S.O.U.L. Fest x ABFF London Corrects Schedule for Its Two Sony Pictures Entertainment Industry Conversations
- Sahndra Fon Dufe
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
From Shadow to Set moves into the festival's Sunday closing slot, while Beyond the Screen shifts to Saturday afternoon, alongside the UK first look at Gina Prince-Bythewood's Children of Blood and Bone, as the UK's leading Black British film festival finalizes programming for its eighth edition.
![Beyond the Screen .Credit : S.O.U.L. Fest x ABFF London]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/7199b8_d4488e5c9a214fdebfffc9380d105944~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_736,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/7199b8_d4488e5c9a214fdebfffc9380d105944~mv2.jpg)
S.O.U.L. Fest x ABFF London has issued an updated schedule for its two Sony Pictures Entertainment-presented industry conversations, swapping the days, times and rooms originally announced for both sessions ahead of the festival's eighth edition, running 5–13 September 2026 across Newcastle, Birmingham and London.
Beyond the Screen Moves to Saturday
Beyond the Screen: Black British Talent, Anime and the Future of Storytelling now screens Saturday, 12 September at 12:30 p.m. in NFT2 at BFI Southbank, presented by Sony Pictures Entertainment with Crunchyroll. The conversation examines anime's growing influence on sport, music, fandom and world-building, and how Black creatives, athletes and performers are shaping that space.
The panel is moderated by multimedia journalist Raquel and brings together Crunchyroll Presents: The Anime Effect co-host LeAlec Murray (The Anime Effect), West Ham United and England footballer Kyle Walker-Peters, and rapper and manga author Shao Dow (The Way of Shao, DiY Gang Entertainment).
From Shadow to Set Closes Out the Festival Weekend
From Shadow to Set: Opening Doors for Emerging Directors now holds the festival's Sunday, 13 September slot, at 3:30 p.m. in NFT3 at BFI Southbank, presented by Sony Pictures Entertainment with Left Bank Pictures. The conversation looks at how director-shadowing programs open access to high-end productions for emerging Black British directors and strengthen the industry's directing pipeline.
UK First Look, Children of Blood, Credit: S.O.U.L. Fest x ABFF London
The panel features BAFTA-winning producer Simon Maloney (Time, I May Destroy You), IFTA-nominated director John Hayes (This City Is Ours, Nightsleeper), and writer-director and S.O.U.L. Fest alumnus Dean Leon Anderson (Jasper, Class 15), moderated by Valeria Bullo, production wellbeing and inclusion consultant and co-founder of Cinemamas (Selma, Suffragette, Judy).
Where the Conversations Sit in the Wider Weekend
Both sessions now fall within the festival's closing BFI Southbank weekend (11–13 September), alongside the UK first look at Gina Prince-Bythewood's Children of Blood and Bone on Saturday, 12 September at 2:45 p.m. Prince-Bythewood will present the exclusive footage in person, followed by a Q&A with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tosin Cole, Lashana Lynch and Zackary Momoh, moderated by Akua Gyamfi. The S.O.U.L. Fest x ABFF London Awards close out the festival on Sunday, 13 September.
Festival founder Iyare Igiehon and ABFF co-founder Nicole Friday have both emphasized this year's expanded footprint, which for the first time carries the festival from BFI Southbank to MAC Birmingham and Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle.
We'll be tracking the full run of S.O.U.L. Fest x ABFF London's eighth edition as it unfolds across three cities, and this scheduling update is worth bookmarking if you're planning your BFI Southbank weekend around either conversation.
Tickets are on sale now. The eighth edition of S.O.U.L. Fest x ABFF London runs 5–13 September 2026, with the online industry programme running 7–10 September. Full programme and tickets: soulfilmfest.co.uk
We'll be following up with interviews around both panels as the festival approaches.
Know of an opportunity or event we should be covering? Send it our way.
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