BFI called out for lying to the public. Two examples
'The BFI seeks to provide transparency to give audiences control over what they see and hear'.. So why are they ignoring almost 19,000 people as to what they want to watch and refusing to answer simple questions like 'What is the budget for African Odysseys?' More details in these updates:
10th September 2026 update '9 Examples of Racism @BFI Southbank' HERE
26th August 2026 update 'Black Professors ignored but dogs heard at Picturehouse' HERE
Please note, the BFI has the right to reply to all of these factual updates but has never done so since 29 October 2024 HERE when they were promptly proven to have been lying HERE. They have said nothing on this platform since then, which says a great deal in itself.
The BFI are however, happy to lie to third parties where there is no automatic right of replay from African Odysseys . For example, the BFI are on record as telling various organisations and individuals that African Odysseys was put ‘on pause’ because the Steering Committee refused to meet with BFI unless African Odysseys co-founder David Somerset was reinstated after being made redundant. This is a lie.
The only meeting to discuss African Odysseys with the BFI was set for 17th January 2025 but the BFI cancelled it with 2 hours notice as reported HERE. Somerset was still employed by BFI then. The Steering Committee offered another meeting within the week but BFI rejected it also. Somerset’s official last day was 31st January 2025. African Odysseys Steering Committee never made such a demand in the first place and no meeting was arranged after the 31st January so this is a double lie.
All correspondence with BFI about African Odysseys was made via email. If what the BFI states is true then they can post the email from the Steering Committee where this demand to 'reinstate Somerset or no meeting could take place' was made, to this platform within 24 hours. Failure to do so will be taken as proof that BFI senior management are liars to the public.
The BFI has been called out to their face for lying before. In this viral video clip Dr Michelle Asantewa eviscerates BFI management for their atrocious treatment of African Odysseys. HERE
Dr Asantewa calls out BFI for destroying the 20-year-old, monthly, educational, anti-racist, Black history film programme, while ignoring; 19,000 petitioners, the 2010 Race Equality law and £6 million pounds of voluntary labour.
Dr Asantewa was speaking @BFI Southbank on 11th January 2025 after the sold-out, Soundtrack to a Coup D'etat film, the last African Odysseys screening @BFI before they refused to meet the voluntary curators on the 17th, broke their promise of a 20th anniversary at BFI Southbank, dismissed the expert advice of over 20 academics, refused to answer any questions and cancelled not 'paused', African Odysseys. The BFI cited 'costs and diversity' as reasons for the destruction despite the African Odysseys volunteers contributing £6 million worth of voluntary work to the BFI and BFI keeping 100% of box office profits from every single monthly show for two decades.
Significantly, as Dr Asantewa mentions in the video, this whole Q & A was filmed by the BFI, after 10 years of complaints from the Steering Committee that they failed to film African Odysseys events. The whole hour of public record was known to senior manager Stuart Brown and the 120 witnesses in the sold out audience but never uploaded to the BFI site as would normally happen. Why not ? What is the BFI hiding?
Please carry on signing and sharing the petition at www.change.org
There are 6 African Odysseys films this week including tonight (24th September ) as African Odysseys is maintained by grassroots volunteers using community resources despite this attack by the BFI. Topics covered include: Reparations, cricket, Black British civil rights, Sir Horace Ove, boxing, migration, Olympics, Black female legends and more. Details HERE