On July 7th, the UK Government announced an exemption to the quarantine requirements for film and high-end TV cast and crew. The exemption relates to those working on productions which qualify as British under one of the Government’s cultural tests or official co-production treaties.

This result is partly testament to the hard work of colleagues in the Screen Sector Task Force, who have campaigned for the change. The British Film Commission have issued further guidance via the Covid-19 section of their website. It is as follows:

British Film Commission – Working Safely During COVID-19 in Film and High-end TV Drama Production

• Guidance for Safe Working in Post-Production and VFX, produced in consultation with, and endorsed by, the British Film Commission Recovery Group, is available here.

• For additional industry advice and guidance on Coronavirus COVID-19, see BFI info here.

Source: Production Guild, British Film Commission

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The British Blacklist is working with S.O.U.L., We Are Parable and The New Black Film Collective to present S.O.U.L.Fest.

In the current climate it has proven a challenge to work out how best to deliver a socially-distanced film festival. The answer has been to team up with the BFI and present S.O.U.L.Fest 2020 via the BFI Player. Look out for more information soon about how you can take part in the festival, In the meantime S.O.U.L.Fest 2020 have opened up free submissions. The deadline is this Friday, 3rd July.

About S.O.U.L. 2020

S.O.U.L. (Screening Our Unseen Lives) celebrates and supports Britain’s Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic film talent. S.O.U.L. programmes two types of event each year, our quarterly film industry screening and networking events known as S.O.U.L. Celebrate Connect and our annual public film festival S.O.U.L.Fest. SOUL Fest 2020 is set to be a month long celebration of Black British talent in film, showcasing new features and shorts and allowing audiences the opportunity to see a diverse representation of Black Britain. Due to the Covid-19 global pandemic S.O.U.L. Fest 2020 will take place online primarily on the prestigious BFI Player.

The festival is realised as a collaboration between four organisations who serve Black audiences and talent.

The British Blacklist is the online global home for African Caribbean British creative professionals on the Screen and Stage, in Sound and Literature – both up front and behind the scenes.

The New Black Film Collective is a nationwide network of film exhibitors, educators and programmers of Black representation on screen.

We Are Parable specialise in film exhibition and believe in the storytelling power of events to enhance the experience of a cinema going audience.

S.O.U.L. Film a platform with the mission to make British Film and TV industry more diverse by celebrating and connecting BAME filmmakers and audiences.

The Celebrate:Connect event is a short film screening and networking platform that occurs 4 times a year at the British Film Institute in Southbank, London, UK.

Aiming to address the falling numbers of ethnic minority filmmakers in the UK, the event offers a platform to exhibit their work on the big screen, and a venue for them to meet. We believe the better fellow ethnic filmmakers know each other and each other’s work, the better able we are to support one another.
The events are open to and attended by filmmakers of all levels, industry executives, commissioners, exhibitors, actors, writers and film fans, and is a great opportunity to meet and develop relationships with your film making peers.
Add to this the benefit of being able to screen your work at one of the most prestigious film venues in the UK and you have a superb opportunity for emerging diverse British filmmakers.

Also of interest

We Are Parable are surveying our communities on how we feel about going back to cinemas. Please participate in their very short but vital survey now.

The BFI NETWORK team have organised a live conversation with director Dionne Edwards on July 30th. She will be discussing her career to date and her creative process offering insights into the industry including her stint as 2nd unit director on the recent Top Boy. It’s Tuesday, 30th June. Sign Up is free.

Source: The British Blacklist

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See full programme here.

Source: London Indian Film Festival

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Cineworld is re-opening cinemas across the country – including Broad Street Birmingham and Solihull – from next month.

The cinema chain closed all 128 of its cinemas in the UK back in mid-March amid the unprecedented coronavirus crisis. Now, film fans can look forward to the chain re-opening from July 10. The chain operates cinema complexes in Birmingham, in Broad Street, and Solihull.

Currently, there is no word on when Cineworld’s rivals like Vue and Odeon are set to re-open their doors to customers.

Cineworld has confirmed strict social distancing measures will be in place, with different seating to ensure families sit together, but away from other customers. Staggered film times are expected, in a bid to reduce capacity, with Perspex screens at tills to keep customers and staff members safe while buying popcorn, snacks and such. Social distancing measures will be in place across the country, with Christopher Nolan’s brand-new blockbuster Tenet among the first films set to be released after cinemas re-open. Staff will regularly, thoroughly clean screens extensively, and hand sanitiser is set to be provided throughout. There will be extra time between film screenings to clean communal areas, too. Contactless payments of no more than £45 are also anticipated.

Source: www.birminghammail.co.uk

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Source: www.marchedufilm.com

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Birmingham Updates sat down with up and coming Birmingham filmmaker Duaine Carma Roberts, of CarmaFilm Motion Pictures, to discuss his newest project – Navy – and how you can lend your support to help get it made. Read the transcript below:

I am a Black British screenwriter and film director from Birmingham. Since the age of 18, I have self-funded my own short and feature films, showcasing actors from my city and the rest of the UK, focusing on non-stereotypical themes and genres, within my films.

The film I’m currently crowdfunding for is called Navy. It is a coming-of-age drama, that follows a young singer from Birmingham. The supporting actors will also be Midlands and from a few other cities around us. The story follows the young singer on their journey to their first show on their debut UK tour. Whilst preparing, we see how they deal with family, relationships, systematic barriers and much more.

I’m 25 now and for the past 7 years I’ve made various self-funded shorts and last year, a feature film, showcasing a lot of talent from our region. I think it’s very important, as a lot of our talent have to leave the city, in hopes of finding opportunities. I feel as the second city, we should have way more films and TV series being made here, as the talent is endless, as I’ve come to see over my years making films. The short films are available via www.vimeo.com/carmafilmuk and the feature film is called Angel City, which is on Amazon Prime, for free, with Prime.

Source: Birmingham Updates

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