|
 "A United Kingdom", based on a true story about a British
woman marrying an African prince in the 1940s and facing
opposition, will start the proceedings when its stars Rosamund
Pike and David Oyelowo walk the red carpet in Leicester Square
later on Wednesday.
Oyelowo will also headline the festival's Black Star Symposium,
which will look at the challenges black actors face in Britain
and the United States, a topic in the spotlight after the outcry
over the lack of diversity at this year's Academy Awards.
All of this year's acting Oscar nominees were white for a second
consecutive year, leading to criticism with the social media
hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. In June, the awards' organizers invited
683 new members to join, with a focus on female and minority
talent.
"We need to see more films that reflect the society we actually
live in," Oyelowo told Reuters in an interview to promote "A
United Kingdom".
"The estimation of who we are, what we believe in as human
beings is very much rooted in the films we see because they are
supposedly a reflection of the lives we live and the societies
we live in but I would argue that they are not."
Other movies showing at the festival include "Birth of a Nation"
about an 1831 Virginia slave revolt and "Queen of Katwe", about
Ugandan chess player Phiona Mutesi, in which Oyelowo also stars
alongside Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o.
[to top of second column] |
Oliver Stone's "Snowden", about former National Security Agency
contractor Edward Snowden, and fashion designer Tom Ford's
"Nocturnal Animals" will also be screened at the festival which runs
until Oct. 16.
"We have a very diverse audience and the stories we bring to the
screen should be reflecting that audience," the BBC quoted festival
director Clare Stewart as saying.
"12 Years a Slave" director Steve McQueen will be honored at the
festival with the British Film Institute's highest accolade, the BFI
Fellowship.
(Reporting By Marie-Louise Gumuchian; additional reporting by Jayson
Mansaray Editing by Jeremy Gaunt.)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
