If the cowboy boot fits, wear it. The arrival of a stray horse triggers a series of events in Bernicia’s life that alters her world as she slowly takes on the persona of a cowboy. Through her journey, she must overcome several obstacles that threaten her newfound desires. An uplifting drama about self-determination.
Official Selection Cartagena International Film Festival 2024 - World premiere
Animated feature inspired by the visual style of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, depicting key moments which changed Kahlo’s life, from the motor accident that permanently disabled her and led her to paint; to her love affairs with life partner Diego Rivera, and photographer Nickolas Muray.
WAYFARING STRANGER charts the life of an itinerant character, embodied by seven performers, across seven days representing seven decades. Running from the city, through post-industrial edge lands and manicured enclaves, they find themselves in forests, farms, mountains and finally at the shore. Along the way, which lasts a lifetime, they undergo a transformation, through the seasons and changing geography, both physically and emotionally, from youth to elderhood, and from a single, alienated being into an accepted element of the wider world. Their personal narrative co-exists with the past, present and future of the land they traverse. Each ‘day’ is a ‘station’ that signifies a turning point in their emotional development: from escape, through loss, grief and waywardness, to solidarity and co-existence.
Part fable, part manifesto, part poem, filmed across landscapes marked by centuries of ceaseless human extraction, Wayfaring Stranger asks what it takes to find a liveable life on one’s own terms and without conflict with others and the environment.
Within the sound design by multi-award-winning sound recordist Chris Watson, the polyphonic environment scores the seasonal changes alongside the human and topographic shifts.
“Domestic violence - the beast that has been with us since time immemorial but refuses to die." Erin Pizzey
Erin Pizzey is a hero. Every refuge today owes its existence to her courage. Five decades after she made history, by opening the first women’s refuge in the world, icon Pizzey is joined by Dame Joanna Lumley to ask why so many lives are still devastated by domestic abuse. Articulate and engaging, they explore the mechanism, essence and psychology of the abuse, explaining why “the beast that has been with us since time immemorial” refuses to die. Resting on Erin’s five decade fight and unparalleled knowledge, they present proven ways to stop the cycle of abuse for both victim and perpetrator.
ERIN: BEHIND THE BRUISES offers a rarely intimate insight into the hidden reality of abuse. Through Erin’s astonishing life and great sacrifice, the film shows the incredible progress made, but sends an urgent message to press on. Thanks to Erin's courage, women went from suffering in silence, with nowhere to turn fifty years ago, to being supported and helped today, but the problem remains. “Too many today are still accepting the abuse because they are trapped, but we can stop it” explains Pizzey, calling for a "long overdue open, honest and serious discussion about domestic abuse.” This film is a call for action, a golden opportunity for real change.
Edited by Chris Hall (CNN, BBC, Discovery, Channel4), the film pays tribute to a living legend who changed the course of history. Fifty years ago Erin has singlehandedly brought domestic violence into the open, forcing society, local authorities and governments to address it. Erin has saved thousands of lives and changed women and children’s lives for the better, but her fight against domestic violence is far from over.
June 2012. The Afghanistan war is still raging. London is gripped in pre Olympic fever and it is the Queens Jubilee. After moving their upper middle-class lifestyle from London to a small town in the north of England, Emily invites their new next door neighbours Dawn and Alan over to become acquainted and Oliver begrudgingly complies. A clash of opinions about art, sport and politics ensues and a major disagreement concludes the evening with a startling revelation. The lives of these four neighbours begin to intertwine in ways none of them anticipated. Emily's desire for solidarity falls short of fruition. Oliver's questionable behaviour, the disappearance of Alan's cat, and Emily's break in sobriety all contribute to the story's end. With Emily oblivious to a major event, Alan unaware of his cat's whereabouts and Dawn in a state of mental collapse, the lives of these four neighbours will never be the same again.
A young autistic boy who changes the world's perception of autism with his dancing. He is on a hard journey of self acceptance, however in the end there is no stopping him fulfilling his dreams.
A female-driven science fiction horror in the vein of TITANE and UNDER THE SKIN about a woman’s search for a monster hunter and her growing realisation that the creature being tailed, in fact, resides inside her.
A young American girl finds herself stranded in a Northern Irish village when her estranged father is arrested for the murder of a policeman who vanished during The Troubles. Compelled by her father’s secrecy, she teams up with her delinquent cousin to uncover the family secrets that have shaped their lives.
In time for the twenty five year anniversary and cinema re-release in February 2023 of James Cameron’s Titanic, actress-turned-filmmaker Alexandra Boyd reconnects with actors she worked with on one of the last epic Hollywood blockbusters. Reading from diaries she asked them to write in 1997, they share untold memories of auditions, life on set and what it has been like to be a small part of the biggest movie of all time. Their stories intertwine with interviews with super fans talking about their obsession and deep love for the film as Alexandra seeks to find out why this film has captivated so many minds, hearts and imaginations for so many years.
British writer Devorah Baum has to go tour America with her first book – a guide to guilt, paranoia, self-hatred, envy, and all the other feelings currently tearing our world apart. With two small kids in tow, she is stressed out.
Surely her husband, Josh, can help? But the feelings laid bare in the book soon get played out between them, revealing how much remains stubbornly unreconstructed in our supposedly modern relationships.
A searingly honest marriage comedy on the cusp between autofiction and documentary, it's a love letter to New York, literary life, and, er, Zadie Smith.
