A documentary made by women from Bradford’s Sudanese community will be screened at a film festival in America.

The short film, called Unity and Community, is part of a project developed by Bradford UNESCO City of Film bringing a diverse range of communities together through film and conversation.

Unity and Community, which will be screened at the River’s Edge International Film Festival in Paducah, Kentucky, shows Saturday afternoon meetings held by women at Bradford Sudanese Community Centre, providing an insight into their culture and how they support each other.

Sohare Norman from the Sudanese Centre, who narrates the film, said: “Following initial screenings at venues close to the centre we started to discuss Sudanese culture in more detail with the Bradford City of Film team. David Wilson suggested that we make a film about Sudanese fashion, Sudanese coffee and so on.

“Some of the group who meet every Saturday got really excited about telling our story through film. Following a successful application to the Big Lottery Fund, made by Bradford City of Film, we were introduced to filmmaker Simona Manni and together we created the short film which gives a brief overview of what life is like as a Sudanese woman living in Bradford and how we help each other. I am delighted that the film will be seen in the US, bringing the story of Sudanese people in Bradford to a wider audience.”

Filmmaker Simona Manni said: “It was a pleasure to work with the Sudanese women to make the film and to get an insight into some of the challenges the community face, but also the opportunities they create together. The community development work encouraged by Bradford City of Film is really important, and it is great to share this with an international audience.”

Set up in 2016, the project has involved a series of film screenings in community venues. The City of Film team initially screened archive films of Bradford at the Sudanese Centre and gave a talk about Bradford’s film heritage.

David Wilson, Director of Bradford UNESCO City of Film, said: "What we tried to do was turn some of our existing film literacy methods upside down and make them relevant to people and a community who have recently settled in Bradford.

"It was great feedback on some of the archive footage and that led me to suggest that the group might want to make a film about their story and their lives, as they are now living in Bradford. Simona and the women’s group hit it off straight away and I think the end result is something they should all be very proud of."

The River’s Edge International Film Festival runs from today to Sunday and the Sudanese women's film will be screened in the short documentary section, along with other short films from around the world.

In addition to Unity and Community, a range of short films curated by Bradford City of Film will be screened as part of the legacy of the Small World Film Festival, which started here in 2015. Productions from this short film festival have been screened around the world as a result of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.