'Hope'

Source: Isensee Film

‘Hope’

UK premieres of Ugandan refugee documentary Hope, and An Enemy Within starring William Moseley, are among 70 screenings on the programme of the 2025 British Urban Film Festival (BUFF).

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the festival will run from October 10-24 at venues across London, including the Odeon Greenwich, Rich Mix Shoreditch and Genesis Cinema.

Uganda-Germany co-production Hope: A Future Beyond Rape, Murder and War Crimes follows South Sudanese refugees at an orphanage, who try to build their own lives out of traumatic beginnings. Contributors to the film include The Sentry, an American NGO that is part of George Clooney’s Clooney Foundation For Justice; directors are Jochen Isensee and Gloria Akello.

John Michael Kennedy’s thriller An Enemy Within follows a man who is given a choice by an assassin, over who lives and dies on his wedding day.

BUFF will also present an honorary award to actor and director Femi Oyeniran, a patron of the festival who has co-directed films including crime dramas The Intent and The Intent 2. Fellow actor Aml Ameen will present the award.

Further UK premieres at the event include Kayla Johnson and Ashly Robinson’s documentary Fatherless No More, about former American football star Tim Johnson; Johnny Collins and Joel Jerome’s prison documentary Inmates With Talent; Harry Bentil’s thriller Letters To Goddo; and Nnamdi Kanaga’s horror Water Girl.

Further festival titles include Van Alpert’s Venice Beach documentary Skategoat, executive produced by Gwyneth Paltrow and with Tony Hawk among those featuring in the film; and Christopher M. Anthony’s boxing drama Heavyweight starring Jordan Bolger and Jason Isaacs.

A BUFF industry strand at Margery Street Community Hall in Farringdon will include live script readings on October 14.

The festival awards will take place at the Genesis Cinema on October 24.

“BUFF continues to be a vital platform for emerging talent and independent urban filmmaking in the UK,” said Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe, festival director and founder. “Our 20th anniversary programme reflects two decades of creativity, innovation and audience engagement.”

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