The British Film Institute (BFI) has taken a Black Lives Matter activist to court over an alleged £216,000 sponsorship debt.
The activist faces having her company liquidated after being taken to court by the British Film Institute (BFI) over the alleged debt.
A petition was launched by the BFI against Alisha Hall, 41, and her Hall Media Group Limited over the large sum it says is missing.
The money was for the London Film Festival in October 2021, which was attended by Hollywood stars, and was due from Hall’s The Liberation Initiatives, it is claimed.
Such was the significance of the donation she was even mentioned in the BFI’s annual report.
At the time BFI announced of the 65th festival: ‘This year we were joined for the first time by The Liberation Initiatives as Main Partner, who supported a number of key programmes and helped in our continued efforts to make LFF more inclusive to underrepresented communities.’
The Liberation Initiatives calls itself ‘a force for systematic change against the social & economic disadvantages faced by marginalised communities’.
It was founded in the aftermath of George Floyd‘s death in America.
According to court documents, the amount sought when the case was launched in August 2022 was £216,000 which the BFI alleges was not paid by the media group.
TBB claims it is owed money by the media firm director over a brunch to celebrate UK-based Black film and TV creatives during the festival.
The creative platform alleges that she did not supply the promised funds, so it had to foot the £35,000 bill upfront and was not reimbursed.
Hall, with a spokesperson for her company disputes both sets of allegations: ‘We are extremely proud of the work we do for marginalised communities in the UK, and the support we have provided over the years to a variety of community groups, Black entrepreneurs, and creatives.
‘In light of the legal process underway, it would be inappropriate to comment further other than to say we do not believe the BFI’s complaint has merit and we look forward to making our case in court.’
The BFI told DailyMail: ‘Proceedings against Hall Media Group Limited in respect of sums owed to the BFI are ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment whilst those proceedings remain live.’
