lane
London
SW2 1JG
Brixton Oval
Coldharbour Lane
London
SW2 1JG
Documentaries
Through the lens of ageing, these films explore tenacity, identity, and the untold stories of love, loss, and activism, revealing the profound humanity in lives shaped by time and struggle.
11.30am
Ageing, The Gift
(UK)
17 mins
What does it really mean to grow old? Through intimate conversations with Black elders in England, this documentary explores ageing beyond stereotypes—touching on love, loss, healthcare, gentrification, and the quiet resilience that comes with time. With candid reflections and untold stories, it offers a deeply human look at the lives often overlooked.
Dir. Oluwatoyosi Florian Adebusuyi
Irpinia
(UK)​
7 mins
At the age of 24, Dudley Porteous boarded a ship called the Irpinia in search of a better life in England, the so-called mother country. Now 86 years old, Dudley reflects on his exciting journey to sea and the harsh reality that lay ahead.
Dir. Jameisha Prescod
Prod. Valery Erere Akpojiyovwi
Ted & Noel
(UK)​
25 mins
For over 50 years, iconic activist Ted Brown has fought for queer and black identities. But after losing his partner, Noel, under heart-breaking circumstances, a devastated Ted questions the impact of his activism and struggles to mount a new campaign. Can Ted find the strength for one last fight for LGBTQ+ rights?
Dir. Julia Alcamo
Panel Discussion
An opportunity to gain an insight into the documentary filmmaking process.
Host: Michael Burgess – Founder & Executive Director (Creative Resilience International)
Panellists: Ted Brown (Protagonist), Oluwatoyosi Florian Adebusuyi (Director), Jameisha Prescod (Director)
Interval
2pm
The Year Of Return
(Ghana)
21 mins
400 years after the transatlantic slave trade began, a powerful movement brings the African diaspora back to Ghana in an emotional journey of reconnection, healing, and rediscovery—proving that the past may shape us, but the future is ours to build.
Dir. Gerald Sagoe
Prod. So Fraiche Media
On Hallowed Ground: Story of Martyrs Park
(USA)​
19 mins
Hauntingly near Dealey Plaza, where JFK was assassinated, Martyrs Park holds the hidden scars of violence against innocent lives. Through witness testimonies and a powerful memorial, the city reclaims the space, transforming it into a beacon of hope, healing, and reconciliation.
Dir. Lindell Singletton
Interval
3pm
The Bad Guy (USA/Belgium)
Feature | 1h 10m
After moving to the US, a filmmaker and first-time mom discovers active shooter drills in Texas daycares. She takes a deep dive into the state’s controversial school safety protocols.
Dir. Kwinten Gernay, Louise Van Assche
Interval
4.30pm
Love Thru Darkness (USA)
Feature | 1h
Based on Napoleon Maddox’s song “Love Thru Darkness,” this film explores the life of the hip-hop, beatbox, and jazz artist against the backdrop of Cincinnati’s police brutality, displacement, and historical echoes of revolution. From his roots in the city’s Beat Box Studio to the stages of Paris’ New Morning jazz club, Maddox’s journey—marked by hope, despair, and visionary artistry—unfolds through his collaborations with renowned musicians like Roy Nathanson, Hamid Drake, Curtis Fowlkes, and Jowee Omicil. His music, a fusion of contemporary hip-hop, jazz, and African diasporic traditions, weaves history, personal challenges, and a vision for the future into a powerful narrative.
Dir. Jean Donohue
Panel Discussion
An opportunity to gain an insight into the documentary filmmaking process.
Host: Caro Sika (Entrepreneur, Cultural Mediator, Educator)
Panellists: Kwinten Gernay (Director), Louise Van Assche (Director), Napoleon Maddox (Protagonist)
Interval
Environmental & Growing
7.30pm
From water scarcity to ancestral wisdom, these stories highlight humanity’s enduring connection to land, resilience, and the transformative power of intergenerational knowledge in the face of environmental and social challenges.
Intsikelelo Yamanzi/Blessing of Water
(South Africa)
8 mins
| Fiction |
When Cape Town encounters an extreme stretch without water, things get desperate. Perhaps it's a little boy who returns us to our humanity.
Dir. Michelle Name, Onke Meje
Wr. Joyce Maseko, Marie Midcalf
Roots of Resilience
(Saint Lucia)​
49 mins
Stories of Caribbean Women in Agriculture is a moving portrait of St. Lucia’s agricultural journey, celebrating the strength of its women and the enduring spirit of a community deeply connected to its land through the lens of the local non-profit, Helen’s Daughters.
Dir. Curmiah Lisette, Keithlin Caroo-Afrifa
8.45pm
Silent Seeds
(France)
11 mins
Fiction | French/Subtitled
A Franco-Beninese eco-activist, wants to challenge racist prejudices by highlighting the knowledge of her farmer father. However, he, accustomed to staying in the background, doesn’t easily let himself be celebrated by his daughter.
Wr./Dir. Sonadie San
Prod. Kadia Ouabi
Bush Medicine: Stories that Remember the Land
(Saint Vincent & the Grenadines)​
37 mins
Bush Medicine: Stories that Remember the Land highlights traditional knowledge and intergenerational exchange in St Vincent and Bequia, exploring bush medicine, subsistence agriculture, and fading traditions through the stories of elders and younger practitioners.
Dir. The Hub Collective
Reimagining Queen Nanny of the Maroons
(Jamaica)​
32 mins
400 years after the transatlantic slave trade began, a powerful movement brings the African diaspora back to Ghana in an emotional journey of reconnection, healing, and rediscovery—proving that the past may shape us, but the future is ours to build.
Dir. Udemba Mclean, Leo R Douglas
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