Projects in genres: Romance

Synopsis

Set in a mosque waiting room in 1980s South Wales, and inspired by the true story of writer-director Sara Nourizadeh's parents, a young couple whose relationship crossed boundaries of culture, faith and expectation. At a time when Iranian politics dominated UK headlines and shaped public attitudes, a Welsh woman and her Iranian fiancé prepare for an Islamic conversion ceremony – a requirement they must fulfil if they are to marry. What follows is a quietly charged and emotionally intimate portrait of two people trying to navigate a moment that is both deeply personal and subtly political. As they wait for the ceremony to begin, small details – a trembling hand, a whispered joke, a fleeting moment of doubt – reveal the emotional stakes beneath the surface. Their conversation dances between humour and tension, affection and uncertainty, reflecting the push and pull of family pressures, cultural misunderstandings, and their own hopes for the future. Authentic VHS archive footage of the real couple is interwoven within this scripted drama, grounding the film in lived experience and offering an unexpectedly tender glimpse into the decades that followed.

Synopsis

A passionate and tumultuous love story set against the backdrop of the Yorkshire moors, exploring the intense and destructive relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw.

Synopsis

The love story of a London-based Lebanese journalist and a Syrian activist/cameraman as told through thirteen years of personal archives across revolutions, war and exile. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2026 - World premiere

Synopsis

At a vibrant Nigerian traditional wedding, the bride, Trish, takes centre stage, radiating beauty and grace. Yet it’s her spirited 13-year-old sister, Bukky, who craves attention. Tasked with collecting money gifted to the bride, Bukky weaves through the chaotic celebration, dodging kicks and spilled drinks, her frustration mounting. Amidst the commotion, her eyes meet those of Samson, a boy her age sitting alone... Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2025

Synopsis

London, 1931. Abel Lively is broke, alone and terrified of going outside his one-man movie studio, Lively Pictures. A reality-challenged title writer with an imaginary parallel existence as the gun-slinging star of his own action-adventure serial, Abel is fast approaching a crossroads. Penelope Peabody, a former Paramount poster artist and current unemployed portrait painter who shares Abel's distaste for talking pictures, catches his eye and unknowingly sets in motion a collision of worlds. Soon, Abel will be forced to face the perils and possibilities of two worlds: the one in his head, and the one in which he has a chance at real love. What follows is a planet-spanning odyssey replete with mad scientists, barren wastelands, vengeful utility companies, draconian judiciaries, sinister machines, prophetic visions, unbearable heartache, crippling poverty, murderous phantoms, fiendish debt collectors and an interfering Betty Boop. A silent film featuring performances from Louise Brooks, Wallace Beery and Edward G. Robinson alongside a modern cast, with an entirely original solo piano soundtrack.

Synopsis

A rescue dummy gets forgotten at the bottom of a swimming pool. Behind his single expression, a whirlwind of emotions flood his plastic carcass as he fantasies about being picked up and brought to the surface in the strong and reassuring arms of a swimmer. Official Selection London Short Film Festival 2026

Synopsis

When a Swiss woman and a British man reunite on the streets of London, what starts as a pleasant reunion gradually descends into an elliptical journey that challenges the accuracy of their memory through obsessive repetition in an attempt to reconcile their failed relationship.

Synopsis

A coming-of-age drama following Cat, a wide-eyed freshman, while she attempts to navigate university. The abrupt ending of her situationship with laid-back Noah leads her to a desperate search for validation. Cat searches for fleeting replacements until she hits a low point. She attempts to build herself up from scratch, only to come face-to-face with Noah again.

Synopsis

ROCK SONG began as a story about a thrill-seeking rock, chasing speed and adrenaline by rolling down the hill. During the film’s development, the director experienced a traumatic event that reshaped the story and its purpose. It became a survival project, a way to understand the pain, and also transfer some of it into the world of rocks. Through the rock’s journey: falls, cracks and discovering different parts of the forest, ROCK SONG reflects the experience of hurt, carrying the damage, and slowly figuring out how to heal. The film translates the director’s changing emotional states into movement and texture, while holding onto the hope of getting better in time. Made through stop-motion animation with hand-dyed fabrics and embroidery, the film’s soft and tactile world creates a quiet sense of comfort, contrasting with the difficult emotions that shape the film. ROCK SONG also considers the inner life of a rock, imagining how it might perceive its own existence. It explores the unknowable inner reality of things and how empathy can extend beyond the human. Official Selection Kaboom Animation Festival 2026

Synopsis

Cherry's neglectful husband departs after placing a secret wager to test her fidelity. Along with her sharp-witted maid, Hero, Cherry must fend off a dangerously seductive visitor: Manfred. Official Selection Venice Critics' Week 2025 - World premiere Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2025 - Closing Night Gala Official Selection International Film Festival Rotterdam 2026

Synopsis

Can a dog still be man’s best friend if that man is the Führer? Blondi explores the bizarre bond between Hitler and his beloved German Shepherd. From eating the crumbs under the table at the Führer’s birthday, to living in the confinement of the bunker, this film presents intimate glimpses of the dog’s daily life intertwined with the realities of war and fictitious, humorous newsreels, depicting the oblivious pet's significant and surreal impact on the Reich. Official Selection Edinburgh International Film Festival 2025 Official Selection Fantastic Fest 2025 BAFTA Film Awards 2026 - Longlisted - Best British Short Film

Synopsis

When an over zealous scientist pushes his experiments with string theory too far - his brane explodes. That's “brane” not “brain” - but that means someone has to sort out the mess he has created. Our hero Corey Harlan is sent in - kicking and screaming - to find the heart of the brane and its creator Anton Chambers. Now manifested as a normal townhouse hosted by the enigmatic and multi-dimensional Aclima – his adventure begins. A house where opening a door from one room to another can lead you to other worlds not just the kitchen. Official Selection Edinburgh International Film Festival 2025 - Opening Night Midnight Madness - World premiere