Welsh producers discuss Brides’ Sundance premiere

The debut feature from acclaimed theatre director Nadia Fall and screenwriter Suhayla El-Bushra, Brides stars Ebada Hassan and Safiyya Ingar as two teenage girls in search of freedom, friendship and belonging, who run away from their troubled lives in a seaside town with a misguided plan of travelling to Syria. 

Catryn Ramasut and Alice Lusher of ie ie Productions co-produced the film, with funding from Ffilm Cymru Wales and Creative Wales. The Cardiff-based company has developed and produced a vibrant slate of bold stories, including documentary features Separado!, American Interior, Queerama, Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm, BAFTA Cymru nominated shorts Elen, I Choose, Forest Coal Pit and innovative sci-fi film LOLA, a co-production between Wales and Ireland. 

Before they headed to Park City, Utah, for Sundance, we caught up with Catryn and Alice to chat about their new film, the success of the Welsh screen industry, and what the future holds for ie ie Productions.

How did you get involved with Brides?
Producer Nicky Bentham first approached us at the end of spring 2023 to discuss exploring a potential co-production and shooting the UK portion of the film in Wales. The minute we read Suhayla's incredible script and met the powerhouse all-female creative team (Nicky, Nadia and Suhayla), we knew we wanted to work on this film. Not only is this an important story to tell, but their collaborative approach to development and creative vision perfectly aligned with ie ie productions' ethos, making it an inspiring project to be part of.

Photos and videos taken on an initial recce of south Wales’ coastal towns, villages, beaches and monuments were enough to convince the team that Wales was a great fit for the film. We were then introduced to Italian producer Marica Stocchi, and from there everything progressed quite quickly and we were in production and filming that autumn. 

Why is it important to tell stories like these?
Honest, authentic storytelling is crucial to both on and off-screen portrayal, in order to represent the breadth of our society responsibly. Universal human themes of friendship, belonging and coming of age connect audiences on a global scale. Brides is at its core, a film about the power and depth of teenage friendships, the risks we take and decisions we make, whilst still legally children, and the impacts they can have. 

Where did you shoot the film?
The teenage girls are on a ‘road trip’ journey - on the move continuously through the film as they travel from the UK to Syria. The UK portion of the film was shot in south Wales between Cardiff and Porthcawl, with locations including Barry, Ogmore and Southerndown. The team then moved on to Istanbul in Turkey then on to Sicily for the remainder of the shoot. 

Were there any challenges to overcome during production? 
A debut indie shooting in three countries with only a small number of HOD’s travelling with the unit was quite a feat, but the local crews in each country really pulled together to support a shared vision. A truly international co-production. 

Our amazing leads, newcomer Ebaba Hassan and Safiyya Ingar worked incredibly hard and were a brilliant on and off screen partnership. We can’t wait to see what they do next. 

What will you be doing at Sundance? 
Our time at Sundance kicks off with the Brides premiere on Friday 24th and we are all super excited to be able to share the film with audiences and celebrate everyone’s incredible hard work. This will be our first time at Sundance, so we want to make sure we are fully immersed in the experience, supporting and watching the other films but also making new connections for future projects. It's also a fantastic opportunity to promote Wales and what we have to offer here. 

How did Ffilm Cymru Wales’ support help you and the film?
Ffilm Cymru Wales and Creative Wales’ support has been invaluable for us at ie ie productions and we feel incredibly fortunate. The production funding we received for Brides was a crucial piece of our financing jigsaw.  

What makes Wales such a successful place for the film and creative sectors?
Fantastic locations, talent, crews and facilities. We are a small nation with huge ambition. Being able to access additional UK funding support from Ffilm Cymru Wales and Creative Wales is an important part of our industry and a brilliant incentive to attract exciting UK and international projects to Wales. 

What would you like to see more of in the Welsh film industry?
We'd love to see more nurturing and development of Welsh talent - from writers and directors to producers and indigenous companies - to help them break through on the international stage. Building a thriving film industry takes time and investment. It's an ecosystem that needs to grow, and co-productions are a fantastic way to collaborate both creatively and practically. Alongside those productions choosing to film in Wales, there's also real need for more authentic Welsh storytelling that represents the breadth of our communities and cultures. Welsh language films also need more funding and resources to reach their full potential, we only need to look at Kneecap for inspiration!

What’s next for Brides? 
Watch this space!

What else does ie ie Productions have coming up?
Lots of exciting conversations and projects in the mix, including more co-productions and our BFI and Ffilm Cymru Wales supported features; Madison by Bethan Marlow and On A Scale Of One To Ten by Phoebe Eclair Powell. Both are in late-stage development and we’re hoping to announce directors and continue to explore partnerships and financing opportunities in the coming months.

The Sundance Film Festival is the pre-eminent gathering of original storytellers and audiences seeking new voices and fresh perspectives. Since 1985, hundreds of films launched at the Festival have gone on to gain critical acclaim and reach new audiences worldwide.