Black Burns Fast + Short + Introduction + Workshop
Black Burns Fast
Sandulela Asanda | South Africa | 2025 | English & isiXhosa with English subtitles | CC | 96m
Scottish Premiere
Seventeen-year-old Luthando, adorkable, bookish, and forever drifting between reality and her vivid inner world, returns for another year at a prestigious South African all-girls’ boarding school. Behind its manicured lawns and bright, busy corridors, the school hides a deceptively conservative culture where reputation is everything, and nonconformity is quietly disciplined. As the lone scholarship girl, Luthando has learned to keep her head down, her marks up, and her mother’s strict expectations close to heart.
Her world tilts when Ayanda, a bold and effortlessly magnetic new student, arrives. Their connection sparks into something that Luthando has only ever daydreamed about. As they begin a secret romance, Luthando is ushered into Ayanda’s orbit of confident, carefree friends, tasting freedom she’s never experienced within the school’s rigid walls.
The feature will be screened alongside short film:
ChikaBOOM!
C. Craig Patterson | US | 2026 | English | CC | 9m
UK Premiere
Chika Batstone is an aspiring young magician whose curiosity accidentally unleashes Kaboom, a chaotic magical creature, into the heart of New York City. With her world-famous magician father, The Amazin’ Arnie, performing nearby, Chika must contain the mayhem before it’s too late. Featuring the voice cast of Yara Shahidi, Daveed Diggs, Natasha Lyonne, Roy Wood Jr and Tika Sumpter.
Click here to book your ticket for this event.
Tickets are £13 with an Access Ticket option of £5, in order to make this event as accessible as possible to those on a low income. You can choose what you pay based on your circumstances – you won’t be asked for any proof/ID. We just ask that you are honest!
This screening includes an introduction from queer feminist writer, activist, healer, life coach and award-winning documentary and feature film producer Rosie Motene.
The screening will be followed by a free zine making workshop facilitated by Martha Adonai Williams.
Before group chats and DMs, there were folded notes. Passed across classrooms, slipped into pockets, scribbled in margins. Tiny paper vessels carrying crushes, secrets, questions, confessions…
A zine isn’t so different. A single sheet of paper, folded into a story, a memory, a secret.
Taking the intimate gesture and materiality of ‘the note’ as our starting point, we’ll use collage, writing and drawing to make new zines inspired by first love, hidden feelings, friendship, longing, and the people who helped us become ourselves. Whether you’re reflecting on your own coming-of-age or coming out story, imagining one, or celebrating the friendships that have shaped you, you’ll leave with a folded message to keep or pass on to a friend, a lover or maybe even a crush.
Tickets to workshop must be booked separately here.
Presented in partnership with Jali Collective for the Jali Film Weekender.
Accessibility
This event has:
- English-BSL interpretation for the introduction and workshop.
- English, isiXhosa audio with English language Descriptive Subtitles.
- Live Captioning for the introduction and workshop. The live captioner for this event is Louisa McDaid.
This screening is 105 minutes long and has an age recommendation of N/C 15+
If you need any other provisions, please let us know by emailing [email protected] with your name, ticket information and access request. We will do our best to work with you whilst also managing the capacity of the venue. Thank you for working with us on this.
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Supported by Screen Scotland and Film Hub Scotland (part of the BFI Film Audience Network), all awarding National Lottery funding.
Image Credit: Black Burns Fast, Dir. Sandulela Asanda, 2025