Moonlight Winner of the 2017 Oscar for Best Picture (eventually!), Barry Jenkins’ intoxicating drama follows the furtive life of a gay black boy through 80s Miami. Drama 2016 111 mins Barry Jenkins I Am Not Your Negro Raoul Peck’s penetrating and acclaimed documentary reconstructs an unfinished manuscript by James Baldwin, chronicler of America’s Civil Rights Movement. Documentary Biopic 2016 94 mins Raoul Peck Daughters of the Dust Julie Dash’s groundbreaking Daughters of the Dust remains urgent and poetic and continues to resonate, inspiring Beyoncé’s iconic visual album Lemonade. Drama 1991 112 mins Julie Dash A United Kingdom Amma Assante (Belle) directs this impassioned drama starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike depicting an interracial romance that changed the world. Drama 2016 111 mins Amma Asante Selma David Oyelowo’s stunning performance as Martin Luther King Jr. adorns this gripping account of the campaign that changed the course of American civil rights. Biopic Historical drama 2015 128 mins Ava DuVernay The Fits Toni, an eleven year-old tomboy, finds a new purpose when an epidemic of seizures strikes her dance class, in this riveting and psychological character portrait from filmmaker Anna Rose Holmer. Drama 2015 72 mins Anna Rose Holmer Southside with You This smart, sophisticated, Sundance-nominated romance follows the first date of a couple who would go on to change the world – Barack and Michelle Obama. Biopic Romance 2016 84 mins Richard Tanne Urban Hymn In the wake of the London riots, teenager Jamie (Letitia Wright) finds herself at a crossroads; until music offers an unexpected path to salvation. Drama 2016 114 mins Michael Caton-Jones The Weekend Street-smart Hackney comedy about three friends whose unexpected cash windfall funds the mother of all parties; from the talents behind YouTube hit Mandem on the Wall. Comedy 2016 94 mins Sheridan De Myers Chi-Raq Spike Lee’s bold and vivacious hip-hop musical restages an ancient Greek battle-of-the-sexes in 21st-century Chicago. Musical Comedy 2015 127 mins Spike Lee Do the Right Thing Spike Lee’s pacy, punchy, provocative fable chronicles a sweltering, fateful day in Brooklyn. Comedy Drama 1989 120 mins Spike Lee Pulp Fiction Quentin Tarantino’s crackling crime classic still retains its swagger as one of the great American films of recent decades. Crime 1994 154 mins Quentin Tarantino Brotherhood A decade after the release of Adulthood, Sam (Noel Clarke) is trying to keep his family safe while simmering old grudges threaten to resurface. Crime 2016 104 mins Noel Clarke Kidulthood Noel Clarke and Menhaj Huda’s explosive youth film follows the drug, sex and crime-fuelled antics of a group of West London teens over the course of a single day. Drama 2006 91 mins Menhaj Huda Adulthood After being released from prison following a murder charge, Sam Peel (Noel Clarke) attempts to reboot his life and seek redemption. Drama 2008 99 mins Noel Clarke Ray Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for his extraordinary performance as Ray Charles, in a film that revived the potency of the musical biopic. Biopic 2004 152 mins Taylor Hackford Race The remarkable story of Jesse Owens, the grandson of a slave whose athletic feats defied Nazi ideology at the 1936 Olympics. Biopic Sport 2016 135 mins Stephen Hopkins Fast Girls The four young runners on the Team GB women's relay team battle to overcome rivalries and personal demons in time for the World Athletics Championship. Sport Drama 2012 91 mins Regan Hall 12 Years a Slave Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender star in Steve McQueen’s fearless, Oscar-winning story of a free man who’s sold into slavery. Biopic Historical drama 2014 134 mins Steve McQueen Triple 9 Chiwetel Ejiofor, Casey Affleck, Kate Winslet and Woody Harrelson make up the heavyweight cast for John Hillcoat’s (The Proposition) stunning heist thriller. Crime 2015 115 mins John Hillcoat Half of a Yellow Sun Thandie Newton and Chiwetel Ejiofor star in the acclaimed adaption of the Orange Prize-winning novel. Drama 2014 111 mins Biyi Bandele-Thomas For Colored Girls An ensemble cast including Janet Jackson and Whoopi Goldberg bring to life Ntozake Shange's extraordinary 1975 play about the experiences of black women. Drama 2010 134 mins Tyler Perry Beasts of the Southern Wild Set in a Deep South delta, Zeitlin’s feature debut takes a child’s eye view of poverty, adult apathy and ecological crisis. Hallucinatory fare Drama 2012 93 mins Benh Zeitlin Dreams of a Life The power of kinship is explored in Carol Morley’s drama-documentary, drawn from real life and resonant with the way we live now. Documentary 2011 91 mins Carol