Southall Black Sisters Launches Film Screenings to Celebrate Feminist Resistance and Community Power with BFI Support
Southall Black Sisters (SBS) is proud to announce its latest initiative in community engagement, supported by National Lottery funding via Film Hub London part of the BFI Film Audience Network. The funding enables SBS to host a series of inspiring film screenings as part of its “Inspiring Through Creativity” strand—an extension of the organisation’s commitment to creating culturally safe, empowering spaces for Black, minoritised, and migrant women.
SBS is a specialist ‘by and for’ Black, minoritised, and migrant women and girls’ organisation offering holistic, wraparound support and a national platform for policy, campaigns, and strategic litigation that empowers women and girls to live free from domestic abuse and violence against women and girls (VAWG). Its work spans advice, campaigning, legal support, and community-based empowerment rooted in intersectional feminist values.
SBS’s Support Group and Community Engagement programme allows service users and their children to participate in meaningful learning and recreational opportunities, such as seminars, English classes, and creative arts projects.
Enabled by this funding, SBS service users will come together to experience powerful documentaries, uplifting narratives, and imaginative cinema—not just on personal screens, but on the big screen, as a collective.
This summer’s screenings will showcase documentaries on women’s activism, the legacy of South Asian feminists in Britain, and celebrate cinema as a tool for healing, solidarity, and social change.
Additionally, SBS service users will have the chance to volunteer and learn new skills such as event management, ushering, health and safety planning, and customer engagement—gaining experience and confidence along the way.
Screening Schedule:
26 July | Dominion Daydreamers Festival
10am – 9pm (SBS slot: 2.30pm – 4pm) FREE
A Fearful Silence (1986), directed by Azad Productions
The Dominion Centre, 112 The Green, Southall UB2 4BQ
Includes a post-screening Q&A on feminist activism and resistance.
12 August | Women’s Activism in Focus: A Documentary Afternoon
2pm – 5pm (Women-only event) FREE
An afternoon of films exploring the South Asian feminist struggle in Britain, followed by a panel discussion with guest speakers.
The Dominion Centre, Southall
This is a women-only screening to offer a safe, inclusive space for reflection and discussion.
Invitation-only Screening
An animated feature film screening for SBS service users and their families—designed to bring joy, escapism, and the full cinema experience to many who can rarely access it.
“There’s something magical about sharing a film with your community—laughing, learning, and spilling popcorn together. These screenings are about connection, visibility, and empowerment.” – SBS spokesperson
Partners and Thanks
This programme is supported by Film Hub London, managed by Film London, as part of the BFI Film Audience Network, with National Lottery funding. SBS is also grateful to The Dominion Centre, House of AEIOU, and a private donor who helped make these events possible.
Notes to Editors
About Southall Black Sisters (SBS)
Founded in 1979, SBS is a pioneering, not-for-profit organisation that advocates for Black, minoritised, and migrant women and girls facing violence and inequality. Through crisis intervention, long-term advocacy, and campaigning, SBS works to advance human rights, dignity, and freedom—addressing the intersections of race, gender, class, immigration status, and disability. More: www.southallblacksisters.org.uk
About Film Hub London and the BFI Film Audience Network
Film Hub London, led by Film London, is part of the UK-wide BFI FAN, working to bring diverse British and international cinema to local audiences. Backed by the National Lottery, FAN supports inclusive access to film through funding, training, and audience development. More: www.filmlondon.org.uk
Contact: Suman Bhuchar
E: [email protected]
