Editorial

1999 has turned out to be a very interesting year in many respects for bfm. We launched our inaugural International Film Festival at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) which we hope will become an annual event and important focus for black world cinema in London for years to come. The festival was a triumph of determination made possible with the tremendous support of many volunteers which enabled us to provide a good quality festival. This year has also been significant in the growth of mini?festivals and screening programmes across the UK. We are seeing numbers of emerging organisations who are taking it upon themselves to organise screenings in diverse places.

It is good to hear Chris Smith (Culture Secretary of State) expressing concern about the representation (or lack of) ethnic minorities in British broadcasting. Smith's comments send out important signals to the broadcasters to begin to address their poor commissioning and employment record. How this will translate itself in practice is of course the key issue. Certainly there has to be a monitoring structure that continually reviews the situation. Without a monitoring mechanism in place broadcasters will quickly forget and we will be back to business as usual. The broadcasting regulation body, the Independent Television Commission (ITC), should play an active role and must be encouraged, when issuing or renewing franchises, to make companies account for their employment and commissioning of ethnic minority personnel and companies, in addition to its other criteria. Unless broadcasters have something to lose for their bad practice then 1 can't see how real changes are going to be made. Asking broadcasters to reform themselves is a recipe for tokenism.

Alongside the voice for changes in broadcast we are also seeing the emergence of the Film Council, headed by chief executive John Woodward. This new body will oversee most of the UK's state?funded film organisations. Here again there is an opportunity for far reaching changes that reflect multi?cultural Britain. We wait to see how relevant this organisation will be for black filmmakers. Will the Film Council devise policies that will give filmmakers opportunities to get access to production finance and opportunities in distribution and exhibition? The litmus test will always come down to films in the can. Whether the Film Council can make the difference we must wait and see. Will we get action or a load of re-takes?

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Don Letts
Producer Lincia Daniel dances verbally with Don Letts

Blair Witch
Project weaves its magic

Thomas Allen Crossing the boundaries

Sister I'm Sorry A highlight of the festival - get your VHS copy

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