Projects in categories: Fiction

Synopsis

An old man loses hope when his only daughter commits him to a nursing home.

Synopsis

When a reserved Yorkshire teenager finds the potential remains of a fairy, his childlike beliefs clash with his older brother's bleak reality.

Synopsis

If you heard the ringing, would you be prepared to answer what lies at the end of the phone?

Synopsis

An unlikely gang of teenagers goes on the run from dysfunctional parents to an island music festival, where the rules of the real world don't apply. Edinburgh International FIlm Festival 2017 - World premiere

Synopsis

Edith Moore (Edie) is a bitter, gruff woman in her eighties. In the months following her husband George’s death, Edie’s strained relationship with her daughter Nancy begins to worsen. The question over Edie’s future looms large; while Edie tries hard to convince Nancy she can manage fine by herself, Nancy is making plans for her mother to move to a retirement home. Edie feels like it is the beginning of the end. It seems she will die with all the regrets of her past intact and one regret haunts her most of all. When Edie was married, her father planned a climbing trip for them in the Scottish Highlands. Edie yearned to go, but her husband George, a difficult and controlling man, made her stay at home, nearly thirty years later, Edie decides to make the trip herself alone. Edinburgh International FIlm Festival 2017 - World premiere

Synopsis

A redemption thriller following underworld criminal Marley, as he struggles to overcome his feelings of grief and guilt after killing a young mother. Marley is asked to identify the body of his estranged junkie mother. Later, in a fragile emotional state, he encounters a Romanian woman called Ana and her 9 year old daughter Cristina. During a confrontation over an unpaid debt he accidentally kills Ana. Marley goes to jail for manslaughter but soon realises that Ana has returned as a manifestation of his guilt. Eventually they forge an uneasy truce on the understanding that he will take care of Cristina upon his release. By the time Marley is released, Cristina is a teenager. Determined to set things right, he goes on a mission to find her. He discovers that Cristina has been absorbed into a dark world of corruption and people trafficking. He must use his criminal skills and knowledge of the brutal underworld to save her. A redemption story of the deepest, darkest noir in the territory of 'A Prophet' or 'Biutiful'. Edinburgh International FIlm Festival 2017 - World premiere

Synopsis

Hampstead Village, London, is famous for its beautiful and much-loved Heath; a piece of quiet countryside in a vast metropolis. Living on the edge of the Heath is American widow Emily Walters, who can't quite focus on the things that need attention since her husband’s death; like her crumbling old apartment, diminishing finances and even her son, Philip. One day while looking out across the Heath from her attic window, Emily spies a ramshackle hut, which appears to be inhabited by an unkempt man. After witnessing him being attacked by a group of professional thugs, she calls the police and watches through her binoculars as help arrives. The next day she ventures into the woods in search of him. The man, Donald has lived quietly and harmoniously on the edge of the Heath for 17 years but his lifestyle is under threat - his home is the target of property developers who’ve started using heavy-handed tactics to remove him. He is naturally suspicious of Emily and politely rebuffs her attention, but despite his gruff exterior, there is something gentle and alluring about him. When Emily discovers that her friend Fiona is leading a community initiative in support of the developers, she bravely steps up to take Donald's side in the escalating battle to save his peaceful Heath dwelling. Though her son Philip tries to persuade her to retire gracefully to the country, she is determined to defend the emotional and physical livelihood of this quiet and unusual man - a man who might just be the person to sweep her off her feet. Inspired by a true story, a charming and funny life-affirming tale about how love can be found in the most unexpected places, and that age is no barrier to second chances.

Synopsis

'Julius Caesar' depicts the catastrophic consequences of a political leader's extension of his powers beyond the remit of the constitution. As Brutus (played by Harriet Walter) wrestles with his moral conscience over the assassination of Julius Caesar (as played by Jackie Clune), Mark Antony (Jade Anouka) manipulates the crowd through his subtle and incendiary rhetoric to frenzied mob violence. Described by The Observer as "One of the most important theatrical events of the past twenty years", this event cinema production by the Donmar Warehouse is the first part of Phyllida Lloyd's 'Shakespeare Trilogy'. Edinburgh International FIlm Festival 2017 - World premiere

Synopsis

Football is Charlie’s joy. When he has the ball at his feet, he can make magic happen - a gift that many teenage boys only dream of. Now the opportunity for Charlie to play professionally has come along. It looks like Charlie will be able to succeed where his father could not. But Charlie has a secret, a secret locked in his heart. Now, with his future seemingly mapped out, the secret cannot stay hidden any longer. Charlie’s decision to reveal the truth tears his once united family apart and puts his friends in turmoil. No-one is quite sure of themselves or each other anymore and the road back to harmony is paved with obstacles, prejudices and confusion.

Synopsis

First brought together by their shared love of music, ten years later Liam and Natalie have reached a breaking point. Opposites attract, but aren’t necessarily working long-term. Liam, a struggling musician, cannot let go of his vinyl collection and refuses to adapt to a world of smartphones and instant downloads. Natalie has let go of her dream of designing album covers and has become a rising star at her advertising firm. As they make the difficult decision to separate, they start by splitting their prized music library, but the soundtrack that defined their relationship keeps pulling them back together. Adapted by Philip Gawthorne from his award-winning play. Edinburgh International FIlm Festival 2017 - World premiere

Synopsis

In rural Pakistan, a mother and her two daughters are forced to defend their family home from their uncle and his men. As the women fight to keep the men at bay, the film alternates through different timelines and we watch the events that have led to the siege unfold. When the women’s resistance leaves two of his men dead, their enraged uncle calls in a local ragtag militia - two hundred armed bandits. With only a handful of bullets left, eldest daughter Nazo refuses to give in. The film is based on an extraordinary true story. Edinburgh International FIlm Festival 2017 - World premiere

Synopsis

Ralph, a once famous writer is in his seventies and terminally ill. He has things to do before he dies: to be reconciled with his long-abandoned son, Michael, and secretly, to ensure he is not a burden to his devoted young wife, Anna, as he goes ‘into that good night.’ But Ralph ruins all hope of reconciliation when he picks a fight with Michael’s girlfriend, Cassie. Later, alone, Ralph receives the sinister and mysterious “Visitor” whose services he has hired to provide a painless ending to his life. But the Visitor plays a devastating trick. Ralph ‘wakes up’ to face the damaged potential that life still holds for him and with his second chance he has a short window of opportunity to right some wrongs. Edinburgh International FIlm Festival 2017 - World premiere