BFI Network Shorts 18

Join BFI NETWORK for an evening of eight short films, showcasing some of the most exciting emerging filmmaking talent from across the UK. For the first time, the teams from across the UK behind BFI NETWORK are joining forces to celebrate and share eight of their funded short films.

All films been funded by BFI NETWORK, made possible thanks to National Lottery funding. The package has been curated by BFI NETWORK and film experts Delphine Lievens and Katie Goh

Films

Sandpaper (dir. Michael Mante) 16mins - A troubled young man stumbles upon a creative community group and becomes acquainted with the leader.

Catch a Butcher (dir. Cassiah Joski-Jethi) 11mins - In a maternity ward in 19th Century India, a nurse's first night on the job descends into terror as she discovers the truth behind mixed race babies sudden disappearances.

The Piss Witch (dir. Jason Barker) 7mins - Fed up with the constant judgments of those around her, Clare finds power in rebellion.

Shagbands (dir. Luna Carmoon ) 18mins - During a sizzling summer in the noughties, a gang of South London schoolgirls face strange sexual awakenings, which culminate in a visceral fate.

Bahar (dir. Maryam Hamidi) 15mins – Ten years after her daughter died, a lonely widow’s home is infested by a mouldy manifestation of her daughter’s spirit, but when her son returns from university and realises the severity of her emotional entombment she is forced to confront her festering guilt and choose between the living and the dead.

The Cities I Live In (dir. Rabie Mustapha ) 11mins - Newly settled in Belfast, a filmmaker tells his infant twins about his life journey. They see him leaving one violent place for another, longing for places that he will never see again, and hoping they will not carry his curse. Troubled cities travel as fragmented memories in this short film about a man searching for stillness.

Druids (dir. Shwan Nosratpour) 14mins - Journey back through the mysterious mists of time on an adventure with three bungling druids, a mischievous squirrel and a psychedelic chicken as they try to restore the balance of nature after a bizarre astrological event threatens to change their world forever.

Finding ‘Appiness (dir. Natasha Hawthornthwaite) 12mins - After 70 years of keeping a devastating secret, eccentric fashionista Allan Bradbury is on a journey to recovery. By opening up about his childhood trauma can he find true ‘appiness in later life?