Split Screen: Bristol’s 2nd Black and Asian Film Festival

Launched at Watershed on Fri 6 Oct 2006 – events across Bristol throughout the month.

Download a PDF of this year's programme brochure

Festival highlights include the exhilarating hip-hop drama Life and Lyrics fronted by former So Solid member Ashley Walters, and Greg Hall’s acclaimed urban tale The Plague. Some of the finest African cinema is brought to the city including two sobering studies on the conflict in Sierra Leone; The Empire in Africa and Man Dem Nor Glady‘O as well as a selection of politically charged work including Flame (with director Q&A) presented by Afrika Eye as well as a fascinating and hilarious documentary from Cameroon, Sisters-in Law. Also presented by Afrika Eye is Afrika Eye From the Kasbah to the Savannah, three short films by African women. From acclaimed Bollywood director Vishal Bharadwaj comes Omkara an Indian adaptation of 'Othello', and from Madurai, from the state of Tamil Nadu, southern India, a tale of love from the wrong side of the tracks, Kaadhal plus Watershed will also play host to a special Bristol Silents screening of the spectacular silent epic Throw of Dice, featuring a new score by Nitin Sawhney.

Kaadhal (Love)

A stunning portrait of self-taught artist Purvis Young screens at Arnolfini as a double-bill with the biopic of New York graffiti artist turned painter Jean-Michel Basquiat. Arnolfini’s programme also includes the chance to see Cinema of Prayoga, three programmes of Indian film and video work, which explore the country’s amazing moving image history beyond the 'Bollywood' mainstream. Finally, there will be an opportunity to sample a selection of local shorts at Watershed including Inner-City Tales, a hard-hitting documentary set in St Pauls by Kuumba’s resident artist Lawrence Hoo.

Sisters-in-Law

Alongside the packed programme of screenings, there will also be the opportunity to meet some of the filmmakers and participate in Q&A sessions.

Split Screen is a city-wide collaboration between African Initiatives, Afrikan History Month Project, Arnolfini, Asian Arts Agency, BBC Bristol, Bristol Silents, The Cube, Imayla, Kuumba, South West Screen, Watershed and Zimmedia. Supported by RIFE Investment Fund through the UKFC and South West Screen.

Life and Lyrics

Download a PDF of this year's programme brochure

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