Projects in categories: Fiction

Synopsis

Laura and Tyler, best friends and drinking buddies, whose hedonistic existence falls under the creeping horror of adulthood when Laura gets engaged to Jim – an ambitious pianist who surprisingly decides to go teetotal. Laura and Tyler are soulmates. Thirty-something best friends and revellers residing in Dublin, they are ingrained in the fabric of each other’s lives; dating, partying, drinking and living their life without limitations. American ex-pat, Tyler – a siren of drugs, alcohol and debauchery – lures aspiring writer, Laura, away from her long overdue novel as well as her new beau, the irresistibly handsome Jim. A tee-total classical pianist, Jim is the antithesis of Tyler and the world she and Laura inhabit, and with his presence the girls’ hedonistic double act finds itself in jeopardy. While Tyler wants to keep the party going, Laura, buoyed by Jim’s restraint and stability, starts to emerge from her years of partying, searching for her place in the world. Caught between desires – youth and adulthood, her old self and her future self – Laura impulsively gets engaged to Jim, knocking Tyler for a loop. Bereft at the thought of losing of her partner in crime, Tyler spies a chance to rock the boat of the “perfect” life Laura can see on the horizon, but in doing so inadvertently helps Laura find a new unexpected path to independence. At once both a celebration of female friendship and an examination the choices we make when facing a crossroad, ANIMALS is an honest, funny, edgy, unconventional and bittersweet snapshot of modern women. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2019 - Premieres - World premiere

Synopsis

1987. When music fanatic Javed discovers the illustrious back catalogue of Bruce Springsteen his world is turned upside down; already a creative soul his passion for music and writing is set alight by the songs of the working-class poet, whose lyrics feel all too familiar to the aspirational teenager. Yearning to escape his rundown hometown and the rules of his traditional Pakistani household, Javed finds himself caught in between two worlds and must discover if he too is 'Born to Run…' Based on the memoir of lauded Guardian journalist Sarfraz Manzoor, this timely coming of age story proves that the right song has the capacity to transcend race, religion and place, tap into our hearts and help us discover who we really are. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2019 - Premieres - World premiere

Synopsis

Jade is a young mother in the prime of her life when an acid attack leaves her severely burned. While her face has been reconstructed, her beauty is lost beneath the scars. On a self-destructive path with her relationships crumbling, Jade must take drastic action to reclaim her life. Official Selection International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2019 - Voices - World premiere Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2019 - World Cinema Dramatic Competition

Synopsis

Based on the true story of Katharine Gun, a former Mandarin translator at the British intelligence agency GCHQ, who made headlines after she leaked a confidential NSA memo that proposed the USA and UK put pressure on six ‘swing’ nations on the UN Security Council to vote in favour of the imminent 2003 Iraq invasion. The Observer newspaper in the UK broke the story and Gun was subsequently arrested and charged under the Official Secrets Act, sparking a public outcry. Authorities dropped the case almost as soon as her trial began in early 2004. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2019 - Premieres - World premiere Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2019 - Debate Strand Gala - European premiere

Synopsis

13-year-old William Kamkwamba is thrown out of the school he loves when his family can no longer afford the fees. Sneaking back into the school library, he finds a way, using the bones of the bicycle belonging to his father Trywell, to build a windmill which then saves his village from famine. The emotional journey of a father and his exceptional son at its heart, William’s tale captures the incredible determination of a boy whose inquisitive mind overcame every obstacle in his path. Official Selection Berlinale 2019 - Berlinale Special Gala - European premiere

Synopsis

Femi, a British boy of Nigerian heritage who, after a happy childhood in rural Lincolnshire, moves to inner London to live with his mum. Struggling with the unfamiliar culture and values of his new environment, teenage Femi has to figure out which path to adulthood he wants to take, and what it means to be a young black man in London. Shola Amoo's second feature is a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama, which explores universal themes of identity and belonging. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2019 - World Cinema Dramatic Competition - World premiere

Synopsis

A psychologically chilling slow burn; a young woman and her reticent new stepchildren find themselves isolated in the family’s remote winter cabin, locked away to dredge up the mysteries of her dark past and the losses that seem to haunt them all. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2019 - Premieres - World premiere Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2019 - Cult Strand

Synopsis

A young, quietly ambitious film student embarks on her first serious love affair with a charismatic and mysterious man. She tries to disentangle fact from fiction as she surrenders to the relationship, which comes dangerously close to destroying her dreams. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2019 - World Cinema Dramatic Competition - World premiere Winner: Grand Jury Prize, Sundance Film Festival 2019 Official Selection Berlinale 2019 - Panorama

Synopsis

Will is a bartender in New Orleans. He has a great job, great friends, and a girlfriend, Carrie, who loves him. He skates across life’s surface, ignoring complications and concentrating on enjoying the moment. One night at the bar, a violent brawl breaks out, which injures one of his regular customers and causes some college kids to leave behind a cell phone in their haste. Will begins receiving disturbing texts and calls from the stranger’s phone. While Will hopes to not get involved, Carrie gets lost down a rabbit hole investigating this strange malevolence. They’ve discovered something unspeakable, and it’s crawling slowly into the light. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2019 - Midnight - World premiere Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2019 - Directors Fortnight - European premiere

Synopsis

A universal story of friendship, rebellion and the irresistible power of gathered youth. Set to a soundtrack as eclectic and electrifying as the scene it gave birth to, BEATS is a story for our time. Official Selection International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2019 - Voices - World premiere

Synopsis

The story of the sacred youth and the stakes of a cosmic journey. Where the embodiment and the pain, pleasure and sublimation there-in are non-negotiable. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2019 - US Narrative Short Films - World premiere

Synopsis

The Royal Shakespeare Company explores the future of theatre with Magic Leap in this sublime production of the "Seven Ages of Man" speech from Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Here they present a mixed reality experience using cutting-edge volumetric capture with Shakespearean actor Robert Gilbert and an original musical score by award-winning composer Jessica Curry. The line “all the world’s a stage” turns literal as users experience the play in multiple and simultaneous places. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2019 - New Frontiers Exhibitions - World premiere