Projects in genres: Drama and with status: Post-production

Synopsis

Two hands, Glynid and Hynus, are trapped together indoors. As they talk, we learn that they are waiting for a virus wreaking havoc in the outer world. Glynid is an anxiety-riddled know–it–all who dogmatically follows ‘the science,’ while Hynus is an ignoramus whose nonsensical belligerence highlights their absurd situation. They argue over what precautions to take, what the statistics mean, and how to pass the time. Endless desperate moves ensue as the pair attend a virtual Shibari workshop, create pubic hair art, compose a virus-themed anthem, and partake in cleansings and poisonings, before remembering they have a child that they may have accidentally left outside. Deciding to leave to find the child, they stay. This puppet show, drawing from Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, satirizes the Covid-19 era. Connected to the outside by a window that doubles as a screen, what begins as a waiting game soon unravels into paranoiac exchanges, conspiratorial musings, and bouts of reflection that lead to self–loathing in one hand and self–care in the other. As the objects that once held meaning to them disappear while they wait, a new reality grows around them, if only they had eyes to see it.

Synopsis

This story takes us on a tumultuous journey from the height of T. Rex mania in 1970s Liverpool to the present-day poignancy of what would have been Marc Bolan's 75th birthday. It captures the heady exhilaration of glam rock mania through the experiences of a group of over-excited kids from a local children's home before a devastating road accident changes their lives for ever. Years later, and still clinging to the adoration of her childhood idol, survivor Penny takes best friend and fellow Marc Bolan fan to visit his shrine in London but a chance encounter there catapults her back to the horror she had tried so hard to forget. BOLAN'S SHOES is a joyful celebration of Seventies culture and brims with the energy of that vibrant era but, like Marc Bolan's legacy, it's retro glitter is dimmed by the tragic repercussions of that deadly road accident. Light-hearted comedy and supernatural chills abound in this inspirational story that explores the enduring legacy of childhood trauma and the life-affirming power of music.

Synopsis

Forced out of their home to face life on the streets, young lovers Sophie and her singer/songwriter husband Paul must fight to keep their love, dreams and music alive... Since losing her job to Covid-19, Sophie is now manager come roadie come photographer for her wannabe rock-star husband Paul. Swindled out of money and cancelled gigs these young lovers find themselves in debt and priced out of their hometown - London. Leaving London behind they head to the coast to stay with a mate but things don’t work out and to top it off their beloved 2CV car gets towed away and they have to give up their beloved black labrador Maisy. With heavy hearts but never losing their sense of humour or love for each other they spend their first night sleeping outside under the stars. But life on the streets quickly loses its romantic appeal as they are faced with choices that threaten to change their lives. Forever.

Synopsis

Alison is no girl-next-door. Lost in a life of crime, she’s longing to escape but can’t see a way out. When she meets Sam, a damaged soul with a troubled past, he opens her eyes to the fact that life can be a beautiful thing, if you meet it halfway. Alison realises that if she doesn’t make some changes, she isn’t long for this world. Together Alison and Sam hit the road in search of the daughter Alison feels she abandoned years earlier. Plagued by grief, Sam keeps his demons at bay just long enough to help Alison realise she is not a product of her circumstances. But, the dangers Alison has become accustomed to her abusive father GED and her violent pimp MAX, are never far behind. The connections she makes on her journey force her to realise she needs to rid her life of these evil men for good. MOMENT OF GRACE is a story about empowerment, set Halifax, Yorkshire, it tells a story of the kind of people you would usually stay clear of, yet underlines that even when a life seem lost and hopeless, it can be touched by a moment of grace that changes everything.

Synopsis

AISHA charts the experiences of a young Nigerian woman as she seeks international protection in Ireland. Caught in limbo for years in Ireland’s immigration system, Aisha Osagie (Wright) develops a friendship with former prisoner Conor Healy (O’Connor) who she meets at one of the accommodation centres. Aisha and Conor’s growing friendship soon looks to be short lived as Aisha’s future in Ireland comes under threat.

Synopsis

Fay lives a life that is blurred and frayed at the edges; memories are catching up with her as past cruelties come into focus. Fay's sister, Alice, reaches out and reveals that they have been given a house by their missing Father, now presumed dead. Alice reveals that in order to retrieve the keys, she has to meet with her stepmother, Candace, the woman Fay holds responsible for her past trauma. The two sisters attempt to rebuild their relationship while grappling with their own versions of the past.

Synopsis

A short horror set in 19th Century India, where a nurse’s first night on the job descends into terror as she discovers the truth behind the disappearances of mixed race babies.

Synopsis

DEAD ON THE VINE is a dark comic thriller. Ellis and Drayton have been sent from London on a job, but things go wrong when Drayton has a seizure forcing them to stop at a vineyard owned by Joni and Cora. While Drayton recovers, a panicked Ellis tells a string of lies to explain their situation, but things unravel when others arrive on the scene.

Synopsis

Liverpool, Autumn 2019. Sarah (Jodie Comer), unsupported at home and with a history of school exclusion, finds a job as a care home assistant. She’s a natural. Sarah cares for Tony (Stephen Graham), a man with young-onset Alzheimers, and they forge an unlikely bond over the card game 'Shithead'. March 2020. Covid hits the UK and hospital patients (mostly untested) are shunted into care homes to make space for critical cases. There is minimal personal protection equipment and insufficient funds and staff to deal with the growing onslaught of illness. Horrified at the spiralling death rate of her vulnerable patients and colleagues and desperate to save Tony from catching the virus, Sarah makes a snap decision. She springs Tony and they go on the run.

Synopsis

A troubled vagabond who helps strangers bring an end to their suffering is forced into a reckoning with his own moral duties as a father. JACKDAW is a dark, experimental drama that explores the emotional complexity bound to the debate on euthanasia.

Synopsis

The high street as we know it, is dying. Hector is a burdened father, a widower, and a corner shop owner with the weight of his store's survival. As the owner of The Trading Post, he is a selfless shopkeeper always trying to meet the needs of his customers. Inheriting the shop from his mother, he moved into the apartment above with his daughter Cleo after his wife was killed in a car accident. The store now faces the threat of closure in light of a new ‘Hypermark’ opening and Hector's inability to adapt to the modern climate. His wife’s death sparked a deep fear of the outside world and the dangers it poses. He rarely goes outside himself and certainly doesn’t want to risk his daughter’s safety out there, homeschooling her and letting her help at the store instead. He grapples with fatherhood while trying to keep the store afloat. Cleo watches from the window as the world goes by, longing to experience what it has to offer. She adores the store and doesn’t want to lose her playground. But she longs to be normal and to be a regular kid playing outside the walls of a shop.

Synopsis

Set in post WW2 Venice Italy, American Army Col. Richard Cantwell, haunted by the war, is a bona fide hero who faces news of his illness with stoic disregard. Determined to spend a weekend in quiet solitude, he commandeers a military driver to facilitate a visit to his old haunts in Venice. As Cantwell's plans begin to unravel, a chance encounter with a remarkable young woman begins to re kindle in him the hope of renewal. Based on the last full-length novel Hemingway published in his lifetime, ACROSS THE RIVER AND INTO THE TREES captures a fleeting moment of immortality where time stands still. The story contains the great Hemingway themes of love, war, youth, and age.