Shortly after graduating from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Naomi Ackie gave a breakthrough performance in Lady Macbeth, which saw her receive the British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer. She followed it with a key role in Yardie and appearances in a number of TV series, including The End of the F***ing World. After playing Jannah in Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker and taking a lead role in the final film of Steve McQueen’s Small Axe project, she gave an incendiary, star-making turn as Whitney Houston in I Wanna Dance with Somebody.
Naomi Ackie has subsequently balanced bigger studio films with indie fare. She starred in Blink Twice and the sci-fi blockbuster Mickey 17, alongside The Thursday Murder Club, a cameo in the dystopian documentary hybrid 2073 and an Independent Spirit Best Supporting Award-winning performance in Sorry, Baby. Naomi Ackie comes to the festival as one of the stars of Boots Riley’s wildly irreverent satire I Love Boosters.
Hosted by Grace Barber-Plentie, BFI London Film Festival programmer.
Welcome to the BFI, bringing you exclusive Screen Talks and Filmmaker Q&As from London’s BFI Southbank cinema venue
