Screen Nation Hall Of Fame: Earl Cameron CBE the first Black British screen star Inducted into the Screen Nation Hall of Fame
On Sunday Oct 23rd at the peak of Black History Month 2016, the Screen Nation Foundation, the charitable arm of the Screen Nation Film & TV Awards, launched the UK’s first ever hall of fame, honouring individuals of African Caribbean heritage who have made extraordinary contributions to UK film & television. To be known as the Hall of Frame.
The inaugural inductee was Earl Cameron CBE, acknowledged by many as one of the first African Caribbean screen actors to break the colour bar in the UK. The Induction celebrated the legendary career of the 99-year-old multi-talented performer, who has an acting career spanning 70 years, starring in over 90 films and TV productions.
As part of the tribute, Mr. Cameron was interviewed and officially inducted as the first member of the Hall of Frame at BFI Southbank, by broadcaster Samira Ahmed, followed by a rare screening of “Pool of London”, the Ealing Studios classic thriller that launched Mr. Cameron’s career.
The interview was a revealing insight into Mr Cameron’s creative life, during which the actor discussed racial prejudice, why he never moved to Hollywood during those very restrictive years (for black actors), his long friendship with Sidney Poitier, and much more.
That 40-minute conversation is available online HERE https://goo.gl/inOqIX and marks the start of a series of Hall of Frame Inductions by Screen Nation to be held every 6 months to honour some of the UK’s longstanding and unfortunately oftentimes under-appreciated veteran black British stars of the screen.
With the constant debate around the lack of diversity across mainstream media channels, Screen Nation intends for the legacy created by these inductions to add value and much needed honour to the British film & television landscape, where the contributions by African Caribbean screen practitioners can finally be fully and consistently acknowledged & recorded for future generations.
Charles Thompson MBE, Chairman of Screen Nation Foundation said: ‘’I am proud that the incredible legacy of the extraordinary contributions gifted by these outstanding veteran screen talents to the British film & TV industry can now finally be honoured through the Hall of Frame.’’
Further information about the Screen Nation Hall of Frame can be found on a dedicated micro website launching soon on www.screennation.com.
Part of BFI BLACK STAR, this event is supported by Film Hub London, managed by Film London and proud to be a partner of the BFI Film Audience Network www.bfi.org.uk/black-star
Glynis Kuffuor, Head of Press / [email protected]
About Earl Cameron CBE
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/475450/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Cameron_(actor)
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0131565/
About Screen Nation Hall of Frame
Honoring the achievements and accomplishments of free thinkers, motivators and innovators, the Screen Nation Hall of Frame preserves the contributions of African Caribbean heritage professionals who have made outstanding contributions in the arts, sciences or management of film & television, based upon either cumulative contributions and achievements or a singular contribution or achievement.
Partners
Our valued partners include the BFI Southbank, Film Hub London, Film London, BFI Film Audience Network, The New Black Film Collective, Black History Studies, Black History Walks and Talks, Black Heroes Foundation, with special thanks to historian Stephen Bourne and broadcaster Samira Ahmed.
About Screen Nation
Founded in 2003 by independent producer Charles Thompson MBE, the annual Screen Nation Film & Television and Digital-iS Media Awards (and their related products) is a UK based non-profit organisation owned and operated by the Screen Nation Media Group for and on behalf of UK based and global industry film, television & digital media professionals of African Diaspora heritage. Its mission is to celebrate, reward, promote and market professionals of African Diaspora heritage and their products, working in the UK and global film, television and digital media industries.
Screen Nation
www.screennation.com
www.facebook.com/ScreenNationAwards
www.instagram.com/ScreenNation
About BFI Black Star
BLACK STAR champions the achievements of black stars from the earliest years of cinema through to the present day, whilst exploring why opportunities to shine on screen have been historically limited for black actors. BLACK STAR celebrates films that feature black actors in central roles, bringing their work to a new generation of UK audiences and helping to reposition them and their performances in our collective memory. BLACK STAR will be available to audiences everywhere in the UK; in cinemas including BFI Southbank, on BBC Television, on DVD/Blu-ray and online via BFI Player from 17 October – 31 December, with further projects planned to celebrate the contribution of black practitioners working across film and TV in the coming years.
@BFI
#BFIBLACKSTAR
About Film Hub London
Led by Film London, Film Hub London aims to ensure audiences across the capital can discover film in all its diversity. With a broad and diverse membership of exhibitors and part of the nationwide BFI Film Audience Network (FAN), the Hub encourages small-scale exhibitors to take more risks and large-scale exhibitors to expand their scope. Working to boost audiences and expand the film culture offer in Greater London, the Hub’s focus is outside the city centre and offers funding, training, screening programmes and audience research.
Film London is the capital’s screen industries agency, connecting ideas, talent and finance to develop a pioneering creative culture in the city that delivers success in film, television, animation, games and beyond. The agency works to sustain, promote and develop London as a global content production hub, support the development of the city’s new and emerging filmmaking talent and invest in a diverse and rich film culture. Funded by the Mayor of London and the National Lottery through the BFI, it also receive support from Arts Council England and Creative Skillset. www.filmlondon.org.uk/filmhub
About the BFI Film Audience Network
The BFI Film Audience Network (FAN) is a ground-breaking initiative that gives audiences across the UK the opportunity to see a broader range of films in a cinema setting. For filmmakers, getting films onto cinema screens is a highly competitive business, particularly for specialised films which includes archive, documentary, independent and foreign language films.
With £8.7 million of Lottery funding over four years (2013-2017) the BFI FAN works with cinema exhibitors, film festivals, educators, film societies, community venues, film archives and other organisations in their regions or nations to boost audiences for film across the UK.
The film hub partners which drive audience engagement across the UK comprise: Broadway Cinema Nottingham and Cambridge Film Trust; Chapter, Cardiff; HOME, Manchester; Film London; Queen’s Film Theatre, Belfast; Regional Screen Scotland; the University of Brighton; Showroom Sheffield and National Media Museum, Bradford; and Watershed, Bristol.
About the BFI
The BFI is the lead body for film in the UK with the ambition to create a flourishing film environment in which innovation, opportunity and creativity can thrive by:
- Connecting audiences to the widest choice of British and World cinema
- Preserving and restoring the most significant film collection in the world for today and future generations
- Championing emerging and world class film makers in the UK - investing in creative, distinctive and entertaining work
- Promoting British film and talent to the world
- Growing the next generation of film makers and audiences
The BFI is a Government arm’s-length body and distributor of Lottery funds for film. The BFI serves a public role which covers the cultural, creative and economic aspects of film in the UK. It delivers this role:
- As the UK-wide organisation for film, a charity core funded by Government
- By providing Lottery and Government funds for film across the UK
- By working with partners to advance the position of film in the UK
Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter.
The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Josh Berger CBE.