Organisers of an Ealing film festival celebrating Black British joy in March hope to challenge the dominance of trauma-focused storytelling in British film and television.
The BlackLifted Film Festival, taking place in March 2027, will bring film screenings, industry discussions, networking opportunities and an awards ceremony to venues across the borough.
Organised by CACE Events CIC and Showpatrol TV, the festival aims to champion emerging filmmakers while showcasing comedy, documentaries, animation and uplifting stories about Black life.
Ealing-based festival director Michelle Brooks said the event was born from frustration with how Black experiences are represented on screen.
“If you want trauma and you’re Black, I promise you, you will not have to struggle to find it,” she said.
“The thing you will have to struggle to find will be the joy.”
Brooks explained BlackLifted originally began as a pop-up arts and film festival in Hammersmith in 2019, before being suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The death of Professor Jason Arday in August 2026 was among the events that prompted her to reflect on the portrayal of Black experiences and revive the festival with a renewed focus on joy and wellbeing.
“We need to be the change that we want to see,” she said.
Brooks chose Ealing because of its longstanding association with British comedy, believing the borough could become a home for a new generation of Black comedic talent.
The borough is home to Ealing Studios, famous for classic British comedies including The Ladykillers and The Lavender Hill Mob.
Comedian and actor Sanjeev Bhaskar, best known for Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No. 42, was born in Ealing, while his wife, actress and comedian Meera Syal, is another prominent figure in British comedy.
The annual Ealing Comedy Festival also regularly brings established comedians and emerging talent to the borough.
“We’re in the land of comedy, why can’t we bring something new to Ealing?” she said.
Events are planned at ActOne Cinema, Picturehouse Ealing and the Tiki Bar, with BBC and UKTV commissioner Sarah Asante and filmmaker George Amponsah announced as judges.
Aspiring filmmakers will have opportunities to participate in workshops, a 48-hour filmmaking challenge and live script readings, with five shortlisted scripts set to be performed by actors at Acton Library.
Script editor and producer Erick Kwashie is also expected to support emerging writers through development workshops.
Beyond screenings, Brooks hopes to create a wellbeing experience incorporating activities such as massage and talking therapies.
The festival is already receiving international submissions, although organisers are still seeking funding and sponsorship.
Brooks hopes BlackLifted will eventually become a regular fixture in London’s cultural calendar.
“Success would look like changing the narrative around the Black experience in the UK,” she said.
Further information is available at www.blacklifted.com, with filmmakers able to submit their work through www.filmfreeway.com/Blacklifted
Feature image courtesy of Michelle Brooks, with thanks
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