British Urban Film Festival Strand 16 & Strand 17 + Q&A

The British Urban Film Festival has arrived in God’s own country – Yorkshire! The weekday schedule for BUFF 2023 comes from Halifax with 48 films across 4 nights with 2 slots on each night. Supported by Calderdale Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority. 

BUFF strand 16 | Home (4 films) BUFF strand 17 | Begin Again (4 films) followed by Q&A after all 8 films.

Thursday 19th October, 8.20 – 10.50pm

BUFF strand 16 | Home

Synopsis

Ride or Die (Director: Steve Bright)

UK, 14mins

A fast-paced dramedy set in the Yorkshire Dales. When a struggling actress gets a call about the audition of a lifetime, armed only with her phone, patchy signal, a neighbour’s bike and a ton of desperation she has to get to the local station before time runs out! But is this ‘dream job’ as dreamy as it appears?

Baked Beans (Director: Hugh Mann-Adamson)

UK, 10mins

Nicole, a single mum facing financial hardship whose eldest son Archie is autistic and will only eat Baked Beans, has reached a point where she has to use the local food bank to feed her family.

Whose Voice is it Anyway? (DIrector: Kate Caryer)

UK, 5mins

A darkly funny mockumentary about two identically ‘disabled’ forty-year-old women: Lottie and Charlie, who have athetoid cerebral palsy. Both celebrate their 40th birthday with family and friends, yet one is given the choice and the ability to communicate, and one is not.

The Sanctuary Seekers of Bradford (Director: Tom Harmer)

UK, 29mins

As governments around the world face the impact of the growing number of displaced people, the city of Bradford in the north of England is known as a city of sanctuary for refugees and asylum seekers, and has a rich heritage of welcoming those fleeing their homes.

This 30 minute documentary film follows the lives of three Bradford residents from different walks of life; retired train driver Mick, primary school worker Hamida and settled refugee Asumani, as they each show practical care and kindness to refugees and asylum seekers living in the city. Offering friendship and a warm welcome, they help people overcome the many obstacles faced in the long and challenging journey of rebuilding their lives in the UK.

BUFF strand 17 | Begin Again

Who am I becoming? (Co-directors: Payton Royce, Odu Adamu)

USA, 10mins

“Who I Am Becoming” is a documentary short chronicling Payton Royce’s early stages of gender transition through to gender affirming surgery. It includes footage shot at the time as well as Payton’s current reflections on his journey. Directed and produced by Payton Royce and Odu Adamu.

Forgotten Word (Director: Carlton Holder)

UK, 11mins

First they banned books. Then they burned them. Now religion has been outlawed and… six days ago the internet went offline worldwide. Rumour is, something is coming to replace it. A new system. Will technology replace religion? Will this iteration of the internet become God?

As a chilling new order is close to being ushered in, an Irish detective, trying to navigate a dark world in transition, finds herself in a surreal ideological and spiritual struggle between two preternatural entities: a charming blond man and a melancholy teenage girl.

The Absence of Memory (Director: Brian Yulo Ng)

Singapore, 9mins

The Absence of Memory is an animated documentary that brings together the collective experience of multiple individuals used to survive an atmosphere designed to suppress their individuality. The film creates a subconscious space of memory that is built on the fragments that people used to survive. Coming from different backgrounds and upbringings; each individual responds in an interior process of self reflection or exteriorly through the creation of a fragment of humanity manifested in their work. Through this collection of voices, the film seeks to weave together the tale of a shared human truth; That in the absence of meaning, we attempt to survive with humanity and dignity.

Subs (Director: Joe Warner)

UK, 16mins

Mason is a young lad on the cusp of adulthood. With his family in financial crisis, he tries to convince his amateur boxing coach that he is ready to follow in the footsteps of the gym’s top fighters. He soon learns the dark secrets that bleed into the world of sport.

followed by Q&A for all 8 films.

Accessibility

Vue Halifax has wheelchair access throughout the venue and in all screens. The venue is accessed through two sets of double doors – one is automatic. All screens are on one floor with access by stairs and lift.