From Homeless To Chasing An Oscar Ray Woolford
Black News 
From Homeless To Chasing An Oscar.
A Story almost as extraordinary as the Film " Afeni Shakur and the Trial of the Black Panther 21 " thats smashing it this film festival season with 20 Global Film Festival awards so far and hopefully on track to get on both Oscar and Bafta long lists for 2026.
Quite an achievement for Ray Woolford the community gay activist from Lewisham South East London , who started life in the care system, runaway to start life homeless on the streets of London to find his tribe , built the UK's first Property Social Enterprise during the AIDS crisis before selling in 2016 to open the UK's largest Independent food banks "We Care in Deptford".
He went on to write book "Food Bank Britain" that helped change the way some food banks operate and when Covid arrived, he built a community network that kept and supported 5000 vulnerable people across London, while using this community model to inspire others through his first film project
" Feeding Lewisham " you can google this award winning short film .
In 2023 His Film about the UK's LGBTQ Civil Rights history through the activism of "Scot Kath Duncan" one of the most important UK Civil Rights leaders over the past 100 years, which become the hit film ( Kath Duncan the Untold Story of the struggle for Civil rights - NOW on Vimeo on Demand ) of the 2023 Film Festival season winning almost 60 global film awards across 5 continents, losing out to Oscar and Bafta success because at just 40 minutes it was to long for a short and to short for a long.
"Today Ray hopes this true story, which has never told before, of the most inspiring Black Civil Rights case's in US history " Afeni Shakur and the Trial of the Panther 21 " will correct history , as it is its now on track to be a success with 20 global awards to hit the nomination long lists for 2026 awards.
Tickets for the London West End Premier only in advance for Black History Month from Event Brite
"Ray adds, this is story that I hope informs its audience and I feel needed to be told in the age of Trump and global Civil Rights abuses so prominent, a film about a poor working class woman who took on the system as Afeni did and won, in Rays opinion is as important as other Black Civil Rights Leaders stories such as Malcolm X or Martin Luther King "
