The British Urban Film Festival Awards ceremony is to be held at London’s Peckhamplex cinema on Friday December 10.

Actor, writer and director Femi Oyeniran (The Intent) will host the BUFF Awards for the 4th time having previously co-hosted with Larushka Ivan-Zadeh in 2016 and Linda Egwuekwe in 2019. Last year, Oyeniran hosted the ceremony solo with no audience in attendance. Organisers have confirmed that this year’s event will have an audience in attendance and special guest presenters including writer Bola Agbaje (Gone Too Far), actor, writer, director and former BUFF award winner Aml Ameen (Boxing Day) and actress Ruby Barker (Bridgerton) who won the best actress award last year for her lead role in How to Stop a Recurring Dream.

The recipient of this year’s honorary award is the pioneering filmmaker Menelik Shabazz, who directed 1981 drama Burning An Illusion. The award will be presented posthumously after Shabazz died earlier this year of diabetes-related complications.

Awards will be given across the official selection, including for best live scripts, best actor, best actress, best feature, best short and best documentary. For the first time, £250 cash prizes will be awarded for the best documentary film, best feature film and best short film categories.

“The last 12 months have shown once again the value of representing a broader range of stories and voices on screen and off screen and to be truly inclusive, keeping audiences entertained and exposed to the pipeline of great talent we have in the UK,” Clare Anyiam-Osigwe, co-executive producer of the BUFF Awards said in a statement.

Best Short Film Award – nominees

Baby Boy (dir: Greg Hall)

Officer Down (dir: Simon Pearce)

Just Delivered (dir: Rosie Gaunt-Mathieson)

The Gospel According to Gail (dir: Florence Winter Hill)

The Blessing Anyiam-Osigwe Best Actress Award – nominees

Ava Ghir (Unintentionhell)

Ophelia J. Wisdom (Navy)

Bukky Bakray (The Gospel According to Gail)

Maia Watkins (Just Delivered)

Best Actor Award – nominees

Rez Kabir (Unintentionhell)

Emiko (Navy)

George Russo (Baby Boy)

Martin Delaney (Officer Down)

The Victor Adebodun Best Feature Film Award – nominees

Navy (dir: Duaine Carma Roberts)

Unintentionhell (dir: Balbeer Bahl)

Black Mail (dir: Obi Emelonye)

I Want Out (dir: Samuel Adigun)

Best Documentary Award – nominees

Black Creative (dir: Meena Ayittey)

Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power (dir: Abby Ginzberg)

Ain’t Your Mama’s Heatwave (dir: Elijah Karriem)

Ultraviolence (dir: Ken Fero)

Best Live Script Award (3 recipients)

Kerena Merchant – Ben Johnson Day

Mary McCallum – Triple Six Eight

Kate Watson – For you, I found

The British Urban Film Festival Honorary Award recipient

The late Menelik Shabazz (1954 – 2021)

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