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‘This season is an chance to celebrate and campaign for a greater appreciation of black cinema from around the world. To have a fresh look at the past and present although being able to nurture the new and innovative’, mentioned Amanda Nevill, director of the British Film Institute (bfi).

‘It’s been in the pipeline really for a few years, but from the ground up it has taken six months,’ says Mike Pearson, the Head of Press and Public Affairs for the bfi.

And it is the bfi that is spearheading this six month programme of appreciation and recognition. As an individual stated this evening there is already a black cinema to watch, the role of this season that runs from June to November of this year – and takes in African film tours, brief season, master classes, debates and music experiences – is to make cinema of the African Diaspora accessible to a new audience of youth and people who would not ordinarily be able to view such films.

As a criticism there has for too long been a lack of crucial and general attention paid to black Diaspora, here the opportunity of retrospectives of renowned directors fresh, new function in the form of a touring short season the role of females in African cinema and a look at black music in the history of British television.

There are four key achievements the bfi wish for the season to accomplish:

I. Recognise the contribution of black cinema to the moving image II. Make available far more access to the world of black creativity III. Engage with new black and youth audiences IV. Realise how black film continues to inspire new film-makers.

This has been an impressive group effort put on by the bfi that has involved collaborating with up to 30 media partners (seasons at the Barbican), 3 new DVD releases, patrons ranging from Spike Lee to June Sarpong, producing a supplement in the July edition of Sight and Sound, special previews, educational seminars and multimedia experiences.

Thursday 2nd JuneBAADASSSSS! (Mario Van Peebles, US, 2004)The launch of Blackworld coincides with a revolutionary six-city simultaneous preview screening of Marion Van Peebles’ movie chronicling the creating of Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, the film that catapulted blaxploitation cinema into the mainstream, which was directed by his father Melvin.The film will be screened at the very same time in venues across the nation in London, National Film Theatre(NFT) Watershed, Bristol UGC’s in Birmingham and Glasgow Cornerhouse, Manchester and Chapter Arts, Cardiff.The film will go on release by bfi distribution at 14 nationwide venues on Friday 14th June.

3rd – 30th JuneOUSMANE SEMBENE RETROSPECTIVE ‘The Father of African cinema’Paying tribute to the 82 year old Senegalese film director, the National Film Theatre hosts a key retrospective starting 3 June. The retrospective spans four decades of Sembene’s work and consists of an exclusive two week run of his award winning film Moolaade which has screened at American film festivals and was named as 1 of the best 10 films of the year by Film Comment, New York’s leading film magazine.There will also be a Guardian Interview with Sembene on Sunday 5 June at 4pm in NFT1.

Touring Season (June-October)MAMA AFRICABlackworld with African Film Tour presents this new touring programme highlighting some of the greatest African female talent both behind and in front of the camera. Comprised of functions, documentaries and shorts the tour will be accessible to cinemas nationwide, details of which can be located on the internet site.

Touring Season (September-November)

NEW FUTURESThis programme will host functions and shorts that reflect new developments and aesthetics of an African diaspora, selected from a wide range of diverse and eclectic talents the work featured will cover function from North and South America, Europe, the Caribbean and Africa. 1 highlight is the function of Kara Miller’s short Elephant Palm Tree.Friday 22 July 2005DJ Spooky: Rebirth of a Nation – UK PremiereTeaming up with Optronica, Blackworld presents the live UK premiere of DJ Spooky’s innovative multimedia event.DJ spooky combines segments of D. W. Griffith’s 1915 classic, playing on Griffith’s revolutionary editing techniques and contemporary music mixing. No two shows are the identical when manned by the New York DJ, this promises to be 1 of the most hotly anticipated and exhilarating events of Blackworld.

From June to November, Black World at the NFT will be hosting an in-depth programme of Black music on British television. The music genre’s are Hip Hop &amp Rap (June) Soul to Funk (July) Calypso, Ska, Reggae &amp Two Tone (August) Jazz (September) and Blues (October). From where black music is now to where it all began, along with introductions and Q&ampA by business veterans.