PICTUREEAST FILM FESTIVAL
Black News 
Thursday 5th February 2026: Actress Idil Ahmed, star of the acclaimed feature film Lollipop, took
part in an engaging Q&A session during this year’s PICTUREEAST FILM FESTIVAL (PEFF),
following a screening of the film at A House For Artists.
The post-screening discussion saw Ahmed speak openly with festival audiences about her
leading role in Lollipop, the film’s themes, and the creative journey behind the project. Audience
members engaged in a wide-ranging conversation covering representation on screen,
independent filmmaking, and the importance of telling nuanced stories rooted in lived
experience.
Lollipop, from director Daisy-May Hudson and also starring Posy Sterling, is a moving drama that
follows Molly, a young woman released from prison, who struggles to regain custody of her
children. When she bumps into her childhood friend Amina the two women soon realise their only
chance is to join forces and take destiny into their own hands. The film offers an intimate portrait
of identity, resilience and belonging. The film was a standout selection in the PictureEast
programme, with Ahmed’s performance receiving a warm response from audiences. The film was
recently recognised at the Girls On Film Awards, where the lead duo won the ‘Best Female
Friendship On Screen’ Award, while Lollipop filmmaker Daisy-May Hudson received the Activist
Impact Award which honours the recipients’ activism in supporting the fight for gender equality
across the film industry.Ahmed’s portrayal in Lollipop anchors the film, bringing depth and emotional authenticity to the
story. During the Q&A, she reflected on preparing for the role, collaborating with the creative
team, and the responsibility of representing complex characters rarely seen on screen.
PictureEast Film Festival is a free, dynamic, community-led fortnight of cinema celebrating
stories from East London and around the world through feature films, shorts and panel
discussions, providing a platform for underrepresented voices and creating meaningful dialogue
between filmmakers and local communities. The festival ran from 20 January to 1 February and
was co-curated with residents of Newham and Barking & Dagenham, responding to local cinema
closures by restoring the shared joy of the big screen and amplifying underrepresented voices
and local histories.
The PictureEast Film Festival is hosted by The New Black Film Collective. Founded in 2013
following a Film London leadership programme, The New Black Film Collective (TNBFC) exists to
cultivate a vibrant Black ecosystem across the UK screen industries - connecting every stage of
the creative pipeline from talent to exhibition. Through its flagship initiatives PictureEast, TNB
BHM (Black History Month) and TNB XPO, alongside strategic partnerships with organisations like
BFI, Film London, Warner Bros. Discovery, Film and TV Charity, FDA and Channel 4, TNBFC
continues to champion Black-led production, distribution, and preservation of Black film and
television. More than a network, TNBFC is a movement - building visibility, resilience, and
opportunity for Black creatives, while setting new standards for how inclusion and industry
transformation can truly work hand in hand.
For more information, please visit https://www.tnbfc.co.uk
