The GREAT 8 showcase, which presents new UK feature films from some of the UK’s most exciting first and second-time filmmakers to international distributors and festival programmers, has announced eight new projects for this year’s edition, taking place in the run-up to this year’s Cannes Marché.
Now in its seventh year, the 2024 GREAT 8 showcase is funded and produced by the BFI and the British Council, with support from the GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland campaign, BBC Film and Film4.
In preparation for the Marché, unseen footage from all of the titles will be introduced by their filmmakers and screened online exclusively to buyers and festival programmers on Thursday 9 May and made available across five different time zones. All of the features will be available to buyers during the Cannes Marché (14-25 May).
The films and filmmakers in this year’s GREAT 8 are:
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Brides – director Nadia Fall, writer Suhayla El-Bushra
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Bring Them Down – director/writer Christopher Andrews
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The Fall Of Sir Douglas Weatherford – director/writer Sean Dunn
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On Falling – director/writer Laura Carreira
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The Salt Path – director Marianne Elliott, writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz
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Sunlight – director Nina Conti, writers Shenoah Allen, Nina Conti
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Surviving Earth – director/writer Thea Gajić
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Witches – director/writer Elizabeth Sankey
With 2022 and 2023 editions taking place online, 2024 marks the return of the showcase with a physical format. GREAT 8 forms part of a new GREAT campaign, The Audacious Kingdom, launched in France in September 2023 and aimed at celebrating the UK as a catalyst for innovation, creativity and fresh perspectives.
Since the inaugural edition in 2017, GREAT 8 selections have sold widely internationally, being acquired by major studios, global streaming platforms, and independent distributors who each play a vital role in bringing cinema to national audiences.
GREAT 8-selected films and filmmakers who have gone on to find international critical acclaim and commercial success include Charlotte Wells’s Aftersun (BAFTA Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer, 2023) which became MUBI’s highest earning release in the UK. Rungano Nyoni’s I Am Not A Witch (Camera d’Or nominee, 2017) followed its Cannes world premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight with being selected by other leading international film festivals. Rose Glass’s Saint Maud (BIFA Douglas Hickox Award, 2021 and BFI London Film Festival, Best Film-Honourable Mention) was acquired by A24 for the US and launched Glass’s career internationally.
International buyers and festival programmers welcome the opportunity offered by GREAT 8 to have an early look at the consistently high-quality new UK films and co-productions alongside the introductions given by their filmmakers. Previous attendees have included Bleecker Street, SPC, Apple, IFC, Neon, A24, 30 West (US); Charades, Diaphana, Haut et Court, LE PACTE, The Jokers (France); Shochiku (Japan); UPIE, Transmission Films, Madman Entertainment (ANZ); Cherry Pickers (Netherlands); and MUBI.
Agnieszka Moody, BFI Head of International Relations says: “Cannes is the place where we celebrate film as a global community. We are extremely grateful to our partners at the GREAT campaign for enabling our exciting emerging filmmaking talent to be present at this very special event as it can be nothing short of life-changing in terms of giving them exposure that will accelerate their already promising careers. I look forward with to seeing what gems we uncover in this year’s impressive line-up and wish them all the best of luck in attracting the attention they deserve.”
Briony Hanson, the British Council's Director of Film says: “Looking back over the six previous editions of GREAT 8, it’s gratifying to see the heights that many of our former picks have risen to (not least that two of them, Fyzal Boulifa and Rungano Nyoni, will be taking the Croisette by storm with their latest projects in the Cannes selection next week). This year’s line-up has knocked us out again – a rich collection of voices, styles, and subjects that makes us proud of - and excited about - UK film in 2024.”
The GREAT 8 line-up
Brides
UK/Italy
Drama
Director: Nadia Fall
Writer: Suhayla El-Bushra
Producers: Nicky Bentham, Marica Stocchi
Cast: Ebada Hassan, Safiyya Ingar, Yusra Warsama, Cemre Ebuzziya, Aziz Capkurt
Production: Neon Films, Rosamont, BFI, Ffilm Cymru Wales, Bankside Films, Rai Cinema, MIC, Audiovisual Fund Development Friuli Venezia Giulia
Sales: Bankside Films
Synopsis – 15-year-olds Doe and Muna are going on the trip of a lifetime. Quiet, watchful Doe hasn’t gone anywhere since arriving in the UK as a refugee at the age of three from Somalia. Badass Muna, of Pakistani heritage, is the dominant force. As she leads Doe through airport security, the girls are giddy and hysterical but their mood changes as soon as their flight is announced. These girls are not going on holiday, but to Istanbul, to be met by a stranger who will take them to the border to start a new life in Syria. Disaster strikes when their chaperone doesn’t show up, but they form a new plan to continue their journey alone, testing their resolve, their faith and their friendship. As we discover the experiences that led them here, the girls get ever closer to their destination, so must confront the reality of their futures.
Bring Them Down
UK/Ireland/Belgium
Thriller
Director/Writer: Christopher Andrews
Producers: Ivana MacKinnon, Jacob Swan Hyam, Ruth Treacy , Julianne Forde , Jean-Yves Roubin, Cassandre Warnauts
Cast: Christopher Abbott, Barry Keoghan, Colm Meaney, Nora-Jane Noone, Paul Ready
Production: Wild Swim, Tailored Films, Screen Ireland, MUBI, Frakas Productions. Supported by the UK Global Screen Fund
Sales: Charades
Synopsis – Michael, the last son of a shepherding family, lives with his ailing father, Ray. Burdened by a terrible secret, Michael has isolated himself from the world. When a conflict with rival farmer Gary and his son Jack escalates, Michael is drawn into a devastating chain of events, forcing him to confront the horrors of his past, leaving both families permanently altered.