Morley American Gangster Ridley Scott’s heavyweight crime drama follows the rise and fall of drug-runner Frank Lucas, commandingly portrayed by Denzel Washington. Crime Thriller 2007 157 mins Ridley Scott Bustin' Loose Richard Pryor sets out on the road to redemption, as an ex-con ferrying a busload of troubled kids on a wild cross-country adventure. Comedy 1981 93 mins Oz Scott Car Wash Richard Pryor, Bill Duke, Antonio Fargas are among the ensemble cast for the cult comedy set in a California car wash. Comedy 1976 96 mins Michael Schultz Blue Collar Richard Pryor and Harvey Keitel star in Paul Schrader’s great, gritty 1970s drama, one of the rare Hollywood films to tackle American labour. Industry sponsored film 1978 114 mins Paul Schrader Brewster's Millions Richard Pryor plays the everyman who inherits a vast estate with a massive catch: he’ll have to spend $30million in 30 days in order to inherit it all. Comedy 1985 101 mins Walter Hill The Wiz NYC becomes Oz in the cult, urban reimagining of the family favourite, featuring an all-African American cast including Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. Fantasy Musical 1978 134 mins Sidney Lumet Imitation of Life Douglas Sirk’s final Hollywood film is a masterpiece of melodrama, for which Juanita Moore became the fifth African-American Oscar-nominee. Melodrama 1959 125 mins Douglas Sirk Night of the Living Dead Landmark film from 'zombie godfather' Romero, whose makeshift heroes fight for their lives against a new and terrifying enemy. Horror 1968 96 mins George A. Romero Sidney's Chair What do you do when a Hollywood star makes a film in your neighbourhood? Nick his chair, of course! Drama 1995 21 mins Roberto Bangura Attack the Block Aliens wage war on a tower block after one of their number is bludgeoned by a street gang in this witty, action-packed feature debut by Joe Cornish. Crime Science Fiction 2011 88 mins Joe Cornish Baby A young woman attracts the attention of a street criminal after she prevents his gang from pick-pocketing. Drama 2010 25 mins Second Coming What if an immaculate conception took place in a South London household? Idris Elba stars in a subtle, thought-provoking and original family drama. Drama 2015 105 mins debbie tucker green The Glass Shield The first black recruit in his squad, rookie cop J.J. Johnson (Michael Boatman) struggles to adapt to life on the force, in this thrilling drama from acclaimed director Charles Burnett (Killer of Sheep). Drama 1994 110 mins Charles Burnett Trespass Rap legends Ice Cube and Ice-T share a screen for the first time as gang members facing off against firemen hunting for a stash of gold. Crime Thriller 1992 101 mins Walter Hill Gridlock'd Tupac Shakur’s penultimate film is his most impressive; a darkly humorous drama in which he takes a daring role as a heroin addict. Drama 1997 91 mins Vondie Curtis Hall 20 Feet from Stardom This moving documentary shines a spotlight on the backing singers behind some of the great musical hits of the 21st century. Documentary 2013 87 mins Morgan Neville Midnight Breaks Big Audio Dynamite’s Don Letts made his acting debut in this gripping, gritty 1990 drama of dreads, drugs, and music business corruption. 1988 113 mins Laurens C. Postma Deliver Us from Eva LL Cool J plays the ultimate player, hired to seduce the sister-in-law from hell. Comedy Drama 2003 105 mins Gary Hardwick Eve's Bayou Samuel L. Jackson stars in this seething slice of Southern Gothic, about the travails of a Louisiana family bedevilled by infidelity, incest and witchcraft. Drama 1997 115 mins Kasi Lemmons Girlhood In the tough suburbs of Paris, sixteen-year-old Marieme decides to reinvent herself when she joins a girl gang. Drama 2014 113 mins Céline Sciamma A Screaming Man Haroun's tale of tension between a father and son working at a hotel pool in war-torn Chad has the emotional power and stark inexorability of tragedy Drama 2010 87 mins Mahamat-Saleh Haroun Something New A high-flying black professional finally finds the man of her dreams, only for her family to disapprove because he’s a white guy. 2006 100 mins Sanaa Hamri Daddy's Little Girls Idris Elba’s kickstarted his Hollywood film career as a mechanic trying to win back his kids’ custody, in this melodrama from black auteur Tyler Perry. 2007 96 mins Tyler Perry The Best Man Malcolm D. Lee set the standard for middle-class black comedy with this smart, chic feature about a best man whose indiscreet novel scuppers the wedding plans. Comedy Drama 1999 120 mins Malcolm D. Lee Black Star-crossed lovers from rival street gangs conduct an illicit affair in this pulsating urban romance. Drama 2015 90 mins Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi
