2022 FESTIVAL - 40 Official Selections

After announcing 3 Official Selections per month (with a total of 27 Official Selections announced over the course of our open submission period in 2021), we're now excited to share with you 13 more Official Selections as we announce our full lineup for 2022's edition of The People's Film Festival happening April 2-9.


Official Selections



ALONE TOGETHER

written & directed by Aglaja Filipovic

produced by Alisa Radovanac

Returning home, under the strange circumstances, two strangers must share a hotel room for one night.

ALONE TOGETHER is an Official Selection in our Micro Budget Category.



BAINNE

written & directed by Jack Reynor

produced by Lara Hickey & Emer O'Shea

In the last year of The Great Famine in Ireland, a stoic farmhand survives working for the local landlord. When he encounters a ghostly figure stealing milk his morality is questioned, and is beguiled on a journey of faith.

BAINNE is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.


BLINKERS

written & directed by Sophia Capasso

produced by TUTTI TUTTI Productions

Two young women, their lives meticulously intertwined, are each on a fast paced journey to very different destinations.
BLINKERS is a short film about the cracks we don’t see splitting in the rollercoaster that is modern life and how two experiences of one night can be drastically dissimilar.

BLINKERS is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.


CLOUDS

written & directed by David Yorke

produced by Phil Beastall

A young boy struggling with depression navigates through his daily routine, while being followed by a grey cloud.

CLOUDS is an Official Selection in our Micro Budget Category.


DUNDERWHELP

directed & produced by Jasper Valentine

written by Mark Little & Jasper Valentine

Two soldiers have fled the field of a viscous and bloody battle, only to be confronted by each other in this clash of the cowards.

DUNDERWHELP is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.


EMBERS

written, produced, & directed by Tom Ganley

Alice sits alone at a restaurant, waiting for her date to arrive...

EMBERS is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.


FEAST

directed by Gillian Harker

written by Brian Coyle & Gillian Harker

produced by Curzana Productions

A woman reverts into self-loathing and food abuse after her actions cause a relationship to fail - the fallout documented in voice notes and lack of responses.

FEAST is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.


FINDING BEAST

written & directed by Olivia Accardo

produced by Will Mason, Sofia Snyder & Kristen Politis

While Olivia’s parents prepare to sell their NJ home and relocate to Florida, Olivia puts her life in LA on hold to embark upon an important mission – she must rescue the ghost of her childhood cat from her family’s home before it’s too late.

FINDING BEASTis an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.


FISHWIFE

written, produced, & directed by Beth Park

In wild 18th century Britain a lonely woman discovers that her menstrual cycle is of interest to a stranger.

FISHWIFE is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.


THE GOSSIP

written & directed by Rolfin Nyhus

produced by Tara Trangmar & Rolfin Nyhus

A young woman's self-esteem shatters when her best friend launches into a tirade.

Set in Margate, a coastal town in the South East of Britain, The Gossip explores the moral and interpersonal effects of gossip between two best friends.

Careless talk and gossip occur in all walks of life and can create rifts in the closest of relationships. Repairing this damage requires compassion and understanding. Traits that are often most needed when they are least accessible. Healing a once loving relationship can be the hardest task of all.

THE GOSSIP is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.


HUNGER

written, produced, & directed by Mark Dollard

A heroin addict is pursued by a menacing figure.

HUNGER is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.


I HOPE THIS FILM ISN’T ABOUT ME

directed by Harry Plowden

An animation sort of about nightclubs.

I HOPE THIS FILM ISN’T ABOUT ME is an Official Selection in our Mirco-Budget Category.


JAHANNAM

written & directed by Hamza Pool

produced by Elena Queally & Daisy Ward

A victim of Israel’s use of administrative detention, a Palestinian detainee goes on a hunger strike after being separated from his daughter and incarcerated without trial or charge.

