John Boyega and Converse Debut All Star Filmmakers Short Films

After six highly anticipated months, John Boyega and Converse’s cohort of all star filmmakers have unveiled their films to the world. Hosted by radio host Julie Adenuga at London’s Curzon Cinema, the premiere saw the five all stars share their experiences of working on their first major production, and the support they’ve received from the Star Wars alumni.

The group is the second instalment of Converse’s All Star Program, which launched in 2020 to fund and mentor the next generation of young creatives. Joining forces with John Boyega, the footwear brand set its sights on the film industry, focusing on nurturing rising Black filmmakers, in attempts to address underrepresentation and access issues.

Taking part in mentoring sessions from industry experts such as screenwriters, editors and cinematographers, the budding filmmakers also had support from Bounce Cinema, an organisation that provides emerging talent with access to the film industry, who helped to produce their films.

Speaking about the journey, filmmaker Kemi Anna Adeeko said: “It’s been such a growing experience. I’ve been pushed creatively and developed a lot of new skill sets.” Of the collaboration with Converse and John Boyega, she added that they’ve “been amazing to work with, always dropping gems and genuinely caring about our stories and our growth.”

Watch the 5 All Stars’ debut films below: 

22-year-old Kemi, the co-founder of creative agency Nuff Said, debuted her film ‘Stuck’, the story of a young family who migrate from Nigeria and discover life in the UK for the first time. 

Watch ‘Stuck’ here.

23-year-old Kaylen Francis’ film ‘The Healer’ follows the first Black British superhero dealing with life on the run.

Watch ‘The Healer’ here.

22-year-old Lorraine Khamali, a filmmaker and photographer, takes viewers back to the days of vinyl records with her film ‘Zigzag”. 

Watch ‘Zigzag’ here.

21-year-old Ade Femzo, actor and founder of ACP Network, a creative platform for people to learn about the film industry firsthand, debuted ‘Drop Out’, a peek into the battle of words between a mother and her son, an aspiring musician. 

Watch ‘Drop Out’ here.

19-year-old Photographer Ibrahim Muhammad’s ‘Only Child’ is a film about how the loss of main character Anna’s mum gives her a chance to reconnect with her estranged father.

Watch ‘Only Child’ here.

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