Patrick Vernon OBE, and Natalie Barnes (daughter of the late Windrush campaigner Paulette Wilson) join forces with award-winning film producer and director Frances-Anne Solomon to launch the Inaugural Windrush Caribbean Film Festival.
The six day digital festival of screenings, discussions and master classes aims to celebrate the contributions and impact of the Windrush generation on life in the UK today. The festival is the brainchild of Solomon whose award-winning film HERO, inspired by WW2 and Windrush hero Ulric Cross, toured the UK to critical acclaim in 2019. Its success was the inspiration for this full blown festival.
“As a child of the Windrush generation, I am passionate about sharing the stories and struggles of the men and women who paved the way for me and for all of us who are Black in Britain” said festival co-founder, Garry Stewart of Recognize Black Heritage and Culture. “Our partners from across the UK have worked tirelessly to turn a planned physical festival into a dynamic virtual event. “
Festival 2020 will also see the launch of the first ‘Paulette Wilson’ Windrush Award to be given in memory of the prominent Windrush campaigner who was wrongly detained by the Home Office, and who went on to become the face of the Windrush Scandal campaign. The award will be presented to an individual who has been instrumental in advancing the narrative to achieve justice for the Windrush generation.
“We’re thrilled and I know my mother would be too, to have this prestigious award named after her,” said Natalie Barnes, Paulette’s daughter. “My mother was a humble woman but she was passionate about seeking justice for everyone caught up in the Windrush scandal. To see her honoured in this way is truly a wonderful legacy for her to have left.”
WCFF 2020 themes are centred around racism, colonialism, immigration, and cultural contributions, discussing and celebrating to this iconic generation. WCFF is sponsored by Solomon’s Caribbean Tales Media Group , and led by a core team including Stewart, Joy Coker of Alt-Africa as Lead Programmer, Shiloh PR’s Evadney Campbell and Patricia Hamzahee of Integriti Capital, with support from The Funding Network and Unison.
The exciting line -up of films in the festival schedule, will be revealed at the programme launch on the 29th of September the festival runs from October 17 – November 8, 2020. For more information go to the festival website here.
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