The British Urban Film Festival (BUFF) has announced the appointment of Kelechi Ehenulo as its new Artistic Director, marking a significant new chapter for the BAFTA-qualifying festival as it moves from its traditional October slot to 4-9 May 2026 for the first time in its history.
The appointment comes as BUFF enters its third decade, with the calendar shift designed to expand the festival’s cultural visibility, strengthen industry engagement and align the programme more closely with the wider film and awards calendar.
Ehenulo is a freelance film critic and producer whose work has appeared in Empire Magazine, Digital Spy, GamesRadar, Movie Marker, Film Stories and The Daily Mirror, among others. She has covered major UK festivals including London, Glasgow and Manchester, and has previously served as an awards juror for the BUFF Film Festival and the Grierson Awards.
She is a member of the London Critics’ Circle, the UK Film Critics Association, the Black Film Critics Circle, the Online Association of Female Film Critics, the International Film Society Critics Association and Rotten Tomatoes. As a producer, her credits include The ReStore (ITV), The Dating Pool (Channel 4), and The Sickle Cell Diaries News Report (Channel 4 News) for Renaissance Studios.
“I’m delighted to become BUFF’s Artistic Director for their 2026 season,” Ehenulo said. “Film has always been a passionate love for me, and this role presents an exciting opportunity to usher in the next generation of filmmakers from our community. I’m looking forward to the journey ahead and the stories that will shape and inspire us.”
A New Model Supporting Filmmaker Sustainability
As part of its 2026 evolution, BUFF is also introducing a new box office revenue share and post-festival reporting model for selected feature films screening in person at the festival.
Under the initiative, participating filmmakers will receive 70% of the net box office from qualifying screenings after the cinema split, with BUFF retaining the balance to support festival delivery. In addition, BUFF will provide a guaranteed post-festival sales report for each participating film, detailing verified ticket sales and audience performance data.
The report is designed to support future distribution, funding and exhibition conversations by offering clear, credible evidence of audience demand.
This initiative reflects BUFF’s ongoing commitment to filmmaker sustainability, transparency and long-term creative viability.
Further announcements relating to the 2026 programme will be made in due course.
British Urban Film Festival 2026
Dates: 4-9 May 2026
Location: Genesis Cinema, Mile End, London