How to Build A Girl

Director: Coky Giedroyc

Year: 2000

The second feature from Stella Does Tricks director Coky Giedroyc, Women Talking Dirty charts the ups and downs in the relationship between two friends in Edinburgh: headstrong single mother Cora (Helena Bonham Carter) and shy but successful cartoonist Ellen (Gina McKee) who is struggling to support her no-good gambling husband. As they gamely deal with the vicissitudes of life, their friendship is tested but ultimately proves too strong to crumble. The film is based on the popular novel by Scottish author Isla Dewar, published in 1996, and marks the debut production from Elton John's Rocket Pictures, which acquired the rights to the novel and then brought on board Giedroyc on the strength of her previous film. Rocket then teamed up with Jean Doumanian, the New York-based producer best known for her collaborations with Woody Allen, in an Anglo-American co-production. The work-in-progress print was screened at last year's Toronto Film Festival, since when the film has been back into the cutting rooms for fine-tuning. It has just been completed. Meanwhile, Rocket Pictures is developing a number of features across the genres and budget ranges, including the partly-animated Just So series, in co-production with the Walt Disney Co, and So I Am Glad, an adaptation of another Scottish novel, this time by AL Kennedy, which will be co-produced and star husband and wife team Ed Harris and Amy Madigan.

Director: Robyn Egan

Year: 2026

Wren is interviewed for a job at Brixham Fish Market. Gary shows her around and tells her to come back tomorrow, for the night shift. A few hours into the shift and Wren is flagging, she enjoys a moment of calm whilst smoking outside - until she is confronted with Cali, who wants a lighter and a chat. The next few nights, sleepless days and awkward interactions blur into each other until Cali greets Wren with a coffee and cigarette for the usual 2am slump. Wren is disgusted when realising Cali has spiked her coffee with brandy. Steph shows Wren how to fillet. Cali rushes to help, standing behind Wren, he places his hands on hers.Wren shrinks down, motionless, allowing Cali to puppeteer her, forcing his groin into her from behind. Wren empties her locker, she’s not coming back. She leaves, only to find Cali waiting for her, unbuckling his belt. Wren waits until his trousers are down, walks over to him, without breaking eye contact and guts Cali like a fish. She makes use of the “Monster Industrial Chum Grinder”, to dismember Cali’s body, discarding the chum into the sea at sunrise. She gracefully enters the sea herself, cleansed.

Director: Martin Crasborn

Year: 2026

Set in rural England, Dusk follows Douglas, a young farmer whose beloved horse suffers a debilitating injury. When his father insists the decision to end her suffering must be rest on his shoulders alone, Douglas must confront the heavy weight of adulthood. Rifle in hand, he faces an agonising test of duty.