John Boyega and Converse Project Aims to Nurture the Next Generation of Rising Filmmakers

The Elephant Room, Ego Curate, Bounce Cinema and director/photographer Filmawi have collaborated with Converse and John Boyega to bring to life the Create Next Film Project, a global campaign and 6-month mentorship programme.

The Project sees John Boyega and Converse shine a light on five young, ambitious and undiscovered London filmmakers, Ade Femzo, Kaylen Francis, Kemi Anna Adeeko, Lorraine Khamali and Ibrahim Muhammad, to help them step into the film industry.

“There is a wealth of Black talent looking to start out in the film industry and my mission is to help them. So few jobs are filled by Black talent, this partnership with Converse is the first step in me trying to address that,” John Boyega.

The campaign, created alongside The Elephant Room and Ego Curate, features John Boyega and the five rising filmmakers, and speaks to young creatives across the world, chasing ambitious futures for themselves.

Director and photographer, Filmawi, was chosen to bring to life campaign. As a young Black creative, he brought first-hand experience to the project and will be involved in the mentorship of the five filmmakers.

Filmawi Efrem, director and photographer: “For me this was not only about filmmaking, but to show how you are in control of what you want to be, you are the creator of your own success even when all odds are against you, and when I heard that Converse and John Boyega were joining forces to give this amazing opportunity to the next generation, I knew I wanted to be part of it.

The campaign depicts the five filmmakers working late into the night on their films, throughout London.

Jenai Khemal, creative director: “This was a story that we knew was personal to John. He has spoken about growing up, and how he would spend night after night, practicing his craft in his bedroom, his was always the last light on in his block”.

The decision to hero the filmmakers alongside John Boyega, to put them on an equal footing, was key to the campaign.

Nina Taylor, creative director: “We knew we wanted to create a campaign that would bring real impact to the community and inspire the next generation of filmmakers to recognize that they are the ones who’ll change the future.”

Whilst the initial campaign introduces the five filmmakers, it is just the start of the journey. They will also take part in a six-month programme with mentorship and support from John Boyega, creatives from across the Converse network, Mathieu Ajan from Bounce Cinema and Shannie Mears from The Elephant Room. They’ll also receive funding to create a five-minute short film at the end of their journey. The programme will also include events which will be open to the wider creative community.

“This project isn’t only about five filmmakers. It’s really about every aspiring Black filmmaker in London and beyond. We’re going to document the process so the community can grow alongside the All Stars in this program – learn what they’re learning, seeing what they’re seeing. Converse has a campaign to ‘Create Next,’ and I really feel that’s what we’re going to achieve with this initiative,” John Boyega.

Javier Alejandro EP at NOIR comments: "This is the type of work that will shape the production world of the future. This is something we couldn't wait to be a part of. Our industry has been calling for change and it is brands like Converse, who can recognise ways to support culture, creativity and filmmakers of the future, that will help make that tangible change. Filmawi was a perfect fit for this project because he is a director who can capture authentic stories with an aesthetic that is relevant to the culture of Converse wearers today. Not only that, he could understand how to let the personalities of each of these filmmakers shine in their own right."