EMOTIONAL BACKGAMMON
Dir: Leon Herbert, with Wil Johnson, Leon Herbert.
110 minutes, UK, 2001

John thinks life is just perfect. He's in what he considers a solid relationship with girlfriend Mary and his job as a tailor suits him down to the ground. To put the icing on the cake he's about to ask Mary to marry him over the dinner which John has cooked especially. With the ring ready for Mary's hand, John is unprepared for Mary announcing that she's leaving him to find herself. Emotional Backgammon was the focus of the Channel 4 Movie Virgins documentary which chronicled Leon Herbert’s efforts in making the film.

ICA CINEMA 1: SATURDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER, 4.30PM

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ALWAYS OUTNUMBERED
Dir: Michael Apted, with Laurence Fishburne, Cicely Tyson.
110 mins, USA, 1998.

Sometimes life throws a curve ball, a fork in the road, or a wall between you and what you want.  For Socrates Fortlow, life keeps getting in the way, but nothing stays in the way of a man with his mission.  Socrates is going to make it ñ his way, on his terms ñ and if you aren’t part of the solution, then you know where you stand. If you’re a killer terrorizing the neighbourhood, you’ll have to deal with him first.

ICA CINEMA 1: SATURDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER, 6.30PM

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ANTWONE FISHER
Dir: Denzil Washington, with Derek Luke, Denzel Washington.
120 mins, USA, 2002

A sailor prone to violent outbursts is sent to a naval psychiatrist for help. Refusing at first to open up, the young man eventually breaks down and reveals a horrific childhood. Through the guidance of his doctor, he confronts his painful past and begins a quest to find the family he never knew.

ICA CINEMA 1: SATURDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER, 8.30PM

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BARBARA JAMES
Dir: Winston W Moxam
79 mins, Canada, 2001

Barbara James is a thirty-something, single, hip and opinionated pregnant black woman. Faced with an abundance of life’s obstacles compounded by mistakes, misinterpretations and miscalculations, she must decide whether or not to keep her child.

ICA CINEMA 2: SATURDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER, 6.30PM

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KINGSCOUNTY
Dir: Patrice Johnson
71 mins, USA, 2002.

When four teenage drug dealers and their boss violate the alter of a crack addicted Santeria prophetess, their lives become unhinged when she predicts one of them will die and one of them will be incarcerated within a day.

ICA CINEMA 2: SATURDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER, 8.30PM

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PARADISE GROVE
Dir: Charles Harris, with Rula Lenska, Ron Moody & Leyland O’ Brien.
93 mins, UK, 2002.

A dark and quirky comedy set in an eccentric North London Jewish old age home, Paradise Grove revolves around a dysfunctional family comprising 79-year-old Izzie Goldberg, determined to die with dignity, his daughter Dee Perry, a mixture of traditional Jewish mother and child of the Sixties, and her teenage son Keith, who's half-black and half-Jewish, and understandably undergoing an identity crisis. And then the teenage Kim arrives out of the blue looking for shelter and work - but what is she trying to hide?

ICA CINEMA 1: SUNDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER, 4.30PM  (including Q&A)

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OSMOSIS JONES
Dir: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
With voices of: Chris Rock, Laurence Fishburne, Brandy Norwood
95 mins, USA, 2001 - SEE ANIMATION SECTION

A feature-length animation which brings together the Farrelly brothers.  Zoo worker Frank Detomello catches a cold.

The inside of his body is known as the ëCity of Frank’ to its inhabitants, two of whom - white blood cell cop Osmosis Jones and cold tablet Drixorial ñ team up to fight the invading viruses intent on taking over the City.

An animated re-take on the theme of Richard Fleischer's 1966 FantasticVoyage, an entertaining science fiction about a medical team reduced to microscopic size and injected inside a human body.

ICA CINEMA 1: SUNDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER, 6.30PM
LONDON TELEVISION CENTRE: FRIDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER, 4.00PM

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MAKIBEFO
Dir: Alexander Abela
75 mins, UK, 2002

Director, Alexander
Abela went to Madagascar to shoot his film adaptation of Shakespeare's play, Macbeth. His actors were the Antroyds, a local tribe of fishermen. The film pays homage to some early black and white movies, becoming primitive in many ways, and essentially returning to the roots of cinema.

ICA CINEMA 2: SUNDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER, 6.30PM (UK PREMIERE) 

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LUMUMBA
Dir: Raoul Peck
115 mins, France, 2000

Lumumba is a gripping political thriller which tells the story of the legendary African leader Patrice Lumumba. The brilliant and charismatic Lumumba, rose rapidly to the office of Prime Minister when Belgium conceded the Congo's independence in June, 1960. Lumumba's vision of a united Africa gained him powerful enemies which would ultimately lead to devastating consequences. A must see film.

ICA CINEMA 1: MONDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER, 8.30PM 
ICA CINEMA 2: TUESDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER, 8.30PM

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HONEYBEE
Dir: Melvin James, with James Avery.

90 mins, USA, 2003

Brianna Dukes is from a well-to-do black family, who drops out of college against her family’s wishes to pursue a career as a professional boxer. With her loyal trainer Pablo by her side, Brianna struggles to overcome attempts by a disapproving father (Avery), an abusive boyfriend, a scandalous boxing promoter and a rival boxer to stop her climb to the top of boxing world.

ICA CINEMA 2: SUNDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER, 8.30PM (EUROPEAN PREMIERE) 

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GENIUS
Dir: Babar Ahmed
80 mins, USA, 2003

Genius is the moving story of a young black student, Mike, with a heart as big as the world. Mike has a learning disability, though, so everyone thinks he’s dumb. He has a hopeless crush on the most beautiful girl in his grade, but she only dates smart guys. Mike is so desperate to win her affection, he tries to hire one of his teachers, the obnoxious and self-centred Ms. Goldwyn to make him smart. Genius is beautifully filmed with a story reminding us that even the smallest acts of grace and kindness can produce staggering results.

ICA CINEMA 1: MONDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER, 6.30PM (EUROPEAN PREMIERE) 
ICA CINEMA 2: WEDNESDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER, 8.30PM

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KARMEN GEI
Dir: Joseph Gai Ramaka
86 mins, France, 2002

In arguably the first African-filmed "musica", the original Bizet opera on which this film is based, has been overhauled with Senegalese music and choreography with a contemporary jazz score running like a thread of unfulfilled desire throughout the film.  The story is essentially the same - a handsome corporal falls for a beautiful, provocative woman. A whirlwind of colour, dance and music, this is awesome African cinema with strong political overtones.

ICA CINEMA 2: MONDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER, 8.30PM 
ICA CINEMA 1: TUESDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER, 6.30PM

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COMING TO ENGLAND + BROWN GIRL (Supporting Short)
Dir: Floella Benjamin
60 mins, UK, 2003.

Coming to England is a 1 hour film adaptation of Floella Benjamin’s highly acclaimed book, which was first published in 1994.  It tells the story of a journey as a ten year old from her home Trinidad to London in the 1960’s. Floella’s story is typical of many young West Indians of that time, when many of them encourage by enticing adverts, left their homes in the Caribbean and migrated to Britain.  They came in the belief that England was a promised land of golden opportunities.

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THE SYSTEM
Dir: Wayne G Saunders, with Carl Ramsey, Wayne G Saunders, Zendiq Ellis.
90 mins, UK, 2003

Up and coming British director Wayne Saunders stars and directs in The System  - a tale which follows a group of friends as they struggle to establish their sound system and stay out of trouble.  Dealing with crazy teenage stalkers, the struggle to break into the music industry and trying to remain faithful, this inner city tale of love, lust and friendship will make you laugh and make you cry.

ICA CINEMA 1: TUESDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER, 8.30PM (EUROPEAN PREMIERE) Including Q&A

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THE KILLING ZONE
Dir: Joe Brewster, with Isaach De Bankole
80 mins, USA/Ghana, 2000

The Killing Zone is a psychological thriller set in New York City and in West Africa. It is the story of Dr. Malcolm Ojewku (Bankole), who witnesses the murder of his murder of his mentor by a homeless twelve-year-old. The death evokes haunting flashbacks of Malcolm’s own turbulent past as a child soldier in a war torn West Africa. Compelled to search for this young killer, Malcolm is driven to an obsessive exploration of the streets of Brooklyn and an eventual confrontation with his past.

ICA CINEMA 1: WEDNESDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER, 8.30PM (EUROPEAN PREMIERE)
ICA CINEMA 2: THURSDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER, 8.30PM

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ECHOES OF WAR
Dir: Obi Emelonye, with Judi Shekoni, Anthony Akposheri, Anthony Bessel. 
94 mins, UK, 2003

The very finest in UK-Nigerian talent assemble here for Echoes of War - a debut film from Obi Emelonye which tells the emotional tale of Fatima and Abdul, a married couple who were separated during the war in Sierra Leone. Fatima (Shekoni) finds her way into the UK and after six fruitless years searching for her husband remarries. At the christening of her child with her new husband Bradley (Bessel), an old friend from Sierra Leone gives her news that she dreaded and craved in equal measure; that her ex-husband Abdul (Akposheri) is still alive. And as if that was not enough, Abdul is also resident in the UK.

ICA CINEMA 1: THURSDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER, 6.30PM  (EUROPEAN PREMIERE)

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DIRTY PRETTY THINGS
Dir: Stephen Frears, with Chiwetel Eijofor, Audrey Tautou, Sophie Okenedo, Jeffrey Kisson. 
107 mins, UK, 2000.

Dirty Pretty Things is an edgy Britain thriller set amongst London’s immigrant community. Okwe (Ejiofor) is an illegal Nigerian immigrant working two jobs; by day he drives a minicab and by night he’s the night porter at the Baltic Hotel, a seedy establishment albeit with a somewhat luxurious foyer where hookers ply their trade and illegal immigrants turn out the beds. One night he makes a shocking discovery and enlists the help of a co-worker, a Turkish chambermaid (Audrey Tautou), to investigate what looks like a murder.

ICA CINEMA 1: THURSDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER, 8.30PM (including Q&A)

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PAID IN FULL
Dir: Charles Stone, (USA, 2002), 93 mins
With Wood Harris, Mekhi Phifer, Cam’ Ron, Esai Morales.

Set in the early 1980s and based on a true story, this entry in the African-American urban gangster genre puts character development in the front seat for a change as it rolls through the Harlem streets on its usual rise-and-fall route. Ace starts out a laundry delivery guy, but thanks to a chance encounter with a Latin coke dealer, he quickly works his way to the top of a drug empire. Roc-a-Fella mogul Damon Dash produces, with a cameo appearance from Hip-hop artist Cam’ Ron.

RIO CINEMA 1: FRIDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER, 11.15PM

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KIRIKOU AND THE SORCERESS 
Dir: Michael Ocelot, (France, 2000), 74 mins ñ SEE ANIMATION SECTION

An animated feature for children of all ages. In a little village somewhere in Africa, a boy named Kirikou is born. But he's not a normal boy, because he knows what he wants very well. Also he already can speak and walk. His mother tells him how an evil sorceress has dried up their spring and devoured all males of the village except of one. Hence little Kirikou decides, he will accompany the last warrior to the sorceress. Due to his intrepidity he may be the last hope of the village.

RIO CINEMA 1: SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER, 11.00AM

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MAATKARA
Dir: Dawit Lessanu, (USA, 2002), 65 mins ñ SEE ANIMATION SECTION

Princess Maat, daughter of the great warrior Amen Ra has to fight several battles to save the lives of all on earth. Set, the evil god of chaos is attempting to open a mystical portal in Earth’s surface, unleashing evil forces onto Earth.  Maatkara makes a refreshing change from the norm of previous animation features that most of us are accustomed to. Amel Larrieux, formerly of the R&B group Groove Theory, provides the voice for Princess Maat.

Note: This film contains scenes of a violent nature. Parental guidance is advised.

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RIO CINEMA 1: SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER, 2.00PM 

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CITY OF GOD
Dir: Fernando Meirelle, (Brazil, 2002), 130 mins

Cidade de Deus (City of God) is a housing project built in the 1960's that--in the early 80's--became one of the most dangerous places in Rio de Janeiro. The tale tells the stories of many characters whose lives sometimes intersect. However, all is seen through the eyes of a singular narrator: Busca-PÈ, a poor black youth too frail and scared to become an outlaw but also to smart to be content with underpaid, menial jobs. A movie of the times, graphically depicting the humanity of a world, apparently condemned to endless violence.

RIO CINEMA 1: SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER, 11.15PM

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