BUFF Awards Honor Menelik Shabazz; Andrew Marr To Leave BBC After 21 Years – Global Briefs
Burning An Illusion filmmaker Menelik Shabazz will be posthumously handed the Honourary Award at this year’s 16th British Urban Film Festival (BUFF) Awards. Barbados-born Shabazz, who died in June, was a pioneer of Black British cinema, best known for 1981 feature Burning An Illusion. Clare Anyiam-Osigwe, Co-Executive producer of the BUFF Awards, said: “As a custodian of the culture, it goes without saying that the untimely passing of Menelik Shabazz will be noted and recognised at our biggest night of the year and, like with several of our awards which are named after significant Black figures, Menelik’s legacy will never be forgotten as long as BUFF is breathing.” The likes of Ophelia J. Wisdom (Navy), Emiko (Baby Boy) and Rez Kabir (Unintentionhell) are nominated in major categories. Elsewhere, BlackCreative by Meena Ayittey and Ultraviolence by Ken Fero are set to battle it out for the Best Documentary Award. Marking a first for the organizers, £250 ($340) cash prizes will be awarded for the Best Documentary Film, Best Feature Film and Best Short Film categories. Guest presenters boarded for the in-person function in London include Bola Agbaje (Gone Too Far), Aml Ameen (Boxing Day) and Ruby Barker (Bridgerton). The ceremony takes place on December 10.
Andrew Marr, one of the faces of modern BBC political commentary, is leaving the corporation after 21 years. The veteran broadcaster made the surprise declaration on Twitter this afternoon, stating that he is “keen to get my own voice back” and predicting that British politics and his public life are set for “an even more turbulent decade.” He will launch a show on Global’s Classic FM along with presenting a weekly podcast for Global and writing columns. Marr joined the BBC in 2000 and has been hosting Sunday flagship The Andrew Marr Show for the past 16 years. BBC Director General Tim Davie said: “Andrew Marr has been a brilliant journalist and presenter during his time at the BBC. He leaves an unmatched legacy of outstanding political interviews and landmark programmes.”