The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford
UK
Comedy/Drama
Director/Writer: Sean Dunn
Producers: Scott Macaulay, Jennifer Monks, Alex Polunin
Cast: Peter Mullan, Gayle Rankin, Jakob Oftebro, Sid Sagar, Lewis MacDougall
Production: BBC Film, BBC Scotland, BFI, Screen Scotland, Ossian Pictures, Come Into the Fold, Forensic Films Inc
Sales: Charades
Synopsis – Kenneth (Peter Mullan) works in the Arberloch visitor centre as a tour guide, dressing up as the town's most notable historical figure, Sir Douglas Weatherford, an 18th century philosopher and inventor who Kenneth proudly claims as his ancestor. When the village becomes the base of a big-budget fantasy TV show, ‘The White Stag of Emberfell’, the visitor centre is transformed into an Emberfell fan experience. With the show's costumed fans descending on the town, Kenneth's sanity crumbles as the traditions he holds dear are casually dismissed - a mental decline his daughter Anna (Gayle Rankin) attributes to grief over the loss of his wife. Kenneth's crisis takes an even darker turn when his ire becomes fixated on the show's handsome star, Oscar Sorenson (Jakob Oftebro). The Fall Of Douglas Weatherford is a dark comedy exploring the thin line between history and fantasy.
On Falling
UK/Portugal
Drama
Director/Writer: Laura Carriera
Producers: Jack Thomas O’Brien, Mario Patrocinio
Cast: Joana Santos, Inês Vaz, Piotr Sikora, Jake McGarry, Neil Leiper
Production: BBC Film, BFI, Screen Scotland, Sixteen Films, BRO Cinema, ICA, Goodfellas
Sales: Goodfellas
Synopsis – On Falling tells the story of Aurora, a Portuguese warehouse picker working in a vast fulfilment centre in Scotland. Trapped between the confines of her workplace and the solitude of her flatshare, Aurora seeks to resist the loneliness, alienation and ensuing small talk which begin to threaten her sense of self. Set against a landscape dominated by an algorithm-driven gig economy, designed to keep us apart, On Falling explores the silent, vital struggle to find meaning and connection.
The Salt Path
UK
Drama
Director: Marianne Elliott
Writer: Rebecca Lenkiewicz
Producers: Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley, Lloyd Levin, Beatriz Levin
Cast: Gillian Anderson, Jason Isaacs
Production: Number 9 Films, Shadowplay Features with the support of BBC Film, Rocket Science, Lipsync
Sales: Rocket Science
Synopsis – The Salt Path is the profound true story of husband and wife Raynor and Moth Winn’s 630-mile trek along the beautiful but rugged Cornish, Devon and Dorset coastline. After being forcibly removed from their home, they make the desperate decision to walk in the hope that, in nature, they will find solace and a sense of acceptance. With depleted resources, only a tent and some essentials between them, every step along the path is a testament to their growing strength and determination. The Salt Path is a journey that is exhilarating, challenging, and liberating in equal measure. A portrayal of home, how it can be lost and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.
Sunlight
UK
Comedy
Director: Nina Conti
Writer: Shenoah Allen, Nina Conti
Producers: Sam Parker, Will Machin, Keagan Karnes, Tabitha McDonald
Cast: Nina Conti, Shenoah Allen, Bill Wise
Production: Anyway Content, Metro International, Inspirado
Sales: Metro International
Synopsis – Roy’s attempt to end his life fails when a woman dressed in a monkey suit intervenes. Beneath the furry costume is Jane, who is in the process of escaping a toxic relationship. Empowered by her alter ego ‘Monkey’, Jane commandeers Roy and his silver Airstream and they take to the open road. The unlikely duo soon hatch a plan that could help finance a new life, but could also land them in jail! Hot on their heels is Jane’s controlling partner Wade, who aims to put an end to Jane’s newfound freedom. This unconventional comedy is about two people on the edge of life who find purpose and romance through an unlikely connection, both escaping the darkness in search of some sunlight.
Surviving Earth
UK
Drama
Director/Writer: Thea Gajić
Producer: Aleksandra Bilić, Sophie Reynolds
Cast: Slavko Sobin, Olive Gray, Stuart Martin, Peter Coonan, Toni Gojanović, Ann Ogbomo Production: My Accomplice, Sona Films, BFI, Film4
Sales: to be announced
Synopsis – Based on a true story, Surviving Earth follows Vlad, a talented harmonica player who arrived in the UK in the 1990s after fleeing the conflict in Yugoslavia. Vlad, now living in Bristol and working as a counsellor, has brought his roots and love for Balkan music to the city by forming a band with his friends from work. The band strives for success, but as they do, Vlad is revisited by the traumas of his past life. His carefully rebuilt world starts to fracture, with the hardest hit being his only daughter Maria, the most important person in his life.
Witches
UK
Documentary
Director/Writer: Elizabeth Sankey
Producers: Manon Ardisson, Chiara Ventura, Jeremy Warmsley
Interviewees/contributions: Elizabeth Sankey, Sophia Di Martino, Catherine Cho, Professor Marion Gibson
Production: Ardimages UK, Montgomery Avenue, MUBI, Garden Studios
Sales: MUBI
Synopsis – In this personal and intimate film writer-director Elizabeth Sankey uses her own story of being admitted to a psychiatric ward after the birth of her son to explore the unexpected yet compelling connections between perinatal mental health illness and the history and portrayal of witches in western society. Using clips of cinematic witches to illustrate her own experience and those of fellow sufferers, alongside interviews with medical professionals and academics, Sankey creates her own spell book for all to use.
Images
Header image: Still from On Falling, courtesy of Sixteen Films
Second Image: Still from The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford, credit Saskia Coulson