The British Urban Film Festival is the flagship Black film organisation founded by Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe, Esq. MBE to primarily showcase Black film talent in July 2005. Circumstances surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic meant that the film festival fully pivoted to online, securing a deal with Apple TV in December 2020 - the first UK film festival to do so. The British Urban Film Festival Honorary Award - the highest accolade afforded to Black film creatives at the film festival - has been won in the last 5 years by Actor Richard Pryor (posthumously), Actor Wil Johnson (BABYMOTHER, OUTLANDER), Actor Ashley Walters, (TOP BOY, GET RICH OR DIE TRYING) Director Amma Asante (BELLE, A UNITED KINGDOM) and Actor/Producer/Director Noel Clarke (KIDULTHOOD, BULLETPROOF). Emmanuel was recognised by Her Majesty The Queen for services to the Black and Minority Ethnic Film Industry in March 2020, the first person in the UK to ever receive this honour. Emmanuel was invited to become a voting member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in December 2020 and in November 2018, through his production outfit BUFF Originals, his wife Clare released debut feature NO SHADE, becoming just the 6th Black British female director in UK history to secure theatrical distribution (The film also had a limited run in New York). Together, the co-founders of BUFF Originals Emmanuel and Clare Anyiam-Osigwe oversee BUFF's film and television development and production slate.