Inspired by recent cases, "Jahannam" tackles the issue of administrative detention and Israel's use of this practice to imprison thousands of Palestinians for lengthy periods of time. The film also explores the use of hunger strikes by detainees as a form of protest, and how the Israeli prison system punishes such resistance.

JAHANNAM is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.


THE LAST DELIVERY

directed by Alessio Ciancianaini

written by Alessio Ciancianaini & Irene Fraschetti

produced by Rifugio Produzioni

Vera orders pizza for dinner, but her date doesn't show up. She asks Giulia, the delivery girl, to stay for dinner. Between mouthfuls, the two women talk about their lives.

THE LAST DELIVERY is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.


LIFE SKILLS

directed by Gino Evans

Life Skills tells the story of Nathan, a former soldier who is struggling with life after serving in the armed forces. When Nathan’s world is collapsing and he is at his lowest point, he seeks respite by taking a unique path to try to overcome his problems.

LIFE SKILLS is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.


LOVE YA LIKE POISON!

directed by Max Azulay & Rosie Yadid

written by Rosie Yadid

produced by Sarah Epstein & Rosie Yadid

Twenty-something Louise returns to NYC after university abroad. She is reunited with her firecracker of a Jewish mother, Nadine, and their relationship seems to pick up right where it left off.

While Nadine wants her back for good, Lou is desperately trying not to get too comfortable. When she reveals news of her engagement, old wounds are reopened as Nadine reveals secrets about her own failed marriage.

LOVE YA LIKE POISON! is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.


MEMENTO MORI

directed by Paul O'Flanagan 

written by Paul O'Flanagan & Laura O'Flanagan

produced by Louise Ní Chonchúir

A storm brews over Victorian Dublin as post-mortem photographer, Mr.Huxley, returns to his hallowed practice within the gloomy townhouse in which he resides. His latest subject is a recently-deceased young woman, whose presence conjures the demons of Huxley's character - compelling him to confront the narcissistic life he has chosen to lead.

MEMENTO MORI is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.


MILK

written & directed by Celia Jaspers

produced by Celia Jaspers, Auriga Martin & Juanita Deely

When she sees an old man unable to pay for his milk, a young girl has a change of heart.

MILK is an Official Selection in our Micro-Budget Category.


MORE JUICE

written & directed by Gabriel Thibodeau

produced by Colton Mooney & Gabriel Thibodeau

Tess avoids her breast cancer diagnosis while housesitting her childhood home. When her estranged cousin arrives unannounced to “comfort” her, it's clear he has unresolved issues of his own.

MORE JUICE is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.


MYRTLE

directed by Patricia McCormack

written by Megan Barker

produced by Shaheen Schleifer

Myrtle, a trailer park Mom from Indiana, cooks dinner for her son. But something's not quite right. This kitchen is anonymous, industrial, and Myrtle's working to a deadline. As her composure unravels, we realize that 21 grams is all that separates life from death.

MYRTLE is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.


#NOFILTER

written & directed by Nathan Crooker

produced by Nathan Crooker & Maya Korn

#Nofilter addresses the ever-growing issue surrounding Body Dysmorphic Disorder through the eyes of Beth, an insecure twenty-something, who becomes obsessed with an insidious filter, leaving her to question true beauty. It is a cautionary tale for all those obsessed by "likes," being flawless, and thinking that somehow social media is the magical cure-all for happiness. The film stars Kelly Lamor Wilson and Misha Osherovich from Blumhouse's "Freaky."

#NOFILTER is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.


NYC! SOUND (BACK) ON

directed by Gilad Avnat & Stav Nahum

produced by Hannah Janal

Celebrate New York's reopening with this audio-visual homage to the greatest city in the world.

900+ sounds sampled. 6 days of shooting. Countless days of editing. As New Yorkers eagerly await a full reopening, the Bonamaze directing duo celebrates the spirit of the city with the release of their new short, “NYC! Sound (back) On.” The goal of this creative, audio-visual homage is to capture the heartbeat of the Big Apple like never before, with a special emphasis on sound that brings the city’s diverse culture to vibrant life. Selected as Vimeo Staff Pick - Best of the Month and winner of Best Unscripted and Best Use of Sound & Music at Berlin Commercial 2021.

