F-Rated Podcast

Amma Asante MBE - director

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Episode notes

Amma Asante MBE is a multi-award winning writer and director who won a BAFTA for her first film, A Way of Life (2004). This made Amma the first Black director to win a BAFTA Film Award for writing and directing a feature film. The film went on to garner 17 additional awards worldwide, including FIPRESCI, and Grand Jury prizes.

Her follow up movie, Belle (2013) drew widespread critical acclaim, going on to become one of the highest grossing independent films of the year and saw Amma named one of CNN’s Leading Women of 2014, as well as being named by Variety as one of their 10 Directors to watch.

In 2016, A United Kingdom, (2016) directed by Amma for Pathé and Fox Searchlight US, was released and its European Premiere saw Amma celebrated as the first Black director to open the BFI London Film Festival in its 60 year history.

Amma’s most recent film, is Where Hands Touch (2018). The film which was inspired by historical events, is set in 1944 Germany and stars Amandla Stenberg.. She has also directed episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale (season 3) and the critically acclaimed “Shirley” and “Betty” episodes of Cate Blanchett’s first US television series, Mrs America.

Amma was so insightful that we have split her F-Rated Podcast into two: this is Part One, about her childhood, growing up with Ghanaian parents in Streatham, working on Grange Hill as a child actor and writing her first screenplay.