Watch debut films from creative talent in Wales

Photographer Ashrah Suudy explores the strength of sisterhood within Cardiff’s Somali community. The film focuses on the Dirac, a colourful, loose-fitting Somali dress, traditionally worn by women on special occasions such as Eid and weddings. Here we see young Somali women showcasing the Dirac against the backdrop of Butetown, Grangetown and Cathays, as they read poetry by Ashrah on the power and importance of celebrating your culture unapologetically.

On a grey day in the Welsh capital, a young barman sits dreaming of a brighter and more vibrant life. His world seems drab and uninteresting, without the glamour that he sees in his imagination. When his dreams are interrupted by a new customer, the barman begins a journey of discovery, one that allows him to discover a new world and a new outlook. Written and directed by Lloyd Glanville.

A gay man confronts his belly fat in a shop changing room, triggering him to relive an abusive past relationship. But who can save him from his own body? Written and directed by actor Mathew David, Skinny Fat is a LGBTQ+ comedy-drama based on real life events.

From writer, poet and publisher Rebecca Parfitt, Feeding Grief to Animals is a close-to-the-bone exploration of her own personal experience of the devastation of miscarriage and babyloss. The film is a live-action animation told through the medium of shadow puppetry created by Small World Theatre.

Ballet dancer Krystal S. Lowe reimagines this haunting Welsh folk tale through modern dance at locations around Wales. Krystal trained at Bermuda’s Somerset School of Dance and now performs as part of the Ballet Cymru company, is Associate Lecturer at the University of South Wales, and creates her own choreographic commissions.

Silent Pride, written and directed by Kristy Philipps, is a Welsh LGBTQ+ coming of age short film. Set on the outskirts of a teenage house party, Sammy (played by Kristy Philipps) discovers a connection with Ffion (Rhiannon Jones) that pushes her to question her sexuality.

The Golden Apple, written and directed by Hanan Issa, is a Welsh magical realist drama. Hasan, and his older brother Lutfi, find a golden apple growing on a tree in their local park. The internet says that golden apples grant eternal happiness to anyone who eats it.