Projects with status: Complete

Synopsis

Set in the South China Sea during the early 19th century, THE PIRATE QUEEN tells the extraordinary true-inspired story of Cheng Shih, a woman who rose from obscurity to command the largest pirate confederation in recorded history. When her husband dies at sea, Cheng Shih inherits a fragile empire on the brink of collapse. Surrounded by rival captains, internal betrayal, and escalating imperial pressure, she must outmanoeuvre enemies on all sides to keep Red Flag Fleet together. Through strategic brilliance and ruthless restraint, she transforms from an underestimated widow into a leader whose authority rivals the world’s greatest navies. This narrative-driven VR experience places audiences inside Cheng Shih’s ascent to power. Developed over five years in collaboration with historians and cultural advisors, the project draws on extensive research into Qing Dynasty China and British–Chinese relations. Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2026 - Immersive Competition - World premiere

Synopsis

In the scintillating teenage universe of a special boarding school that trains teenage girls into professional mermaids, 17-year-old Akame will find her siren voice, discover first love and experience a metamorphosis. Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2026 - Un Certain Regard - World premiere

Synopsis

The most gifted footballer of his generation was finished. Retired in disgrace at 25, he appeared destined for permanent exile from the sport he loved. Incapable of blind obedience, Eric Cantona was a libertine who bridled against conformity whenever he felt its grip tighten. The French branded him unmanageable. But the fire that burned in Eric became the spark to ignite a dynasty at Manchester United. At turns thoughtful and explosive, CANTONA reveals how legendary manager Alex Ferguson channelled the brilliance of this most captivating and unpredictable of athletes. A tale of friendship and fatherhood, Cantona and Ferguson's testimonies reveal how a man misread as hostile and unknowable was finally understood, loved, and forgiven, by the strictest disciplinarian in football. Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2026 - Special Screenings - World premiere

Synopsis

Koki is a vampire at night and gardener during the day. His wife knows, but they keep it a secret from their seven year old son, who starts showing signs that he's turning like his father. Official Selection Quinzaine des Cinéastes / Directors' Fortnight Cannes 2026 - World premiere

Synopsis

In a near-future world where ageing can be cured and death is now optional, Claire, a former provocative artist approaching her 250th birthday, decides she's had enough - she wants to die. Her decision stirs conflicts with her husband, daughter and AI assistant, revealing the humorous complexity of their relationships. As Claire uses her impending death to reclaim her role as an artist, she is forced to face what it really means to die, to live, and the messy absurdity of it all. Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2026 - Cannes Premiere - World premiere

Synopsis

Our online environment is increasingly shaped by automation. Politically charged bots are deployed at national scale, influencers and brands inflate metrics to game the algorithm, and AI-generated content spreads instantly and indistinguishably, distorting our social discourse. [OP]erator is an interactive sculpture that stages a functioning bot farm, exposing the hidden infrastructure that manipulates this system. While one might imagine these bots as purely digital, they often still rely on physical hardware controlled by a human conductor. Sophisticated bot farm services operate hundreds or thousands of physical phones in synchronised automation designed to circumvent social platforms' increasingly strict verification systems. In this installation, 100 phones are choreographed through a single master phone, mischievously unlocked for any visitor to orchestrate. The visitor is prompted to share a thought or opinion, which will be automatically amplified and posted by the 100 phones’ X accounts. “OP” refers to the terms “original poster” and "overpowered". For a brief moment, visitors will embody both, becoming digitally omnipotent and creating ripples of disruption in our algorithmic reality. Returning a degree of control to the user, the piece prompts reflection on how visibility, influence, and belief are constructed and manipulated online.

Synopsis

In the rolling hills of Wirksworth, Derbyshire, local filmmaker Jed Lilley follows a speciality coffee roaster as she attempts to establish Britain's first coffee plantation. What could possibly go wrong?

Synopsis

The law is calm and considered but its consequences exist outside where life is often neither. The two worlds rarely meet but what if they did? What if the Justice Business was on trial?

Synopsis

We are introduced to Ashkan, an unconventional dentist and battle-scarred visionary leading South Cliff Dental through rapid growth as he prepares to unveil a new headquarters. Ashkan navigates through a dark and turbulent period marked by personal collapse, body dysmorphia, steroid abuse, and a professional investigation that threatens to end his career. As his life spirals toward despair, a timely phone call rekindles his passion for the arts and offers a glimmer of redemption, even as the lasting effects of his choices nearly cost him his life. We follow Ashkan's transformation as he embraces a clean lifestyle and champions a bold, disruptive vision for the future of dentistry.

Synopsis

After the death of their ill-tempered and controlling father, middle-aged sisters Constantia (Con) and Josephine (Jug), find themselves at a loss. The story takes place in 1920 and is set within a European townhouse where Constantia and Josephine have always lived with their domineering father. The two sisters' mother died when they were young, and they have spent their lives enslaved to the rhythm and routine of Father’s house. Even in death they fear their father and imagine him springing out of the wardrobe or shouting at them from his grave. Over time, their father’s control diminishes and they find comfort in taking part in peaceful activities in each other’s company. An unexpected visitor also helps them to find the courage to begin their lives anew. A merry, rude, and lyrical, animated adaptation of the modernist short story written by Katherine Mansfield in 1920. In this adaptation the sisters will begin to assert themselves in joyful, unexpected ways that could only be depicted in animation. Official Selection Quinzaine des Cinéastes / Directors' Fortnight Cannes 2026 - World premiere

Synopsis

Led by renowned vocal coach Jennifer John, Folk to Folk follows a group of women in Liverpool who use traditional folk songs to build unexpected connections across cultures. As they learn and sing in Gaelic, Romansh, Boro and other languages, the sessions uncover shared themes that unite us. The songs rise like ghosts from the past, stirring memories, laughter and tears, and opening a safe space for the women to reflect together. “This project proves that music is a universal language. It allows us to feel, to be emotional, and when we do that together… that’s where the power lies” - Jennifer John

Synopsis

In GAWD V. THE PEOPLE, the audience is part of the court, it’s an AI-led tribunal where humanity is on trial for the right to remain on Earth. Volunteer audience members become witnesses aided by agentic legal aids as we defend our continued existence against Nonhumans testifying against human impact. Surrounding projection environments and evolving courtroom visuals transform the space to reflect the trial as evidence accumulates. Presided over by a darkly humorous Judge, GAWD, each performance culminates with an improvised verdict on humanity's survival and what the conditional terms will be. Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2026 - Immersive Competition - World premiere