June Givanni, a pioneering curator, writer and programmer of African film, is set to receive Bafta's outstanding British contribution to cinema award. The 73-year-old founded the June Givanni Pan African Cinema Archive (JGPACA) in London, which has amassed over 10,000 items documenting Pan-African cinema over four decades.
The volunteer-run archive is one of the world's most important collections of moving image artefacts from the African continent and its diaspora. Items from the archive have been featured in public exhibitions, most recently at Raven Row in east London.
Givanni told the Guardian the award “gives us an opportunity to tell people what we’re trying to do”. She emphasised the importance of archives, describing them as “not just educational, but also culturally enriching”. She noted that younger people are often amazed by the physical archive, as they assume everything is available online.
Born in British Guiana, Givanni moved to the UK at age seven. Her career includes bringing the first Festival of Third World Cinema to London, working as a film programmer at the Greater London Council, running the BFI's African-Caribbean unit, and co-editing the BFI's Black Film Bulletin.
The special award will be presented during the Baftas ceremony next month. Previous recipients include Derek Jarman, Ken Loach, and Ridley Scott. Bafta CEO Jane Millichip described Givanni as “a pioneering force in the preservation, study and celebration of African and African diaspora cinema and Black British cultural heritage”.
