Projects matching: ISO

Synopsis

On the anniversary of his father's death, a boy navigates a journey through grief within the family's crumbling manor house, with visions and dreams ushering a past generation into his present day. A piece of pure gothic magic realism.

Synopsis

This is not the Handmaid’s Tale. This, unfortunately, is real. TESTIMONY is a powerful documentary revealing the harrowing truth behind Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby Homes, where over 10,000 women and girls were confined between 1922 and 1996. Unmarried mothers, children of unmarried mothers, survivors of abuse, or those deemed “promiscuous” or burdensome were imprisoned, their lives shrouded in secrecy and shame. The film chronicles the extraordinary efforts of Justice For Magdalenes, a small group of women lawyers, academics, and volunteers who fought tirelessly for recognition and justice for survivors. Their battle extended from the steps of the Irish parliament to the High Court and the United Nations. Alongside legal victories, the group spearheaded vital initiatives to preserve survivors' stories and ensure the atrocities they endured are never forgotten. Through moving testimonies from survivors like Philomena Lee, Elizabeth Coppin, and Mary Harney, the documentary exposes the devastating impact of these institutions while showcasing the survivors’ resilience and the ongoing fight for accountability. A story of resistance, hope, and the unwavering pursuit of justice, reminding us that the past must never be erased. Official Selection Dublin International Film Festival 2025 - World premiere Official Selection Dinard Film Festival 2025

Synopsis

An epic fable inspired by the life of Ann Lee, the founder of the Shakers, a radical religious movement that began in the late 1700s. Mona Fastvold's film depicts Ann Lee's establishment of a utopian society and the Shakers' worship through song and dance. Official Selection Venice Film Festival 2025 - World premiere Official Selection Toronto International Film Festival 2025 Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2025 - Official Competition Official Selection International Film Festival Rotterdam 2026 Official Selection Berlin International Film Festival 2026

Synopsis

An animated documentary short about traditional textile crafts. A love letter to the act of hand-making, traditional craft practices, and the people who love them. Stemming from the fear of these art forms slipping away in a society that no longer values the human labour behind them. Official Selection London International Animation Festival 2025 Official Selection Kaboom Animation Festival 2026

Synopsis

The story of Dinah Little, a no-nonsense, curmudgeonly farmer, and Charlie, the unloved niece who Dinah begrudgingly takes in after discovering her in an orphanage. Dinah's farm is in the self-proclaimed 'Pumpkin Capital of the World' where the biggest event of the year is a high-stakes, cutthroat giant-pumpkin-growing contest with an enormous cash prize. Charlie, who has a special bond with plants, decides to enter the competition where she and the other pumpkin growers face sabotage and a genetically engineered rival. As she nurtures her pumpkin ‘Peter’ and watches him grow, so does a bond between Dinah and Charlie. Official Selection Edinburgh International Film Festival 2025 - World premiere

Synopsis

A short documentary film about how the LGBTQIA+ community has been reinventing funerary and remembrance rituals to better support and reflect the way people live in the community.

Synopsis

After the death of her husband, Janet decides to distract herself by rearing a goose, which is to be the centrepiece of her Christmas dinner. However, as she grows ever more isolated from her daughter, Janet’s need to nurture the goose becomes an obsession: one which will cost her dearly. A modern-day Grimm’s fairy tale about grief, isolation… and a goose. Official Selection Edinburgh International Film Festival 2025 - Winner - Thelma Schoonmaker Prize for Short Filmmaking Excellence Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2025

Synopsis

A guilt-ridden writer, haunted by the past, embarks on a melancholic train journey home. Memories of a tumultuous adolescence resurface, forcing him to confront a dark secret that led to his mother's confinement in an asylum. Through fragmented recollections and lyrical confrontations, he navigates a path towards redemption and artistic awakening. This film is a Welsh-language "operatic film", a genre-bending exploration of grief, memory, and the power of artistic creation. Drawing inspiration from Wales' literary cornerstone, 'Un Nos Ola Leuad', this introspective drama is a fever dream woven from personal trauma and artistic expression. Score composed by Gareth Glyn, performed by the Welsh National Opera orchestra In Welsh with English subtitles Official Selection Edinburgh International Film Festival 2025 - World premiere

Synopsis

A character-driven horror-thriller set at Lockbridge Academy, an isolated school on the coast, run by the powerful aristocratic Aberdeen family, who are hiding a dark secret. Eddie, a mute burdened with caring for his cruel, ailing mother, on the cusp of losing their home takes a caretaker position at the foreboding Lockbridge. There, he meets Marie, sparking and instant connection that will alter the trajectory of his life, while unraveling a sinister mystery lurking within the school that could shatter the Aberdeen family legacy forever.

Synopsis

Baby dons a fluorescent pink wig and an unflinching smile on her socials, selling an airbrushed life in Europe to entice young Nigerian girls. Behind the filtered posts lies a more harrowing truth: Baby is trapped in a network of sex trafficking, surviving by enforcing the very system that once consumed her. Past rituals inflicted on the girls not only keep their bodies imprisoned, but also their minds, believing their silence and subservience dilutes their cursed lives. But, when someone from Baby's past becomes the newest recruit, Baby's carefully constructed world crumbles. Baby is confronted with guilt, complicity, and the crushing weight of unfulfilled dreams. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2025

Synopsis

A grandson sets out to reconnect with his Nigerian grandmother as her sense of time and clarity begins to slip away.

Synopsis

All George wants is to stop getting pushed around by the local bullies. So when a pair of weird twins offer to introduce him to their grandma they say can “make him big & strong”, he jumps at the chance. One problem: Grandma is an ancient creature who feeds on children’s youth. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2025 Official Selection Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2025