Hotel Splendide

Director: Terence Gross

Year: 2000

In spite of a cast list boasting Toni Collette, Daniel Craig, Katrin Cartlidge and Stephen Tompkinson, the real star of Hotel Splendide is the hotel itself. Director Terence Gross and his team spent more than a year searching for the perfect location. They finally found it in the Slieve Donard Hotel in Northern Ireland. "It had all the qualities we were looking for - a fairy tale element, a hint of gothic and was overwhelmingly big to dwarf the staff and guests," says producer Ildiko Kemeny. Gross sees the Hotel Splendide as embodying the spirit of Mrs Blanche, the late matriarch of the family who still manages the crumbling establishment. "She created a very ingenious heating system that runs off human waste. After her death she has had herself cremated into it and has a kind of presence in the hotel," explains Gross. "It's very Oedipal, with the children still living inside her." Although the film has what Cartlidge describes as "a European sniff about it" ("it's very unusual for a British film to veer away from naturalism," she says) Gross sees it as carrying a very British message. "The whole film is a metaphor for the way the British settle for less and feel that mediocrity is better than risk," he says. But if that sounds portentous, it is also leavened with an essentially British sense of humour, as outsider Kath (Collette) brings liberating chaos into the suffocating environment of the hotel. The film, which is Gross's feature debut, was selected for this year's Berlin Film Festival in the Panorama section.

Director: Kenton Oxley

Year: 2027

Inspired by the true story of Bryony Tyrell, known in the cage as “Killa Bee” - one of Britain’s most unexpected fighters: a nurse on the frontlines during COVID, devoted mother, and a pro MMA fighter. Featured in stories by The Telegraph, The Mirror, The Daily Star, and more, Bryony has captured hearts and media attention with her extraordinary double life... Bry leads a double life — a nurse by day and a ferocious mixed martial arts fighter by night. Driven to the brink as she prepares for a showdown with Molly McCann, she risks it all — family, sanity, everything — for her shot at glory. Just as that chance arrives, the pandemic strikes, pushing her into the trenches of the COVID ICU. When tragedy hits close to home, her world is shaken. But Bry doesn’t back down. Another fight offer reignites her hunger — though this time, her career and home life are both on the ropes. The final match? It’s brutal, raw, and unforgettable. Spotting her family in the stands, Bry makes a soul-shaking decision — choosing the battle that truly matters most. This electrifying film melds high-octane MMA action, heart-stopping drama, and an unbreakable spirit.

Director: Richard Perryman

Year: 2027

When Charlie, a disillusioned 30-year-old, fails to attend his estranged father's funeral, his overachieving sister shows up unannounced to confront him. Their tense reunion forces them to face old wounds, buried resentments, and the messy path toward healing their fractured relationship.