Check out the full list of S.O.U.L. Fest 2025 events
Shorts at the MAC
Thursday 28 August 20:00
The MAC, Birmingham
S.O.U.L. Fest brings its prestigious annual short film selection to MAC. This is a rare chance to see some of the best short films by black British filmmakers available in 2025.
7pm - 7.50pm: ARC HOUSE Panel Discussion
ARC HOUSE, a network and platform supporting Black and global majority creatives and industry professionals in the West Midlands, is proud to host a dynamic panel at S.O.U.L. Fest Birmingham. ARC HOUSE advisory board members Rem Conway, Rhianna Adams-Christie, Madeleine Kludje and S.O.U.L. Fest founder Iyare Igiehon will explore the question: “What if we stopped chasing visibility and started building versatility?” - inviting us to rethink representation by focusing not just on being seen, but on actively shaping spaces, skills and opportunities that empower our communities.
Opening Night: 40 Acres
Friday 29 August 18:10
BFI Southbank, NFT1
Canada 2024. Director R.T. Thorne. With Danielle Deadwyler, Kataem O'Connor, Michael Greyeyes. 113min. Digital. Cert TBC.
Hailey Freeman and her family are the last descendants of African American farmers who settled in rural Canada after the Civil War. In a famine-decimated near future, they now struggle to safeguard their farm, as they make one last stand against a vicious militia hell-bent on taking their 40 Acres.
Contains strong violence.
Act It Out: Masterclass
Saturday 30 August 12:00
Richmix,
Masterclass by New York Film Academy, Act It Out: Scene Exploration with Patrice DeGraff Arenas
With support from founding sponsor Sony Pictures Entertainment, S.O.U.L Fest x ABFF Global: London celebrates global Black cinema and the creative voices shaping its future.
My Community, My Story
Saturday 30 August 14.00
Richmix,
Presented by Screen Alliance Wales and Bad Wolf, with support from Sony Pictures Television, this program features short films by emerging Welsh filmmakers Micah Joshua Brown and Jason Nwachukwu. Their films—Back to Bute and That Rugby Team from Tiger Bay—highlight authentic stories from underrepresented Welsh communities and demonstrate the power of grassroots filmmaking.
Shoot The People
Saturday 30 August 14:30pm
BFI Southbank, NFT1
UK 2025. Director Andy Mundy-Castle. With Misan Harriman. 93min. Digital. Cert TBC.
Following his debut White Nanny, Black Child, director Andy Mundy-Castle turns the camera on Oscar-nominated British-Nigerian photographer and activist Misan Harriman, who became the first Black man to shoot a cover of British Vogue in 2021 and has captured modern icons such as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, Rihanna, Stormzy, Cate Blanchett, and Tom Cruise. In Shoot the People, Harriman examines how protest and organised movements can lead to social change, all while capturing the resilience of activism through his lens.
Contains scenes of racism and police brutality
From Character to Plot: Masterclass
Saturday 30 August 15.00
Richmix,
Masterclass by New York Film Academy, Screenwriting: From Character to Plot with Federico Spiazzi
With support from founding sponsor Sony Pictures Entertainment, S.O.U.L Fest x ABFF Global: London celebrates global Black cinema and the creative voices shaping its future.
Trouble Man: UK Premiere
Saturday 30 August 17:40
BFI Southbank, NFT1
USA 2025. Director Michael Jai White. With Michael Jai White, Method Man, Mike Epps. 92min. Digital. Cert TBC.
Jaxen Jones, a former cop turned nightclub security chief and fixer, is hired to find Jahari, a missing pop star, by her shady record label boss on the eve of the company going public. With help from her volatile boyfriend, Money, Jaxen uncovers a plot involving an underworld kingpin trying to boost the label’s value. After a daring rescue, Jaxen is presumed dead—until he and Money return to settle the score and deliver justice their way.
South African Stories
Sunday 31 August 12:00
Richmix,
A curated collection of short films that showcase the richness of contemporary South African cinema, exploring identity, resilience, and cultural heritage, followed by a Q&A.
Titles include:
Sent – written and directed by Ayanda Halimana
Breaking Free – directed by Kopedi Aphane, written by Nthabiseng E Letsoela
Love Through The Lens – written and directed by Donna Sibande
Rearview – written and directed by Chris Djuma
Umhlaba Wokhokho – Land of My Ancestors – written and directed by Nondumiso Buthelezi-Masache
The Fisherman
Sunday 31 August 14:30
Richmix,
Written and directed by Zoey Martinson, The Fisherman is a magical realist comedy about an aging Ghanaian man determined to own a boat and become the envy of his village—with the help of a talking dead fish. The film earned Martinson Best Director and Best Narrative Feature honors at the 2025 American Black Film Festival in Miami Beach.
S.O.U.L. Fest Shorts & Awards
Sunday 31 August 2025 18:00
BFI Southbank, NFT1
S.O.U.L Fest celebrates the best of emerging Black British film talent with a shorts programme and award ceremony.
Join us as we screen a selection of beautiful films from Black British filmmakers and announce our 2025 S.O.U.L. Fest Awards. In addition to acknowledging the incredible talent on show, S.O.U.L. Fest will also recognise an outstanding contribution to Black British screen culture with an Impact Award.
Make sure to stick around for the closing night PARTY!