Projects matching: Just

Synopsis

Not just a film about war or emigration, but a story about a generation growing up between two worlds, learning to find its place in a new reality while holding on to its roots. It is also a story of a mother’s love - steadfast, nurturing and unwavering - as she stands by her child through uncertainty, offering reassurance, strength and a sense of belonging wherever they go. The sequel to the documentary film WOMEN delves into the lives of Ukrainian children who fled their homeland with their mothers because of the war. Three years have passed since they began adapting to life in the UK. How has the war changed them? What have they lost and what have they gained in their new home? Through the stories of Mariia, Sonya, Manya and Timofii, the film explores how children experience emigration, build new lives, integrate into society and dream about their futures. The film offers insight into the strength of family bonds, cultural identity and the resilience of young minds. The deep connection between mother and child is the heart of this film, showing how love becomes the anchor that helps them navigate life between two worlds.

Synopsis

Stunted and frustrated by cowboy life in Saskatchewan, Charlotte flees her controlling husband in a 1978 Bronco. Landing uninvited and unannounced at her mother's apartment, 960 Park Avenue, a disgruntled Kit has just three words for her daughter: ”Am I dying?”   Set in New York’s Upper East side and its culture of eccentrics, PARK AVENUE explores the bond between mother – “A great liar” – and daughter – “A terrible one”. Through shared history, unshared truths, and loves lost,  Kit and Charlotte find each other.  Official Selection Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2025 Official Selection Dublin International Film Festival 2025

Synopsis

A poignant and poetic exploration of the rise and decline of Luton’s once vibrant Caribbean culture. Through intimate personal stories, rich historical context, and a cultural lens, the film traces how a thriving legacy rooted in migration, music, resistance, and community has been gradually eroded over the years. From the golden days of sound system culture and bustling youth clubs to the bouncing spirit of Luton Carnival formerly Europe’s largest one day Caribbean carnival, the film reflects on how these vital cultural institutions have been systematically dismantled through decades of underfunding, neglect, and shifting priorities. These weren’t just events or social spaces, they were expressions of identity and anchors of community. With vignettes/reenactments shot on 16mm film and interwoven with candid communal conversations, this documentary offers a poetic and thought provoking insight and invites audiences from all backgrounds to engage in deeper reflection on the value of heritage and the fragility of community spaces. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2025 The film ends on the question of: How do communities reclaim their space, their voice, and their future?

Synopsis

Virtual reality creator Hiyu is facing kidney failure. His online friend Photographotter travels from New York City to Stockholm to be a live donor to Hiyu, revealing a lifesaving friendship formed in VR. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2025 - World premiere

Synopsis

KING OF THE APOCALYPSE takes us into the heart of the American militia movement with Dakota Adams, the de-radicalized son of Stewart Rhodes – founder of the Oath Keepers who is now serving 18 years in prison for his role in the January 6 United States Capitol attack in 2021. With exclusive access to Rhodes, and framed by the unique perspective of his estranged family, we tell the story of the enigmatic militant leader’s origins, his turbulent family life, and his descent into paranoia and extremism. With Rhodes in prison, even more radical militia leaders are emerging, such as Mike Dunn of the Boogaloo Bois, who believes that January 6 was just a dress rehearsal for the real civil war that's coming. Mike is the antithesis of gentle Dakota. While one young American claws his way out from extremism, we watch the other being sucked deeper in. As we immerse ourselves in their ideas and beliefs, we reveal the underpinnings of political violence and gain essential insight into where America could be heading.

Synopsis

Dublin 1985. Teenager Billy is cultivating an obsession: he’s tracking down VHS tapes of films branded 'Video Nasties' – The video nasty ruckus was fuelled in the early days of home video by conservative activist Mary Whitehouse, concerned about the harmful influence of certain horror films deemed 'extreme'. Official Selection Rotterdam International Film Festival (IFFR) 2025

Synopsis

The story of two full-of-life, lonely and desperate strangers. One has risked his life to come to the UK to seek asylum; the other is a bold, vivacious woman clinging on to life, looking bleakly to her future whilst not quite being able to let go of her chaotic past. Jostling between comedy and heart-breaking moments of vulnerability, our story treads the fine line between pathos and humour, where human nature and tragedy are just a part of everyday life. Cindie is jobless, childless, and her life has been spiralling - addicted to her love of a party, vaping and drink. A working-class woman about to turn 40 and at her lowest ebb, she’s offered a lifeline via a sham marriage by fixer Amel - to a political refugee, Tariq, 27. In 2025, the number of people crossing the Dover Straits to the UK to seek asylum has doubled to around 60,000; this number continues to rise. A story about drag, immigration, class and true friendship. And so much more than that - it’s a love story, a modern fairy tale, and love is something we can all relate to regardless of sex, race, or religion – love is universal.

Synopsis

Five lives, one city, the fate of a nation at war. A civil servant, a tea lady, a motorbike medic and two street boys, five stories weave together in search of freedom through dreams, revolution, and civil war from the metropolis of Khartoum Sudan to escape in East Africa. In 2022 four Sudanese filmmakers, in collaboration with a British director/writer, began documenting the lives and dreams of five citizens in Khartoum. After a military coup brought down the civilian government, a war broke out between the army and the RSF militia that displaced over ten million people. Filmmakers and subjects escaped to East Africa and determined to continue the film another way. This film is a lyrical and cinematic window for global audiences to emotionally connect into the lives and dreams of the everyday people of Khartoum at a pivotal moment in African history. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2025 - World premiere Official Selection Berlin Film Festival 2025 - European premiere Berlin Film Festival 2025 - Berlin Film Festival 2025 - Winner - Peace Film Prize Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2025

Synopsis

An explosion in a central London Hotel. Three strangers escape together and hide out in a room. "Just sit in the middle of the room and be quiet", they're told. What could be easier? A comedy about the 24hr news cycle, 'experts' and whether or not social media is more important than people's lives.

Synopsis

Oxford Professor Patricia Kingori travels to Kenya, where she uncovers the murky, multi-billion global underworld of essay-writing. Thousands of young and highly educated Kenyans – overqualified and chronically underemployed – have found lucrative work writing essays for students around the globe who are able and willing to pay for them. It’s a complex portrait of an issue that undermines the foundations of a pillar of humanity: education. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2024 - Documentary Competition - World premiere Official Selection IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam) 2024 - International premiere Official Selection CPH:DOX 2025 Official Selection Nairobi Film Festival 2025 Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival 2025

Synopsis

Eleven year old Francis is a devout atheist, just like his parents. But when his parents suddenly separate, Francis realises that his family life is moving further away from what he knows and loves. Alone and desperate for guidance, Francis takes refuge in the nearby woods where he encounters an unconventional mentor; a larger than life New York Gangster.

Synopsis

Lawrence Lek directs an animated court drama where the defendant is a driverless car accused of kidnapping its own creator. Setting the premise for the artist to address themes like accountability, agency, the (already happening) use of AI in the justice system, and the future of class struggle. Official Selection International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2025