British Council Logo UK Films Database
Project Detail

Poised

stylised fighting between two fighters
MMA coach coaching inside gym

Synopsis

Zero opportunity, poverty and crime. Common themes in the housing estates of Sunderland, North East England where POISED is set. A once proud region of industry. Now a wasteland scattered with the relics of the past, as generations of government continue to neglect it.
Steven France, community activist and mixed martial arts coach (MMA), haunted by the death of step-father 'Mickey', found MMA as his saviour from the trappings of these very estates. Determined to force change from within. His objective; to do the same with a group of youngsters, each facing their own unique challenges. Be it battles with drugs to unemployment and poverty, the weight of terminal illness or the trials of immigration abandoning family, thousands of miles away.
Can MMA save young people from the toughest parts of our society?
A universal underdog tale - there is a version of POISED happening in every city, town or village the world over, each with it's own unique twist. This is ours.
Visit Film Website

Details

Year
2024
Type of project
Features
Running time
97 min
Director
Toby Robson 1st Feature
Producer
Jenny Dinwoodie, Katie Elliott
Co-Producer
Steven France, Jamie Hutchinson
Executive Producer
Adam Donneky, Black Lion Group, Toby Robson
Editor
Luca Salvatori
Screenwriter
Toby Robson
Director of Photography
Diego Rodriguez
Sound
Colin Lang, Matty Groark, Stu Wright, Jack Abernathy, Peter Groom
Composer
Barney Freeman

Genre

Biography Drama Sport

Categories

Documentary

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

Big Things Have Small Beginnings Ltd presents a documentary produced by Two Yanks and a Brit & Black Lion

Two Yanks and a Brit Ltd

Dower Coach House
Riding Mill
Northumberland
NE44 6HW

Sales Company

Espresso Media International

David Hooper
Colette Webber
9 York Villas
Brighton
BN1 3TS

Page updates

This page was last updated on 7th May 2026. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

Suggest amendments

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Mr. Nobody Against Putin Mr. Nobody Against Putin

Director: David Borenstein (director), Pavel Talankin (co-director)

Year: 2025

A Russian teacher secretly documents his small town school's transformation into a war recruitment center during the Ukraine invasion, revealing the ethical dilemmas educators face amid propaganda and militarization. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2025 - World premiere Official Selection CPH DOX 2025 Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2025 BAFTA Awards 2026 - Winner - Best Documentary Academy Awards 2026 - Winner - Best Documentary Feature

History Human Rights War
A Few Moments of Happiness (Quelques instants de bonheur) A Few Moments of Happiness (Quelques instants de bonheur)

Director: Shaden Safieddine Tazi

Year: 2026

A young Lebanese filmmaker in Paris watches Lebanon's war unfold on her phone from bed. In a state of paralysis, barely able to get out of bed, she calls her father everyday and begins recording her digital life. Using screen recordings, family voices, and silences, the film intimately portrays a generation witnessing their homeland's destruction remotely. Official Selection Venice International Film Festival 2026 - World premiere

Test Track (Tesztpálya) Test Track (Tesztpálya)

Director: Lydia Cornett

Year: 2026

At dawn in Western Hungary, 14-year-old Hunor and his family use greyhounds to clear wildlife from ZalaZONE, a cutting-edge autonomous vehicle test track. Their traditional methods serve an increasingly militarized future. Official Selection Venice International Film Festival 2026 - World premiere