Nigerian-British actor John Boyega has teamed up with renowned footwear brand Converse under its Converse All-Stars Program on a community-focused initiative that aims to nurture the talents of rising Black filmmakers in the UK.
The main objective of this initiative tagged Create Next With John Boyega is to spotlight talent whilst highlighting issues of representation within the film industry.
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In a recent interview with Vogue, John told the publication:
When I first came into this industry, I tried to get funding from the Prince’s Trust, to go through extra-curricular activities, the National Theatre… I wish there had been a brand that everybody knows that was willing to use their influence, their platform and their finances to fund creativity.
For me, [this project] is like a battery, it absolutely charges my enthusiasm for filmmaking. The mere excitement in these young people’s eyes is something I can relate to, but it’s in its rawest form; it’s creative, it’s strong, it’s passionate.
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After six months of mentoring by John and a team of creatives from across the Converse network, five rising London filmmakers: Ade Femzo, Kaylen Francis, Kemi Anna Adeeko, Lorraine Khamali and Ibrahim Muhammad, are ready to unleash their five-minute short films, which will be premiered on Tuesday 12th April in London.
John further told Vogue that he wishes his collaboration with Converse:
serves not as a moment, but a movement; that it creates a ricochet effect, prompting other brands to follow suit by pouring time and resources into something with impact far beyond a marketing campaign.
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Photo Credit: @converse_london |@kemianna_