Film writer shortlisted for Academy Awards 2019

Barnaby Blackburn’s Wale tackles the issues of social injustice and racial discrimination.

And the award-winning psychological thriller has been selected for several Oscar BAFTA qualifying film festivals since its completion earlier last year and took home the top prizes at Bronzelens and Dances with Films, qualifying the films for the 2019 Academy Awards.

Wale, which stars newcomer Raphel Famotibe and Game of Thrones star James Sives, is the story of an 18-year-old mobile mechanic, who learned his trade while serving time in Aylesbury, the young offender’s institution.

Award-winning Blackburn wrote Wale in 2016 and during the past five years has created several promos for well-known brands like Nike and Land Rover.

At only 26 the director, who founded his production company Dark Glass Films with production partner Ed Speleers in 2017, won a BAFTA for his promo for BBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics.