BFI’s director of inclusion Melanie Hoyes, Warner Bros Discovery’s CrewHQ training and skills director Rico Johnson-Sinclair and Embankment’s international sales and marketing executive Clare Harris are among the speakers taking part in the UK’s New Black Film Collective XPO 2025.
Run by founder-director Priscilla Igwe, the Collective is dedicated to bolstering Black-led film production, distribution and exhibition.
The XPO kicks off on March 24 with an evening launch at Channel 4’s headquarters, followed by three days of talks, interactive sessions, pitching and networking at London’s Rich Mix, and a day of virtual roundtables overseen by the UK Global Screen Fund.
The Rich Mix line-up includes a roundtable discussion with former BBC executive Terry Jervis, alongside chair of Bectu’s Black member’s subcommittee and producer Faisal Qureshi, Directors’ UK representative Avril Evans and founder of the British Urban Film Festival, Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe.
Film and TV Charity’s impact partnership programme manager Anita Herbert will be talking about the next iteration of the Reel Impact fund, and will be joined in an on-stage discussion with NFTS’ Ijeoma Akigwe, Creative Diversity Network’s Miranda Wayland and Johnson-Sinclair.
Further speakers include BFI Filmmaking Fund’s Morgana Melvin and Vicki Brown, British Council’s Briony Hanson, Sovereign Films’ Chee Cheung, Make It Happen Productions’ Lala Akindoju, cinema curator Delphine Lievens and Story Compound producer Tolu Stedford.
“We are pleased to have the support of the industry that are still interested in positive change come to our event and advocate for equality and representation, despite the recent EDI [equality, diversity and inclusion] rollbacks happening in the US and spreading to the UK,” said Igwe.
“We must continue to stand together and pull down barriers so we can all take part in an equitable future.”
The inaugural XPO took place in 2022, and is an annual convention and call-to-action showcasing Black creative talent across the screen industries, in partnership with Film London.
“When we joined TNB XPO’s inaugural edition in 2022, we’d just embarked on a programme to drive a step-change in the representation of Black communities, cultures and stories in London’s screen industries, as well as in our own organisation,” said Adrian Wootton, Film London’s chief executive.
“We remain utterly committed to that agenda, reaffirming our continuing belief, passion and commitment to creating as many opportunities for our multiple and diverse London communities through studies, skills training and jobs.”
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