Each team behind the short films will now go through a supported development process, before pitching again in March for up to seven production funding awards.

From queer period romance to surreal, Brexit-themed black comedy, this selection of shorts reflects the diverse voices and broad visions of the emerging talent Wales has to offer.

BFI Welsh Talent NETWORK Manager Alice Whittemore comments: "I’m so excited by the range of voices represented in this slate of projects; particularly that over half are helmed by female directors. The shortlist spotlights LGBTQI stories, champions the Welsh language and emboldens interdisciplinary creative talent to bring a strong, visual approach and fresh ideas to the medium of film. Supporting them through this new development phase will allow these filmmakers to build confidence in their vision, as each of them chooses to express their Welsh identity in a very singular way."

 

The shortlisted projects are:

Dolly

Writer/Director: Mac Nixon

Producer: Ed Casey

A precocious and fearless six-year-old girl roams the streets of her industrial Welsh town, desperately searching for her missing cat before the day’s end.

Ffantasmagoria

Director: Hanna Jarman

Writers: Hanna Jarman, Mared Jarman

Producer: Alice Lusher, Ie Ie Productions

A Welsh & English language psychological thriller that juxtaposes audio-description with abstract visuals to explore the complexities of the 'horror-esque' hallucinations experienced by a young woman with Charles Bonnet Syndrome.

Father of the Bride

Writer: Rhys Marc Jones

Producer: Alexander Polunin

Delivering the Best Man speech at your brother’s wedding is never easy, but Christian must try to do so after an awkward propositioning by the father of the bride.

Fly

Writer/Director: Zillah Bowes

A single city woman goes to buy a dog from a married hill farmer in remote mid-Wales.

Jelly

Writer/Director: Sam O'Rourke

Kerry is bored. This small town routine is suffocating her. But then one day she follows a path to an underground escape filled with jelly, board games and hope.

Leaf boat

Writer/Director: Efa Blosse Mason

Producer: Amy Morris, Winding Snake Productions

An animated short film exploring the joy and fear experienced in the early days of a relationship.

Men I Trust

Writer/Director: Thomas Chetwode-Barton

Producer: Jenna Cedici

A dark romantic drama that tells a story of gender, ghosts and a budding love between two boys.

MOTION SICKNESS

Writer/Director: Nan Moore

Producer: Bethan Jones

On the overnight bus home to Wales, Lili tries to decipher whether the driver is an ex-convict. Could he teach her a lesson in forgiveness?

The Pit

Writer/Director: Leyla Pope

Producers: Sophie Francis, Greg Mothersdale

A young Syrian refugee visits Big Pit, a Welsh mining museum, and is forced to confront a trauma she is trying to forget.

SALLY LEAPT OUT OF THE WINDOW LAST NIGHT

Writer/Director: Tracy Spottiswoode

Producer: Kathy Speirs, Up Helly Aa

Ireland, 1788. To escape the fate their families plan for them, two women flout convention and scandalise society by eloping. Based on the true story of The Ladies of Llangollen.

Takeshi

Writer/Director: Griff Lynch

A Welsh and Japanese language documentary that follows Takeshi Koike on his journey to embracing Welsh culture through learning and lecturing in Tokyo.

 

Funded through Ffilm Cymru’s BFI Welsh Talent NETWORK, Beacons invests in emerging writers, directors and producers from Wales to develop bold and unique voices, explore diverse forms of cinematic storytelling, and establish flourishing careers as feature filmmakers.

Short films previously produced through the Beacons scheme include Ewan Jones-Morris’ This Far Up, which won Best Short Film at the 2017 BAFTA Cymru awards, and Medeni Griffiths’ historical thriller Beddgelert, which was broadcast on S4C in November 2017. Meanwhile, Claire Fowler’s BFI Welsh Talent NETWORK-supported short film Salam premiered at Tribeca in 2018, before being selected for the BFI London Film Festival.

Welsh filmmakers that went on to make their debut features with Ffilm Cymru after being awarded Beacons funding include BAFTA-winning writer-director Rungano Nyoni (I Am Not a Witch, selected as the UK’s Oscar entry for Best Foreign Language Film), Catherine Linstrum (Nuclear), and Ryan Hooper (The Toll).