Black History Month | Professor recognised for contribution to film and creative industries

A documentary film professor at the University of South Wales has been honoured with a Black History community award by First Minister Mark Drakeford, for her contribution to film and creative industries in Wales.

Professor Florence Ayisi was presented with the award at the Black History Wales Youth and Community Awards, hosted by Race Council Cymru earlier this month. She was also congratulated by the First Minister and Jane Hutt MS, Minister for Social Justice, at a special recognition event at the Senedd.

Born in Cameroon, Prof Ayisi is Professor of International Documentary Film at USW where she teaches diverse aspects of film history, theory, transnational cinema and documentary film theory and practice.

Her research focuses on creating positive narratives of African culture, lived experiences and gender identity, using her extensive experience of producing documentary films and collaborating with diverse marginalised groups and communities to help give them a voice.

Prof Ayisi’s films have been screened at numerous international film festivals and have won several prestigious awards. Most recently, she joined a group of female professors from nine UK universities in the £2.5million UKRI funded research project, Co-POWer, to explore the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the well-being and resilience of BAME (Black and Minority Ethnic) families and communities.

On winning the Black History Community Award, she said: “I feel honoured and very privileged to have been recognised in this way by Race Council Cymru, especially having received congratulations from the First Minister and Minister for Social Justice.