New short films glow up through Beacons scheme

Beacons shines a light on Welsh talent, supporting emerging filmmakers from Wales to make a cinematic calling card with funding, training, mentoring and advice.

This latest slate of short films showcases the diverse variety of stories, voices and talent of Wales across animation, documentary and live-action fiction. Introducing the 12 new short film projects, BFI NETWORK Wales Manager Jude Lister says, “It’s always exciting to see the sheer range of creative ideas coming through from Welsh talent and we had an incredible response to our call for applications this year. We can’t wait to see how the 12 short film projects develop over the coming months.”

Crybaby

Writer/Director: Eleri Edwards    
Producer: Tom Stubbs 
An animated film about a character learning to understand herself better, after being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) aged 25. Eleri’s graduation film The Goat won several awards and was screened at festivals around the world.

Dim ond Ti a Mi 

Writer/Director: Griff Lynch    
In this Welsh-language horror, a clash of values and cultures unfolds in a remote farmhouse as Mabli takes a trip to meet her boyfriend’s family. Griff has directed short films, documentaries and music videos for Channel 4, Amazon Prime, S4C, Nowness, RTE and the BBC.    

Follow The Dogs    

Writer/Director: Isabel Garrett
Producer: Sue Gainsborough
This part-animated documentary explores cancer patient Warren Hastings' relationship with healthcare and creativity as he recovers from treatment. With a background in animated storytelling, Isabel has directed stop motion commissions for a wide range of clients including Channel 4, Alexander McQueen, The Eels, and Amazon.

Frostlands

Writer/Director: Anastasia Bruce Jones
Producers: Matt Ashwell, Scott Piggott
A six-year-old farmgirl teaches herself to fly, but when her favourite heifer gives birth to a male calf she ends up learning a harder lesson. Anastasia writes and directs for film, theatre and TV; their latest short All Girls is premiering at Aesthetica Film Festival.

Mother's Day    

Writer: Emily Burnett    
Director: Darragh Mortell    
Producer: Laura Southgate 
A space-loving young boy must navigate a new world when his mum suddenly suffers a mental health crisis and his gran returns from the Caribbean to take care of him. Emily is an alumna of BBC Writer's Room Welsh Voices and Literature Wales' Professional Development Programme and was recently commissioned to write for GALWAD. Darragh is a multi-award-winning writer/director who second unit directed The Phantom of the Open and has multiple projects at various stages of TV, Radio and Film development.

On a Wing and a Prayer

Writer/Director: Siriol Bunford    
Producer: Tim Katz
An observational documentary following the fortunes of high-ranked pigeon-fanciers as they duke it out for the title Supreme Champion at the 'Crufts of the Pigeon World.’ Siriol has directed award-winning short films and commercials for clients including Adidas, Nike, Google, Guinness, Samsung, IKEA, British Airways, HSBC and McDonalds.

Passenger

Writer/Director: Nia Alavezos    
Producer: Louis Jones 
In this anime-inspired animation, a vengeful spirit tries to possess Cora’s body, but over time they form a dysfunctional relationship. Nia is a producer and storyteller working in animation, who directed Sun & Moon Studio's Christmas short film Timeless Gifts. 

Puppets and My Mental Health

Writer/Director: Ffion Pritchard    
Producer: Dion Wyn Hughes    
This observational documentary explores the world of puppetry and its benefits for mental health. Ffion has written, directed and produced films for BBC Wales, It’s My Shout, Moving Parts International Puppet Festival, HANSH and Wicked Wales.

Ships in the Night    

Writer: Kel Matsena
Directors: Kel Matsena, Anthony Matsena    
During a family dinner, a simple announcement leaves Jamie and Claire facing differences of race, religion and culture - all for love. Zimbabwe-born and Wales-raised Kel co-founded Matsena Productions with his brother Anthony to create a platform for bolder and more diverse storytelling through the combination of different performing arts. 

Shoes    

Writer/Director: Eiko Meredith    
Producer: Robin Lyons 
In this stop-motion animated drama, a woman realises her partner is a controller after moving into his house. As his abuse gets worse, she decides to escape. Eiko has worked on puppets and props for Shaun the Sheep, Igam Ogam, Fantastic Mr Fox and Frankenweenie, and she is the founder of Kotatsu Festival, the only Japanese-themed animation festival in Wales.

The Fire Drill    

Writer/Director: Dani Abram    
An animated comedy that sees sparks of sexual attraction fly during a scheduled fire drill when dedicated fire marshal Linda meets her match from a rival office. Dani has 15 years’ experience across AAA games, children's TV and feature film as an animator and compositor.

Treading Water

Writer/Director: Toby Cameron    
Producer: Simon Pax McDowell 
Dylan is haunted by traumatic flashbacks of a vicious attack he witnessed as a child. On the verge of a nervous breakdown, he goes on a cathartic journey to help save his job, his marriage and his mind. Toby has produced and directed films for BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and S4C, and his short film Louder Is Not Always Clearer was nominated for a BAFTA Cymru award this year. 

Nick Andrews, BBC Cymru Wales Head of Commissioning, adds “A remarkable set of Beacons films are currently on iPlayer and gaining audiences across the UK. It has never been more important for our brightest and best to be able to tell compelling stories and we’re looking forward to seeing who comes through.”

Four previous Beacons shorts will be broadcast on BBC Two next month: Samantha O'Rourke’s north Walian LGBTQ+ comedy Jelly and Nan Moore’s dark drama Seats on Friday 2nd December, and Mac Nixon’s BAFTA Cymru nominated thriller Jackdaw and Zillah Bowes’ portrait of rural community Staying (Aros Mae) on Thursday 8th December.