In the Shadow

John and Ben go on a survival-games weekend together where they intensely annoy the sergeant in charge. After the games are over John and Ben hang around and meet up with the sergeant who drunkenly challenges them to another game the next day. This time the sergeant and his friends turn up with real guns.

In desperation Elliot and Oz decide to reply to a telephone dating ad to kickstart their non-existent love lives. Their Prayers are answered when two gorgeous girls agree to meet them on a blind date. Whilst fanning the flames of passion the two boys find themselves playing with fire! A fun filled roller coaster ride begins as the boys get more than they bargained for in their search for love.

A remarkably self-assured debut, this East London fairytale feels truthful throughout, due to the real-life experiences of the director, and using the same locations. Daisy Fairclough in particular shines as Anita, who sets out with her best friend to find her real father, after the death of her alcoholic mother.

Encounter is the story of a missing cat, an unhappy teenager, a lonely little girl, a single mum and a tramp. The tramp, invited by the little girl, comes into the family home at Christmas time and has an effect on each one of them. He has a surprising gentleness and wisdom that works to soften relationships between mother and daughters. And of course he has his own stories to tell, which unfold as the story develops.