Projects in genres: Thriller

Synopsis

In a dreary, British seaside town, a talented artist is haunted by a sinister mermaid, and terrorized by a coven of strange locals.

Synopsis

Five ballerinas, on their way to a prestigious dance competition, are barely on speaking terms when their bus breaks down in a remote forest. With no other options, they reluctantly seek shelter at an unsettling roadside inn run by Devora Kasimer, a reclusive former ballet prodigy. From the moment they arrive, something feels wrong - and their worst instincts prove right. As the situation turns deadly, the fractured team must set aside rivalries and weaponise years of brutal training, turning grace, discipline, and even pointe shoes into tools for survival. Official Selection SXSW Film Festival 2026 - World premiere

Synopsis

An elevated drama-thriller that blends gripping crime storytelling with intense, high-stakes action - all confined within the claustrophobic walls of a single prison cell. Just days before his long-awaited release, Joe - a volatile inmate - receives a chilling phone call: his ex-wife and son have been taken, and their fate depends on his immediate compliance. Caught in a tense psychological battle, Joe must confront not only the shadowy criminals orchestrating events outside but also the hardened prison officers inside. With time running out, a mobile phone as his only tool, and escalating tension with his new cellmate - a man of a different racial background - Joe is thrust into a desperate race against the clock to save his family and himself. The film balances razor-sharp suspense with heart-pounding action sequences while exploring profound themes of guilt, redemption, power, race, trust, survival, and the complexities of the father-son relationship. Official Selection FrightFest Glasgow 2026 - World premiere

Synopsis

A disenfranchised birdwatcher heads into the woods to find solitude from society, but events soon conspire against her. Will she go to extreme lengths to preserve her tranquillity?

Synopsis

Following the journey of Tobi, a Nigerian migrant and filmmaker and Lily, a talented dancer, as they come together to create a dance music video aimed at promoting unity and peace in a time of rising racial tensions in the UK. As protests against immigrants sweep across the country, the town of Middlesbrough becomes a flashpoint of unrest. However, the growing tension culminates in tragedy when Tobi is brutally attacked by Mikey, a childhood friend of Lily’s who has been consumed by racism and anger. Tobi’s death leaves the group shattered, but Lily refuses to let his vision die with him. Determined to honor Tobi’s memory, she rallies the dancers to complete the video, turning their grief into a powerful statement of defiance and hope. The dance video is live-streamed, attracting global attention as messages of support pour in. Despite the loss they’ve suffered, the project becomes a beacon of hope, demonstrating that love, unity, and art have the power to heal even in the darkest of times.

Synopsis

With dreams of starting a perfect family, Saga and her British husband Jon move to the isolated house deep in the Finnish forest where Saga spent much of her childhood. But as soon as their baby is born, despite the reassurances of everyone around her, Saga knows something is terribly wrong. As their marriage starts to crack and Jon struggles to support his wife, only Saga suspects the disturbing truth about their newborn child. Official Selection Berlin International Film Festival 2026 - Competition - World premiere

Synopsis

A 20-minute single-player immersive VR experience that places users inside the body of Zoraan, a British-born Sikh woman navigating menopause amidst climate collapse and the ruins of colonial medicine. You breathe with her. You scream with her. You dance your way out of sedation. Blending real-time visuals, bio-haptic feedback and diasporic sound, this work reframes menopause not as decline but as volatile power; closing ‘The Baby Factory’ to ignite a cultural revolution. Using gesture, voice and biometric feedback, audiences become co-conspirators in a volatile act of embodied rebellion. This is not a metaphor. This is an insurgency. Official Selection SXSW 2026 - XR Competition - World premiere

Synopsis

In a decadent Venetian hotel, general manager Eva is drawn to the mysterious Contessa. Once a sanctuary from the outside world, the hotel has become a haunting cage, and both women long to escape. Enigmatic Eva is a manager – or rather, a universal fixer – at a hotel in Venice. For her, it’s not just a job. The decadent Venetian palazzo, with its labyrinths and strangers, has become both a refuge from her demons and a haunting cage she longs to escape. When Eva meets the mysteriously unhinged Contessa, who also seems trapped within the hotel, she’s seduced by the possibility of a radical change. Official Selection International Film Festival Rotterdam 2026 - World premiere

Synopsis

When a cable car malfunctions in the mountains, eight people including six students are trapped high above a valley. As time runs out before the final cable fails, rescue teams work against the clock to save the stranded passengers. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2026 - World premiere Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival 2026

Synopsis

1985 was a difficult year for me. My mother had died, an attempted love affair went badly wrong, I hadn't made a film for five years. I bought a video camera and went to Cuba for three weeks. Music and memory play important parts. I first heard this particular music in Louis Malle's LES AMANTS (1958) when I was a teenager.

Synopsis

Haunted by his reputation and hunted by those who fear what he might become, a younger Bigby Wolf is pushed into a deadly setup involving a masked attacker and a forbidden weapon. As the night unravels, Bigby begins to realise the truth isn’t being searched for, it’s being manufactured.

Synopsis

Set against the sun-bleached grit of Los Angeles, CRIME 101 weaves the tale of an elusive jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) whose string of heists along the 101 freeway have mystified police. When he eyes the score of a lifetime, his path crosses that of a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads. Convinced he has found a pattern, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) is closing in, raising the stakes even higher. As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices–and the realisation that there can be no turning back. Adapted from Don Winslow’s acclaimed novella of the same name, the film is written and directed by Bart Layton (American Animals, The Imposter). Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte round out the cast.