[dropcap style=”font-size:100px;color:#992211;”]D[/dropcap]esigned as a celebratory In Conversation career talk and online resource the Screen Nation Hall of Fame announces itself as a key celebration of black screen talent during Black History Month, at the start of the global awards season in the Year of the Woman.
This edition’s inductees are three trailblazing women: veteran actresses Ellen Thomas and Doña Croll, and Amanda Foster, acknowledged as the UK’s first black British stuntwoman. The inductions will celebrate the diverse and robust careers of these multi-talented performers who have nearly 100 years of acting performances between them, featuring in over 230 films and TV productions.
The honourees will be interviewed by a host of famous names and officially inducted at BAFTA as the second official intake of members of the Screen Nation Hall of Fame. A first of its kind introductory ACCESS ACTION: Stunts Workshop aimed at increasing BAME participation in the craft is being held on the morning of the event, featuring some of the UK’s top black stunt performers and a special appearance by exciting new aspiring stunt performer Shaina West aka The Samurider.
Event producer Michelle Matherson said: “I am so excited to lead the efforts this year that brings to fruition this hugely important showcase celebrating diversity in our great industry. It is critically important that the legacy of the immense contributions made by these wonderfully gifted women over long careers are fully honoured through the Screen Nation Hall of Fame.’’
Whilst the debate around diversity and inclusion continues to rage 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 and television landscape, where the contributions by British African Caribbean screen practitioners can be consistently acknowledged and recorded for future generations.
The event takes place on 26 October and is supported by Film London Equal Access Network.
Further information about the Screen Nation Hall of Fame and ACCESS ACTION: Stunts Workshop can be found here.
Naila Scargill is the publisher and editor of horror journal Exquisite Terror. Holding a broad editorial background, she has worked with an eclectic variety of content, ranging from film and the counterculture, to political news and finance.
