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The British Film Institute (BFI) plans to terminate the African Odysseys (AO) programme, a vital initiative celebrating Black cinema for the past 17 years.It is the only such programme in Europe.
Launched in 2007 by Black community activists, AO aimed to provide a dedicated platform for films representing the African diaspora and to cultivate an audience that had previously been underserved by the BFI. Co-founded by Tony Warner of Black History Walks and David Somerset of the BFI, the programme has successfully attracted tens of thousands of new attendees and enhanced the BFI’s reputation within the Black community.
The programme hosts monthly screenings and themed seasons featuring influential filmmakers such as Ousmane Sembene, Horace Ove, Menelik Shabbaz and Raoul Peck, as well as educational talks and workshops on diverse topics ranging from Black cowboys to African spirituality. AO also provided subsidized training for emerging filmmakers, making it a unique grassroots effort in Europe with a notable track record of community engagement and packed events.
However, in June 2024, the Steering Committee was informed that the Education/Film Programmer, Adult Community position, crucial to the programme’s continuity, would be made redundant. This decision came unexpectedly, especially after recent discussions where BFI management had committed to supporting AO’s upcoming 20th anniversary in 2026 and expanding its presence on the BFI iPlayer.
The decision to cut the role was made without consultation with the Steering Committee, despite previous protests regarding the programme's treatment and calls for improvement in the BFI’s representation of Black filmmakers. Concerns about systemic racism within the BFI, which has been criticized for a lack of diversity in its management structure, further underscore the issue. In March 2023 the Guardian reported on the BFI taking limited action to address systemic racism, article HERE. The committee highlighted that eliminating the role would effectively end AO, as no one would be left to manage its operations, thereby jeopardizing 17 years of community relationship-building, anti-racist practice and curatorial expertise.
The BFI claimed that the redundancy aimed to save costs and promote diversity, yet the committee argued that such a move contradicts their commitment to these goals. They pointed out that the expertise and community goodwill built over the years would be irreparably lost. Furthermore, despite past racial controversies, the BFI did not conduct a Race Equality Impact Assessment (REIA) for this decision, dismissing the committee’s requests for one in reference to the Public Sector Equality Duty
As of mid-September 2024, the committee learned the redundancy would proceed, with the position ending within three months, raising concerns about the future of African Odysseys events at the BFI.
Notably, upcoming rare films about figures like Claude McKay and James Baldwin could be among the last to screen if African Odysseys is discontinued.
The committee is calling on the BFI to reverse this decision, arguing it would not only erase a significant archive of Black history but also damage community relations with a taxpayer-funded institution. They stress that the loss of African Odysseys would be a catastrophic blow to the representation of Black films, filmmakers and audiences in mainstream venues, undermining the important cultural contributions made over nearly two decades. To preserve the legacy of 17 years of grassroots. global majority film programming please sign the petition HERE
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