CAREERS TRAILBLAZERS
TRAILBLAZERS EMMANUEL ANYIAM-OSIGWE MBE
“NOW MORE THAN EVER, FILMMAKERS feel disenfranchised, manipulated, ignored and rejected BY LARGE SECTIONS OF THE INDUSTRY”
H aving recently wrapped this year’s British Urban Film Festival (BUFF) – held in Leeds and Halifax – Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe MBE has been championing the creative industries for two decades. Though he founded BUFF in 2005, his film journey began before then; like many, he was inspired by something he saw on TV. “As a nine-year-old, I loved watching interviews with directors and actors on The South Bank Show presented by Melvyn Bragg – as well as the colourful and musical idents,” recounts Anyiam- Osigwe. Later in life, he finally saw the London Weekend Television headquarters for himself, as well as the National Film Theatre (now BFI Southbank) next door. “It felt like being in Disney World.” AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER As a teenager, Anyiam-Osigwe frequented London’s South Bank borough. “I would spend most of my days watching films there and reading books and magazines,” he recalls. “This included Black Filmmaker Magazine (bfm) .”
The founder of the British Urban Film Festival recalls his first gig with Black Filmmaker Magazine – and how it’s been full speed ahead since then WORDS Katie Kasperson
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