Welcome to Busseywood 2015

Welcome to Busseywood is back. The famous Bussey Building will once again host London’s largest one-day free African film festival and unique African market.

Saturday 12 September, Bussey Building, 113 Rye Lane, SE15 4ST, from 12.30 til 9pm followed by live band and DJ set til 4am.

Taking over three floors of the magnificent Bussey Building, Welcome to Busseywood includes a huge range of films as well as spoken word performances, African-centered story-telling and panel discussions.

Great films back-to-back, exploring the exciting multi-layered nature of the African film narrative. From classic African cinema to new and emerging artists from Africa and the wider African community.

Welcome to Busseywood African Market on the second floor will have a wide range of exhibitors displaying boutique businesses selling an array of African crafts hand-made and sourced from Africa.

Presented by Adinkra Arts Collective. Curated and organised by Vashti Henry and Orvil Kunga (aka Kungadred), in partnership with the Bussey’s CLF Art Cafe and Peckham and Nunhead Free Film Festival. Includes Regenerated Futures, a visual arts TOP FLOOR takeover by Project 27. Programme may be subject to slight changes.

Screen 1 (First Floor)

12pm – Welcome – Blak Notes Libation ‘Osun (Oshun) Song’

12:00 – Bomlambo
Drama, South Africa, 2010, PG, 24mins, dir Zee Ntuli, Zulu (with English subtitles)
Bomlambo tells a story of a young Xhosa woman named Nobuntu, who has a prophetic dream. She finds a young boy, Siphelele, washed up on shore and believes that he is a gift from the Abantu Bomlambo – which directly translated means, “the people of the river”, and who are essentially feared, respected and loved ancestral spirits, semi-deities that dwell in the water.

12:40 – Asmat
Documentary, filmed in the Mediterranean Sea, 2014, PG, Dir Dagmawi Yimer, Tigrinya (with English subtitles).
Names in memory of all victims of the sea. On October 3rd 2013 many young people with names such as Selam (peace) or Tesfaye (my hope) left us all at the same time. Naming our children is a way of telling the world about our hopes, our dreams, our beliefs, or about the people and things we respect. We choose meaningful names for our children, just as our parents did for us. The film’s images give space to these names without bodies.

13:00 – Kanye Kanye
Drama, South Africa, 2013, PG, 24 mins, Dir Miklas Manneke, Zulu (with English subtitles)
Kanye Kanye, a small township on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa, where many years ago two best friends had a childish argument about which apple is better, the red or the green. The argument led to the great division within the town’s history. A big white line was drawn through the middle of the town and everyone who believed the green apple to be better would live on the right side of town in a green house, only wear green and visa versa. Thomas a teenage from the green side falls in love with Thandi, a teenager from the red side. Can the couple’s love overcome the social constraints?

13:15 – Forgotten Bird of Paradise
Documentary, West Papua, 2009, PG, Dir Dominic Brown, ternate (English voice over/English subtitles)
An undercover documentary filmed in West Papua, providing a rare and moving insight into the long forgotten struggle for freedom of the Papuan people from Indonesian rule. For over 45 years a bitter independence struggle has been fought there between native Papuans and the occupying Indonesian regime, largely unnoticed by the outside world. It is estimated that at least 500,000 Papuans have been killed since the occupation of their land began. Thousands more have been victims of human rights abuses or ‘disappeared’ for voicing their support of the independence movement. Forgotten Bird of Paradise provides a rare and moving insight into a long forgotten struggle, and reveals how the Papuan peoples resilience and determination for freedom burns stronger now than at any time in history.

13:45 – Q&A Benny Wenda, Ama Afrika and Francine Mukwaya
West Papuan Activist, campaigner and Nobel prize nominee Benny Wenda will be in conversation with Amlak Tukuru (GalaxyFM) and Francine Mukwaya (Friends of the Congo). Discussing the on-going crisis in West Papua and how this crisis relates to the global African struggle for self-determination and ownership of resources. http://freewestpapua.org

14:15 Break

14:40 Nina
UK, 2014, PG, Dir HKB Finn, English
A policeman shares his thoughts on an ongoing relationship between himself and the memory of a girl whose murder he has not yet solved. Is she real or is she in his imagination? London’s most notorious cop ˜DI Faulkner’ bares his soul and exposes the real reasons behind his fierceness.

14:45 Supersonic
British Sign Language drama, UK, 2014, PG, 28 mins, dir Samuel Dore, English
The drama is about a Deaf boy who discovers he has special powers? Shot entirely in Brixton and Peckham. Samuel Dore’s film explores fatherhood and the power of difference.

15:20 – Q&A with lead actor Jama Ajala from ‘Supersonic’ (see above), with interpreter (tbc)

15:40 Break

16:45 Deception
Comedy, UK, 2015, PG, 7mins, director Cecile Emeke, English
Episode 5 of Ackee & Saltfish. Olivia and Rachel find themselves in a familiar situation.

16:55 The Job Interview
Comedy, UK, 2015, PG, 5 mins, director Cecile Emeke, English
Episode 4 of Ackee & Saltfish. Rachel asks Olivia for a quick favour before her job interview.

17:05 – Polyglot Episode 1: The Bewerbungsgesprach (The Interview)
Drama/web series, Germany, 2015, PG, 5 mins, writer/dir Amelia Umuhire, English
The Berlin-based web series follows the lives of young Polyglots in Berlin. Beginning with poet/rapper/actress Babiche Papaya on her quest to find an affordable Altbau-Wohnung.

17:15 – Polyglot Episode 2: La Mai du Pays
Drama/web series, Germany, 2015, PG, 5 mins, writer/dir Amelia Umuhire, French (with English subtitles)
It’s that time of the year when you realise you don’t have enough money to pay your ticket back home…So you get your hair done instead.

17:25 – Q&A with director Amelia Umuhire
Q&A with director Amelia Umuhire and the star of the acclaimed web series (see above), her actor sister, rapper Babiche Papaya, a rapper and poet, Amanda Mukasonga, talking migration politics, the female auteur and polyglotism. Hosted by Akua Gymafi, Founder of The British Blacklist.

17:55 Break

18:05 Kwaku Ananse
Drama/African Spiritual, Ghana, 2013, PG, Dir Akosua Adoma Owusu, English
Kwaku Ananse is an intensely personal project which draws upon the rich mythology of Ghana. The short film combines semi-autobiographical elements with the tale of Kwaku Ananse, a trickster in West African stories who appears as both spider and man.

18:35 – Summer of Gods
Drama/spiritual, Brazil, 2014, PG, 21 Mins, dir Eliciana Nascimento , Portuguese (with English subtitles)
A troubled young girl named Lilly unites with her Afro-Brazilian religious ancestry on a summer visit with family to their ancestral village in rural Northeast Brazil. Soon after her arrival, she encounters Orishas (African Gods) who join with her grandmother to help her find peace with a gift that has previously vexed her.

19:00 – Blackout: John Burris Speaks
Drama, USA, 2015, PG, 3 mins, Director Terence Nance, English
After the deaths of Eric Garner and Mike Brown at the hands of police last year, the United States came together in protest against police brutality towards the African-American community there. In this film by Terence Nance, American civil rights attorney John Burris calls on everyone the economic community, the business community, the social community and the faith community to do something about it.
Caleb Femi (poet)
Performance by award winning poet Caleb Femi.

21:05 Music videos/DJ

21:15 Native Sun
Top UK hip-hop collective Native Sun will be headlining the main stage this year. Providing soulful, conscious Hip-hop and word play that should not be missed. Consisting of bilingual rapper Mohammed Yahya, born in Mozambique, South East Africa and singer-song writer Sarina Leah born in London with Caribbean roots, ˜Welcome to Busseywood’ is truly honoured to have this well-travelled and much in demand band perform at this years event.

