Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor’s Dreamers and Brian Durnin’s Spilt Milk are among the nine feature films and documentaries taking part in the fourth edition of the BFI London Film Festival works-in-progress showcase.
Dreamers is the directorial debut of Gharoro-Akpojoto, producer of Blue Story and Boxing Day and is in post-production. Ronkę Adékoluęjo stars in the love story set in a detention centre, produced by Emily Morgan’s Quiddity Films, with backing from BBC Film and the BFI. The Yellow Affair by Newen Connect represents sales.
Spilt Milk is Dublin filmmaker Brian Durnin’s first film. It follows an 11 year-old boy who dreams of becoming a great detective like his TV hero Kojak, but whose life goes down a darker path after the disappearance of his brother.
The project is the first feature produced by Laura McNicholas through her company 925 Productions, alongside James Heath’s Scottish outfit MTP. Screen Ireland and Screen Scotland are among the backers.
Heath’s partner at new Scottish production company Randan, Reece Cargan, is the producer of Sarah Elizabeth Drummond’s documentary Don’t Say Gay, which has also been selected for the showcase. Karen O’Hare of Hopscotch also producing the project which has backing from Screen Scotland.
The doc tells the story of the rapid unravelling of progressive LGBTQ+ rights in 1980s Britain and the introduction of the homophobic Section 28 law that aimed to stop councils and schools “promoting the teaching of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship”. It also inspired Georgia Oakley’s narrative fiction debut Blue Jean, that played at LFF in 2022.
The showcase will screen extracts from each project to an invited audience of international buyers as well as UK sales agents and festival programmers. It will take place on October 12 at Picturehouse Central, with all films still in production, or in post-production.
The event forms part of the festival’s UK Talent Days weekend of events designed to spotlight UK talent and foster international networking and business opportunities, in partnership with the British Council.
The online package will also be available online for one week from October 12 via a secure platform to a wider pool of invited international industry professionals.
From last year’s showcase, Jack King’s The Ceremony world premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in August, winning the inaugural £50,000 Sean Connery award for filmmaking excellence. From the 2022 showcase, Girl written and directed by Adura Onashile, went to be screen at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and Hoard from filmmaker Luna Carmoon bowed at the Venice International Film Festival, winning multiple awards in Critics’ Week.
BFI LFF Works-in-Progress 2024
Be Of Good Behaviour - documentary
Dirs-scrs: Giulio Gobbetti, Jan Stöckel
Prods: Giada Mazzoleni, Giulio Gobbetti, Jan Stöckel
Contact: Paguro Film
Status: post-production
Chicken Town
Dir: Richard Bracewell
Scrs: Patrick Dalton, Richard Bracewell
Prods: Richard Bracewell, Patrick Dalton, Tom Wood
Cast: Ramy Ben Fredj, Ethaniel Davy, Graham Fellows, Amelie Pyecroft Davies, Laurence Rickard
Contact: Punk Cinema
Status: Post-production
Don’t Say Gay – documentary
Dir: Sarah Elizabeth Drummond
Prods: Reece Cargan, Karen O’Hare
Contact: Randan
Status: In production
Dreamers
Dir: Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor
Prod: Emily Morgan
Cast: RonkęAdékoluęjo, Ann Akinjirin, Diana Yekinni, Aiysha Hart
Contact: The Yellow Affair
Status: Post-production
Everybody To Kenmure Street – documentary
Dir: Felipe Bustos Sierra
Prod: Ciara Barry
Contact: barry crerar
Status: In production
Night Gardener – documentary
Dir: Daniel Gough
Prods: Anne Milne , Sonja Henrici, Dewi Gregory
Contact: Sonja Henrici Creates, Hand Drawn Pictures
Status: Late development
On A Winter Night
Dir: Liam Calvert
Scr: Diego Scerrati
Prod: Diego Scerrati (Co-pros. James Heath, Reece Cargan)
Cast: Alexander Lincoln, Jack Brett Anderson, David Bradley, Jimmy Ericson, Beth Rylance, Kane Surry.
Contact: Diego Scerrati
Status: Post-production
Spilt Milk
Dir: Brian Durnin
Prods: Laura McNicholas, James Heath
Cast: Cillian Sullivan, Naoise Kelly, Danielle Galligan, Laurence O’Fuarain, Pom Boyd
Contact: 925 Productions
Status: Post-production
Two Neighbours
Dir: Ondine Viñao
Scrs: Ondine Viñao, Jordan Johnson
Prod: Ivy Freeman-Attwood
Cast: Anya Chalotra, Chloe Cherry, Ralph Ineson
Contact: Silkscreen
Status: Post-production
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