NYC! SOUND (BACK) ON is an Official Selection in our Micro-Budget Category.


ON THE COUCH WITH MY DEPRESSION

produced & directed by Angharad Gladding

written by Paula Harris

Full of excited anticipation, a poet plans to go to a book party. Then along comes depression. A film about yearning simply to be able to clean your teeth and leave the house.

Based on the poem "I was going to go to Dorothea Lasky’s book party in Brooklyn, but instead I stayed on the couch with my depression, not crying" by Paula Harris

ON THE COUCH WITH MY DEPRESSION is an Official Selection in our Micro-Budget Category.


OUT OF ORBIT

directed by Jess Kay & Dann Emmons

written by Jess Kay

produced by Jess Kay, Dann Emmons, Raghav Mukerji, & Charlotte Hardick

When Esme’s mum dies, her world falls apart. She struggles to navigate her day to day life until she gets an idea, fueled by their mutual love of space, which may lead to the relief she so longs for.

OUT OF ORBIT is an Official Selection in our Mirco-Budget Category.



PELICANS

directed by Ellie Heydon

written by Toto Bruin

produced by Lydia Bland & Ellie Heydon

Pelicans are a symbol of the process of letting go. They are birds who gather together in order to overcome struggle with the knowledge that they are most likely to succeed as a combined unit. Our story follows 5 grieving teenagers trying to comprehend and navigate their personal loss. The film is an aesthetically driven piece set against the vast expanse of the British coastline. It finds the friends in a slightly comedic limbo between denial and acceptance. The film is structured around the changing tide, moving in waves and healing our group of misfits until finally they are able to head from the bizarre purgatory of their seaside sadness back into the real world.

PELICANS is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.


PETER THE PENGUIN

written & directed by Andrew Rutter

produced by Joanna Caldwell & Ashley Gardiner

Nigel is on his way to meet his partner's daughter Emily for the first time. With high expectations in tow, he's hoping to make a great impression.

PETER THE PENGUIN is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.


THE PITCH

written & directed by Eno Freedman Brodmann

produced by Gon Tarragona

The Pitch is a satirical short film that spoofs the advertising industry by imagining a potential collaboration between chicken nuggets and bluetooth speakers. Starring Lourdes Hernández, it follows a call between an agency creative and director trying to one up each other on the most important product of the year...vegan chicken nuggets. Ridiculous, absurd, yet only too real, The Pitch is a commentary on the agony of the creative process until it all becomes a mess.

THE PITCH is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.


PORTRAIT

written & directed by Keir Siewert

produced by Alix Austin

'Based on real accounts, a model takes matters into her own hands
to expose a serial predator in the photography world.'

Rhetta, an industrious model, sets up a shoot with a predatory photographer, notorious for his coercion tactics and aggressive actions. However, little does he realise that Rhetta has orchestrated this meeting as a sting to expose his inappropriate behaviour on an online video live stream.

Winner of the Genera grant, Portrait is a tense drama built on research from interviews with 21 models about their experiences overcoming the abuse of power in the photography world.

PORTRAIT is an Official Selection in our Mirco-Budget Category.


SHALLOW

directed & produced by Paul Ashton

written by Joe Johnsey

Barry and Larry dig deep into society.

SHALLOW is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.


SHE

written & directed by Matt Greenhalgh

produced by Ryan Bennet

A frantic young woman struggles against an unforgiving inner voice that battles against all logic, rhyme or reason... Compelling her to endure a physical, mental journey that takes her right to the very edge.

SHE is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.


SOGGY BISCUIT

written & directed by Emma Jesse

produced by Oli Falcon

A group of soldiers travelling through a war torn British countryside take cover for the evening ... they decide to play a bizarre and unsettling game.