Screen 2 – Documentary Space (Second Floor)

12:00 – Welcome – Blak Notes Libation ‘Osun (Oshun) Song’

12:20 – Miners Shot Down
Documentary, South Africa, 2014, PG, 52mins, dir Rehad Desai, English
In August 2012, mineworkers in one of South Africa’s biggest platinum mines began a wildcat strike for better wages. Six days into the strike, the police used live ammunition to brutally suppress it, killing 34 and injuring many more. The police insisted that they shot in self defense. MINERS SHOT DOWN tells a different story, one that unfolds in real time over seven days, like a ticking time bomb. The film weaves together the central point of view of three strike leaders, Mambush, Tholakele and Mzoxolo, with compelling police footage, TV archive and interviews with lawyers representing the miners in the ensuing commission of inquiry into the massacre. What emerges is a tragedy that arises out of the deep fault lines in South Africa’s nascent democracy, of enduring poverty and a twenty year old, unfulfilled promise of a better life for all.

13:15 – Break

13:30 – Yellow Fever
Animated Drama, Kenya, 2015, PG, 7 mins, dir Ng’endo Mukii, English
The short film, which served as Mukii’s thesis project at London’s Royal College of Art, is a captivating blend of live-action, stop-motion, spoken word, and vibrant hand-drawn animation that explores the effects of Eurocentric beauty ideals, as disseminated by mainstream media and advertising, on African women.

13:40 – Kansime – What Kind Of Hairstyle Is This
Comedy, Kenya, 2015, PG, 3 mins, dir Kansiime Anne, English
Kansiime Kubiryaba Anne and popularly known as Anne Kansiime, is a Ugandan entertainer, comedienne, and actress. She has been referred to as “East Africa’s Queen of Comedy”. This short clip gives us a humorous insight into the mind of one of the most talented comedy writers in Africa.

13:45 – The True Cost Of Beauty
Documentary, UK, 2014, PG, 20 mins, dir Toyin Agbetu, English
This film by community educator and film maker Toyin Agbetu asks ˜what is the true cost of beauty?’ and examines the answer from a philosophical position through discussions on hair, skin shade, body image and character. It’s a serious, yet often humorous cross between Chris Rock’s “Good Hair” and Bill Duke/D. Channsin Berry’s “Dark Girls” documentaries with some sensitive Oprah-style interviews mixed in.

14:10 – Q&A with Toyin Agbetu (hosted by Vashti Henry)
Q&A with Toyin Agbetu, community educator and film maker.

14:40 – Break

15:10 – Family Legacy
Documentary Drama, UK, 2008, PG, 25 mins , dir Jane Thorburn/Ade Solanke, English
A moving story of the emotional journey one family makes when their baby is born with sickle cell disease. THE FAMILY LEGACY explores the impact that the birth of a child with Sickle Cell disease has on four generations of the same family. As they struggle with decisions around screening and overcome their misconceptions and superstitions the individual family members come to understand what the baby will mean for each of them.

15:40 – Q&A with director Ade Solanke/Imayide Thomas (hosted by Vashti)
Q&A with Ade Solanke, an award-winning playwright and screenwriter, and founder of Spora Stories.

16:00 – Break

16:25 – Blackout: John Burris Speaks
Short Drama, USA, 2015, PG, 3 mins, dir Terence Nance, English
After the deaths of Eric Garner and Mike Brown at the hands of police last year, the United States came together in protest against police brutality towards the African-American community there. I can’t breathe, the last words uttered by Garner as he was choked to death, and black lives matter, became slogans, hashtags and battle cries as activists took to the streets. In this film by Terence Nance, American civil rights attorney John Burris calls on everyone the economic community, the business community, the social community and the faith community – to do something about it. The lives that have been lost are important lives and they should not have been lost in vain, he says. Do something.

16:30 – Raspek
Video/Baloji Capture / Music Video

16:40 – Seeds Of Hope
Documentary, Congo, 2013, PG, 72 mins, dir Fiona Lloyd – Davis, Swahili (with English subtitles)
In a corner of Eastern Congo one woman puts herself at risk everyday to help thousands of Congolese rape survivors embark on a journey of healing. Seeds of Hope tells the story of Masika, herself the victim of multiple rapes, who runs a centre that helps other rape survivors and children born from rape come to terms with what they have lived through. The women and children farm a small patch of land together that provides them with an income, a sense of stability and a form of therapy. However, the battle against endemic rape is far from over.

