Projects in genres: Woman Director

Synopsis

“It” is difficult to talk about, so there's an asterisk in place of the “i”.

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In a modern-day Lisbon, a city caught between locals and tourists, two art students drift through a weekend of sexual fluidity and late-capitalist burnout. Sofia obsesses over nuclear war and lives in the shadow of the narcissistic Amandine but their toxic friendship is put to the test when Amandine crosses paths with Guilherme, a pseudo-intellectual Portuguese artist, at a fringe art event - derailing both friends' plans. An acidic comedy exploring intimacy, identity, and the contradictions of being human in a generation powered by irony, anxiety, and Instagram.

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In the midst of a city woodland, 16-year-old Iris explores her attraction to an older man. Their passion turns into a dangerous power play when Iris must indulge his cravings with a humiliating performance. Official Selection London Short Film Festival 2026

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On the cusp of adolescence, Celia’s world begins to unravel after she discovers her mother’s affair. Alienated at home and struggling with a mind where reality and imagination intertwine, she retreats into long summer days with her cousins, Kerry and Hannah. Things take a dark turn when she and Kerry stumble upon a body deep in the woods. They urgently summon the adults for help, but the body inexplicably vanishes - and no one believes them. As Celia becomes consumed with uncovering the truth, her grip on reality fractures further, pulling her into a dangerous mystery where the line between witness and suspect blurs, and the greatest threat may lie within her own mind.

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In a post-Brexit Europe, deadly viruses are for sale and espionage is back in business. Sick with the terminal virus that killed all her team, an ex-special agent has vivid dreams of the partner whose death she's responsible for.

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In extreme cold, the human body can turn against itself through paradoxical undressing: failing nerves mistake freezing for heat, compelling the dying to shed their last protection. In 水托邦 HYDROTOPIA, hydrophones frozen into ice capture the material disintegration of their frozen body as a projected film gradually emerges into clarity. The film follows British-Chinese artist Jamie Man suspended by hooks pierced through flesh in a winter landscape, practising rituals rooted in Shiva-dedicated traditions that explore a state of perpetual non-being. As the ice surrenders its form and the image sharpens into focus, transformation itself becomes the subject: matter abandoning one state for another, the body held suspended between dissolution and emergence. Official Selection International Film Festival Rotterdam 2026 - World premiere

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A year after 7 October 2023, a British American Jew sets out to find out why 75% of Jewish Israelis support the way the war is being fought in Gaza. The story is told using a combination of discussions and street interviews, AI-generated animation, archive and real-time actuality as the investigation builds towards its disturbing conclusion.

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An intimate observation of Rainbow Mbuangi, a key player for Merseyside Blind Football Club. The film embeds itself within Mbuangi's daily life, documenting the structured routines, intensive training, and social world that orbit his athletic pursuits. Through a rigorous focus on sound - both the necessities of his off-field navigational aids and the specialized, rattling 'soundball' used in the game - the documentary explores the complex relationship between dependence and autonomy. On the pitch, where he is fully reliant on auditory cues, Mbuangi challenges conventional notions of athletic space and visual interpretation.

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Structured as a series of classes in cultural organising, this film reconstructs the life of a woman whose literary works and film collaborations became a catalysing force in 20th century political movements. Toni Morrison, Nikky Finney and filmmaker Haile Gerima are among those who testify to Bambara's humour, fierce commitment to collective action and gift for galvanising artists into community work. Official Selection DOC NYC 2025 - World premiere Official SelectionTrue/False Film Festival 2026 Official Selection Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival 2026 Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2026 - European premiere

Synopsis

Mina, a young production assistant on a TV set is ready to take a step up in the world, she is desperate to know what goes on behind The Black Door, the place where senior staff, like Dara, Mina’s friendly rival, are only allowed access to. The Black Door teases her, tempting her with what she desires.

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Set against the backdrop of a declining fishing industry in Cornwall - Samuel and his grandson Vinnie wrestle with grief, connection and the pressures of survival. On a day like any other, their bond is tested at sea, leading to an unexpected discovery that offers both hope and a way forward. A tender story of resilience, tradition and the ways we carry our loved ones with us, even after loss.

Synopsis

Neza bazi, an ancient South Asian cavalry sport adopted by British colonial officers, has two distinct scenes in today’s UK. There is the national team (posh, tweed-wearing) and a quickly growing Pakistani British circuit at the heart of this film. Then there is Jaleal, a dual-heritage competitor who braids manes and sharpens lances while quietly dreaming of show jumping. Filmed over three summers in the northern town of Bradford, RIDING TIME meanders from the absurd to the profound. Juxtaposing the boisterous play and caretaking of the stables with the pounding hooves and fine kurtas of competition, the film follows its protagonists into a transcendent space between geographies, childhood and adulthood, people and horses. Official Selection Leeds International Film Festival 2025 - World premiere Official Selection Berlin International Film Festival 2026 - Generation Kplus - International premiere