Unknown Things

Director: Bruno Coppola

Year: 2000

Based on a short story by the late Reginald Bretnor, Unknown Things is described as a tale of mystery, romance, antique mechanical objects and murder. Set in London, it stars Paul Rhys as an antique dealer whose obsessive infatuation with a married woman leads him on a quest for increasingly bizarre contraptions to satisfy her collector husband and thus remain close by her side. "It's a fascinating and densely written piece with no violence or gunplay yet it is absolutely terrifying," claims first-time director Bruno Coppola. "It explores fear and a hidden power which means it doesn't conform to any formulas you often find in modern film-making." Coppola had worked with co-producer Sarah Bradshaw for the BBC World Service and acquired the rights to Bretnor's work, thinking it might make an excellent low-budget feature. But the screenplay by Matthew Jansky attracted such interest that the project soon mushroomed. "It caught the imagination of photographer Ken Westbury, who worked on some of the classic Dennis Potter pieces. I had never made a feature but once he came on board with his crew, people trusted him and we were able to secure an amazing cast. The initial rushes also created a wave of interest that brought in further financing." Unknown Things has attracted the attention of a number of major distributors and is expected to make its debut on the festival circuit this autumn.

Director: Ben O'Connor

Year: 2026

Robbie exists on the margins of society. He lives alone on a narrow boat in rural England with little means. He has found solace in isolation and a humble life. Unexpectedly he is contacted with the unwanted news of his estranged father’s death. This drags up emotions from the past that quickly become too much to bear… And so, the story begins… A journey back into his past. A journey on a motorcycle to find his mother. He drives, alone, through desolate landscapes, barren and mountainous, into the depths of his mind. A dream world where Robbie is forced to confront his past. Two stories emerge; memories from his childhood recurrently appear, fracturing the present where ex-lovers who have shaped his life confront him in surreal encounters. With time the two stories collide, past and present become one. The road leads in one direction, back to his childhood home and ultimately, his first and now final love; his mother. For where he began, he will now end and know himself for the first time.

Director: Simon Brooke

Year: 2025

Boyfriends Connor, Silas, and Connor’s dad Rob arrive home. Connor and Silas show affection. Rob drops his yellow work bucket in the kitchen. Little brother Max sits up for dinner while mum, Jan, plans for his sixth birthday. They watch the evening news announcing a scientific discovery; if a boy sees yellow while hearing a woman sing on his sixth birthday, he will grow up gay. The notion of this quotidian trigger creates a tense silence. Connor, anxious, realises his parents can choose whether Max grows up gay. The next day, Max chooses colours for his party, ignoring yellow. Connor sees the yellow bucket in the kitchen has been replaced with a blue one. That night, Connor wakes Max to ask if anyone told him what colours to pick. Max insists he chose his favourites. Before the party, Jan fears she is losing her voice. Rob takes Connor to the pub and reassures him the yellow bucket broke, and that he and Jan are proud Connor is gay. At the party, Connor withdraws to his room. Jan follows and finds he has hidden every yellow object in the house. Upset, they gently return to the celebration leaving the objects.