17:55 – Q&A with Emma Ako Carpe Diem Francine Mukwaya, Friends Of The Congo (Hosted by Kunga)
Mukwaya (Friends of the Congo – http://www.friendsofthecongo.org) in conversation with Emma Ako (Carpe Diem – http://carpediemevents.tumblr.com). Discussing the hard hitting images depicted in the Seeds of Hope and the ongoing struggle faced by the victims of war and the West’s ongoing complicity in this crisis. This discussion may well point fingers but will also seek solutions.

18:30 – Leah Bailey
Performance by Soulful, sultry singer songwriter and poet Leah Bailey.

18:55 – In The Shadow Of The Sun
Documentary Drama, Tanzania, 2012, PG, 88 mins, dire Harry Freeland, Swahili (with English subtitles)
Ukerewe Island in Tanzania is home to a large community of people who live with albinism. While many albinos are killed at birth or rejected by their families, those who survive risk being murdered for their body parts. Told over the course of five years, In the Shadow Of The Sun tells the story of two members of the Tanzanian Albino Society.

20:15 – Music Videos

Screen 3 (Third Floor theatre space)

12:15 18:00 – Regenerated Futures
An immersive double-event exploring co-joined futures of ‘regeneration’ in London’s shifting social and political landscape and creative black subcultures from across the globe. Brought to you by Project 27.

18:45 – P.O.M Vs Quacks
Comedy satire, Nigeria, 2013, PG, 8 mins, dir Abba Makama, English
An elite group of pseudo intellectual liberals are summoned. They form a committee to overthrow the existing regime ran by self serving materialists, as the poor take to the streets.

18:55 – Walk With Me
Animated Drama, Uganda / Denmark, 2013, PG, 13 mins, dir Johan Oettinger & Peter Tukei, Muhumuzav (with English subtitle)
This complex, sometimes dark short film by Johan Oettinger and Peter Tukei Muhumuza skilfully combines animation and feature film techniques. The two directors were brought together as part of the Copenhagen documentary festival’s Dox:Lab project. Walk with Me was shot in Uganda and completed in Denmark. A young girl in Uganda dreams of being a ballerina. Images of racialization and culture underpin this remarkable and mystical collaboration.

19:10 – Area 37
Short Documentary, Ghana, 2011, PG, 3 mins, dir Winstan Whitter, English (with English subtitles)
Short style documentary following the story of an old chief depicted by bats who understand the history of the area.
Live Entertainment – Nat Nye & Stella Bell-Gam
Hosted by Nat Nye & Stella Bell-Gam, highly skilled Spoken Word Artists having performed at countless events in and around London at prestigious venues such as the Roundhouse, Tate Britain, SOAS University and the Black Cultural Archives also performing at a few festivals including Camp Bestival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

19:15 – Blackout: John Burris Speaks
Short Drama, USA, 2015, PG, 3 mins, dir Terence Nance, English
After the deaths of Eric Garner and Mike Brown at the hands of police last year, the United States came together in protest against police brutality towards the African-American community there. I can’t breathe, the last words uttered by Garner as he was choked to death, and black lives matter, became slogans, hashtags and battle cries as activists took to the streets. In this film by Terence Nance, American civil rights attorney John Burris, calls on everyone the economic community, the business community, the social community and the faith community – to do something about it. The lives that have been lost are important lives and they should not have been lost in vain, he says. Do something.

19:20 – El Crisis
World acclaimed and much loved poet El Crisis performs his new one man show ‘Man on The Run’.

19:50 – Hkb Finn
Performance by world travelled spoken word artist and film director, HKB Finn.

20:10 – Open Mic/Music Videos

Free event. No booking needed but come early as seats are limited and it will be busy.