Qureshi remains disturbed by his treatment.
This work is incredibly important to us, he said in a statement.
He was also an Associate Producer onLeaving Neverland, HBOs Emmy-winning Michael Jackson documentary.
BFI-backed ‘Rye Lane‘ is generating buzz
He complained about a funding meeting with a BFI online grid representative in Sheffield in March 2019.
In reality, Qureshi made no such allegation.
It was the fourth time he had met with BFI representatives to discuss his concerns.
She compared the BFI to the Titanic, saying that the organization may have already hit an iceberg.
The collaboration with What If will continue into 2023.
The BFI, replying through a generic customer services address, did not engage with either request.
Qureshi asked a number of questions about Verita, which went unanswered.
He has not received any correspondence from the BFI since last November.
The BFI admitted that it does not have the perfect system for handling complaints.
This will include named individuals replying to complaints instead of a generic customer response email, which upset Qureshi.
We realise that we dont have a perfect system and we are working hard to make it more user-friendly.
Written Complaints To The BFI
Qureshi is not alone.
The person questioned if the BFI only wanted Black directors to make films about the Black experience.
This should be considered a form of racism, the complainant said.
The organizations response was delayed because of internal miscommunication.
The BFI added that it had a huge amount of very strong applications.
The complaint was not upheld.
The pair expressed their dismay at the BFI overlooking filmmakers of color in funding decisions.
Since the great racial reckoning in 2020, I havent seen much improvement, Richardson said.
There is something about the systemic nature of the way these projects have been handled, he said.
Unless you have a very serious approach to dealing with this, then it wont be dealt with.
The BFIs own figures offer a counter-narrative.
This exceeds its target of 30%.
These include Reggie YatesPiratesand Basil KhalilsA Gaza Weekend.
Weve seen real progress in the diversity of storytelling supported through the BFI Film Fund, Roberts said.
None of the filmmakers accused any specific BFI executives of discrimination, rather they said the issues were systemic.
Filmmakers said similar concerns could be leveled at BBC Film and Film4.
Indeed, many said the BFI is doing more to tackle systemic issues than its publicly-funded peers.
This idea of creative renewal was communicated to Film Fund boss Mia Bays during her listening tour last year.
Several execs have been in their jobs too long.
The BFI appears to have engaged with this concern.
We can reveal that all new Film Fund recruits will be on fixed-term contracts.
All applications are assessed in relation to the BFIs diversity standards introduced in 2014.
If you dont recognize and see the problem, you cant be part of the solution.
And sometimes you cant recognize the problem because youre part of the problem.
