New short films from Welsh talent emerging with Ffilm Cymru Wales

Beacons shines a light on Welsh talent, supporting emerging filmmakers from Wales to make a cinematic calling card with funding, training, mentoring and guidance. Now in its tenth year, the scheme has produced 39 short films seen on cinema, television and digital screens around the world. 

Ffilm Cymru Wales’ new development slate of short films showcases a wide variety of voices and stories told across live-action, animation and documentary, in multiple genres and languages. The creative teams behind them will now work on their projects with guidance and mentorship from Ffilm Cymru Wales, before applying for additional funding to progress into production in the new year.

Jessica Cobham-Dineen, Ffilm Cymru Wales’ Manager of Development & Production, says: “After receiving a record number of applications this year for Beacons, the final nine films selected for development are a testament to the depth and breadth of talent across Wales. The stories the filmmakers want to tell are uniquely different, showcasing the intersectionality of the lived experience across Wales. We look forward to seeing how each project grows across the development period.” 

Boyo

A folk neo queer horror about a young man whose lover has gone missing, presumed dead in their village of Abercraf. From dancer and choreographer Gareth Chambers, co-written with Mei Lewis, Boyo explores the dark side to queer sexuality; queer culture’s love/hate relationship with masculinity, and how it can be negative yet simultaneously positive, transformative, and ancient.

Chan’s 

A semi-autobiographical story that explores the memories of a football-obsessed, 10-year-old Chinese-Welsh boy growing up in his family's takeaway in Barry, south Wales. Chan’s is written and directed by Jun Chan, a Creative Director and guest UAL lecturer, and Fanny Hötzeneder, a TV Commercial Director. Together, they seek to highlight often-overlooked stories from East and Southeast Asian diaspora in British culture.

Extinction 

In this animated comedy horror, all animals are extinct and the people of a rural Welsh village begin to mourn their absence by filling in the roles they once played. Extinction is written and directed by Sara Schiavone, who’s previous short Slowly Waking was selected for Cardiff Animation Festival and FOCUS Wales Film Festival in 2024. 

Gwrach  

Two cockle farmers venture out to sea to lure their catch to the surface. Lurking in the water is Gwrach Y Rhibyn, a harbinger of impending death that has been stalking them for days. Gwrach is written and directed by Alun Rhys Morgan, whose film Collection Only has just been selected at 20 festivals worldwide, and produced by Matt Ashwell, whose latest short Flock was funded through the BFI & Film4’s Future Takes scheme.

Juan

A veteran Elvis impersonator reflects on the devastating consequences of chasing perfection through cosmetic surgery, as this documentary delves into the intersection of insecurity, the allure of celebrity, and the human cost of transforming oneself in the pursuit of an impossible ideal. Director Callum O’Keefe has extensive experience in documenting people through the medium of photography, taking a new lens to this heartfelt story. 

Marriage Test 

In 1984 Cardiff, Welsh Susie and Iranian Raz’s decision to get married hangs in the balance in a mosque’s waiting room. Will their love triumph, or will their differences push them apart? Produced by Roxy Amini, alongside Executive Producer Matthew Barry (BAFTA Cymru award winner for Men Up), this rom-com drama is written and directed by Welsh-Iranian writer Sara Nourizadeh, who has a background in documentaries exploring class, cultural identity, and family.

Scab

During a bitter industrial strike, a scab struggles to hide his treachery from his union boss brother, as his body begins to rot and warp into a grotesque reflection of his ugly secret. This period horror is written and directed by Oliver Gabe, who made his first short film through Ffilm Cymru Wales’ Ffolio scheme, and is produced by Lee Haven Jones and Adam Knopf.

To Be Here 

When the much-loved colleague of an isolated young woman dies, she starts to see him in her lonely world and is spurred on to finally start living. Written by BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing winner Carys Thomas, directed by Eleri B. Jones (Director & CEO of Theatre Brycheiniog), and produced by Chloe Huybens, To Be Here is a comedy-drama about loneliness, grief, and the ripples that small acts of kindness leave in our lives.

Writing To Reach You

A young artist grappling with having recently become disabled finds an unexpected connection with a confident, wheelchair-using poet. Writer Ciaran Fitzgerald is an RTS Cymru Award nominated disabled playwright and screenwriter from Port Talbot, and director Rhys Miles Thomas is a proud Welsh disabled man, who wants to tell stories that challenge perceptions and give a voice to underrepresented communities. Writing To Reach You is produced by Shelley Rees.

Four earlier Beacons shorts premiered on BBC Wales this month and are now available to watch on BBC iPlayer: Bethan Hughes & Bryony Evans’ animated folktale Hounds of Annwn, Ren Faulkner’s queer documentary Being Seen, Josh Hicks’ animated conspiracy comedy Spectre of the Bear, and Krystal S. Lowe’s poignant drama Seven. 

Both Being Seen and Spectre of the Bear were recently nominated for Best Short Film at the 2024 BAFTA Cymru Awards, while Seven had its world premiere at the Essence Film Festival in New Orleans. Coming to small screens soon will be Llŷr Titus’ Welsh-language horror Fisitor, which this year screened at international festivals including Abertoir Horror Festival and the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival, and Emily Burnett’s drama Mother’s Day, which premiered at the BFI London Film Festival in October. 

Ffilm Cymru Wales’ next round of short film funding is due to open in Spring 2025.