 First of all, I must thank Linda Way for her very generous citation, and so as for this significant award. It's an honour, and I'm very humbled to receive this award. I've been surrounded from the beginning of my career by people who are passionate about life, about humanity and spirituality, and about the world we live in. These are the things that have inspired me. And if I could do the same for others, then I would be fulfilled. I started with a desire to address his representation, as Linda Way has said, of black people in the world. A world I experienced in the mid-1950s when I came to England as a child from the Caribbean. It amazed me that so little was known about or expected of black people, so that by the time I reached higher education, it became a priority to address this misrepresentation of the histories and cultures of African diaspora people and people of colour. In this respect, cinema and the visual media are extremely powerful tools, and I was convinced that if people were able to see the world through the work of writers, filmmakers and artists, and celebrate what African and African diaspora cinema had to offer, we would all be greatly enriched. When I became active in cinema in the early 80s, around 1982, there was still an absence of black people in the field. So cinema emanating from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and African America represented new ways, not just of telling stories in cinema, but also demonstrated how the medium could challenge orthodox practices and master the technology in the service of history and humanity in all of its glory. This cinema placed humanity at the centre of the cinematic agenda and challenged the power that lay behind the structures, the cannons and the dominant technologies of the industry. This was exciting. The power of cinema to conceal and to reveal were too important for people of colour not to master it or their contribution undervalued. So one of the early interventions I made was to produce with the British Film Institute two catalogue editions listing all of the black films internationally that were available here in the UK to encourage other curators who didn't know about this work to actually seek it out, to find it and to use it. Valuing it is the heart of my passion. I value not only the films, but also the historic moments that mark the development of this cinema. All we can do is value things that we feel are deserving. History will do the rest. I began collecting materials, films, images, posters, scripts simply to help my work as a curator a couple of decades down the line and a big physical collection later. This is pre-digital of course. They have become the currency. This growing archive began to feel historically urgent. I was surrounded by generations of people who did not know these filmmakers nor had they seen the films. Work that is a valuable witness to black history and culture. I was convinced that subsequent generations can use this material to explore, celebrate and challenge history. To better understand and make sense of the world today better still to build their own expressions of the contemporary, recognising the value of the past. In the words of one of my dear friends and respected colleagues, the filmmaker Raoul Peck, the work is witness to what he describes using the past to speak to the present. This was why I felt it was important to establish the Junjuwani Pan-African Cinema Archive and begin to build the possibility for curators, filmmakers, artists, historians and others to have access to the collection of films, audio, photographic and other artistic and paper based materials. For a number of reasons working as an independent organisation in the field of archiving has been uniquely challenging, particularly without funding or support that such institutions usually have access to. At this juncture in my life and career I realise what is most important are the underlying values and passions that sustain me especially when working in a field where challenges of fears and the material rewards often few. My confidence and my deep belief in humanity is grounded in my faith. It has to sustain me, surrounded me with great people and given the essence of purpose. This is a significant foundation for whatever we want to do in life. An award like this provides much needed encouragement and I will endeavour to use this great privilege to take the work of the archive further, not only for the filmmakers and artists whose work I greatly value but also for the young and the old generally who deserve the opportunity of knowing and experiencing a rich cultural heritage. I thank the filmmakers and colleagues here and around the world whose generosity has permitted me to do the work that I do and many of whose work is in the archive and to whom I am eternally grateful. Finally, my mum was born a hundred years ago like Nelson Mandela, one of her heroes. Unfortunately she died nine years ago, two days before Michael Jackson whose music and artistry brought her great joy. But had she been here to witness this occasion she would have been enormously proud just as she was for my sister, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I thank them all for their support including my son Jan, my granddaughter Viva and all the other family members and close friends and colleagues who have been here to support me this week. I thank you all.