Feature Documentaries
Award winning documentary films
TOPOWA! NEVER GIVE UP
Winner Best Feature Documentary Berlin Biff 2021
Winner Best Music Documentary Raindance Festival 2020
Winner Standing Up Competition Cleveland Film Festival 2021
MY VIEW: CLEM BURKE
The Beat That Drove Blondie
Nominated Best UK Feature Raindance 2019
Nominated Best Director Copenhagen international Film Festival 2019
TOPOWA!
Never Give Up
TOPOWA! means ‘never give up’ in Ugandan. It is a mantra I use to remind myself everyday of the incredible people I met making this film and the dedication of the teachers and musicians of the Brass For Africa organisation.
Editing the material I shot in Uganda, during lockdown in London 2020 made it even more apparent how important undertaking this project was. Charities have found it tougher than ever through the pandemic and this film has enabled Brass For Africa & its founder Jim Trott (MBE) to be able to share their work & story with the world during these difficult times. I am very proud to have self-funded this project and filmed, edited & directed this film for them.
Filmed in Uganda & The UK, the film features 9 time Emmy award winning Jazz Legend Wynton Marsalis and tells the story of an incredible group of young teachers on a musical journey from the slums of Katwe, Kampala to some of the biggest stages in the UK.
Winner Best Music Documentary Raindance Festival 2020
Winner Best Feature Documentary Berlin Biff Festival 2021
Brass For Africa
CLEM BURKE: MY VIEW
The Beat That Drove Blondie
I’ve been a drummer since i was a boy - grew up listening to Blondie and anything that rocked. Clem Burke’s beats and rhythms were part of my musical awakening, so I was amazed to find his story hadn’t been told.
When the opportunity to tell his incredible story - I leapt at the chance. He’s a living legend & a Hall Of Fame Drummer. 40 yrs as with Blondie, 10 yrs with Eurythmics & an endless list of other bands.
This film took me across the UK and back to New York & LA hunting down contacts and people from Clem’s life to interview and talk about the music and the man behind the beats. It soon became apparent that Clem is one of the good guys, loved and respected by musicians and fans alike. Although he may just be one of the loudest drummers there is - he definitely rocks!