Soggy Biscuit is a short dark comedy exploring toxic masculinity, men's mental health and how so often peer pressure, humiliation and brutality acts as a substitute for emotional vulnerability and support.

SOGGY BISCUIT is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.


STANDSTILL

written & directed by Katia Shannon

produced by Gareth Brown & Katia Shannon

A fight to get through the gridlock becomes a fight for survival for Amanda as her body comes to a standstill.

STANDSTILL is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.


THANK YOU SO MUCH

written & directed by Tomasz Frymorgen

produced by Brianna Ferguson & Tomasz Frymorgen

During the UK's Thursday evening clap for healthcare workers, an over-virtuous neighbour is challenged by the nurse next door. His only way to avoid public humiliation is to crush the heretic before him.

This short satirical film searches for the line between encouraging virtue and enforcing submission in pandemic Britain. It’s about class divides, witch hunts and the darkness beneath our most righteous performances.

THANK YOU SO MUCH is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.


TINA AND PETER

directed by Dan Hodgson

written by Adam McNicol & Tracey Collins

produced by Brainwrap Comedy

Long-time Tina Turner enthusiast and tea expert, Tina T'urner Tea Lady, runs a greasy spoon café with Peter Longbody, Sheffield's disappointing answer to Alan Sugar. But in this brave new world of skinny macchiatti and pumpkin spiced lattes, how will these old school oddballs fare?

TINA AND PETER is an Official Selection in our Mirco-Budget Category.


TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART

directed by Elliot Taylor & Liam Francis

written by Liam Francis, Elliot Taylor, Dann Cooper & Lucy Hilton-Jones

produced by Lucy Hilton-Jones

A listless Luna makes big life changes by leaving her boyfriend for the Moon. But when communication breaks down and the world is up in arms, she wonders how she can get him back into orbit, and her own life back on track.

TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART is an Official Selection in our Mirco-Budget Category.


A TREE FELL TODAY

directed by Oliver Crawford

written by Oliver Crawford & Rob King

produced by Simone McIntyre

Elise revisits the traumatic memories of her lover Jessica committing suicide due to the catastrophic death of their child, struggling to escape the eternal circle of anguish and misery she tries to move forward but she is stuck in an endless loop.

A TREE FELL TODAY is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.


UNWRAPPED

written & directed by Eva Gauley

produced by Oli Falcon & Will Bradbury

An uncomfortable encounter during a video call.

UNWRAPPED is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.


VISKAR I VINDEN

written & directed by James Newman

produced by Harry Newman & James Newman

A feisty forensic investigator is gathering evidence at the murder scene. Until the corpse posthumously communicates with the investigators through its decaying farts. They must conduct a most unusual interview to catch the killer.

VISKAR I VINDEN is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.


WANK

written, produced, & directed by Christian Gordine

A man is tortured by the memories of a relationship that ended as he spends his days alone during lockdown.

WANK is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.


YOSHI FUNABASHI

written & directed by Mattia Ramberti

produced by Martina Abbado

A stylised portrait surrounding Yoshi Funabashi, founder of Studio Ypsilon: a luxury atelier designing Italian classics with a Japanese touch. By mixing his sophisticated heritage with a fascination for Italian music, Yoshi’s character becomes the embodiment of the “Opera Connoisseur”.

YOSHI FUNABASHI is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.


Festival Passes are now on sale!

The People’s Film Festival will be April 2 - 9 as a hybrid event with both live events & an online component.

As a pass holder you’ll get access to:

  • 40 short films

  • Networking events

  • Q&A’s with filmmakers

  • Industry panels

  • Opening Night Party

  • Late Night Grindhouse

  • Awards Gala (vote for your favourite film to win our £1000 Film Fund!)

  • Afterparty

  • Free glass of champagne!

Festival Passes are £29, but you can get £10 OFF until February 28th with promo code TPFF2022earlybird

Online only passes give you access to:

  • 40 short films streaming

  • Q&A’s with filmmakers

  • Industry panels