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Sky Peals explores the quiet life of Adam, a young man of Pakistani-British descent, working a night shift at a remote gas station diner. The film, directed by Moin Hussain, combines psychological drama and sci-fi elements with a subtle, contemplative approach.

Adam experiences isolation—his life centered on work’s monotony and a tense relationship with his British mother. Learning of his estranged father’s death triggers a deeper examination of his inner world.

Adam wrestles with loss, his search for meaning leading to an intriguing realization: he and his father exist as outsiders—not just to Britain, but to the very idea of belonging. What starts as a simple exploration transforms into an investigation of cultural identity, family connections, and a sense of disconnection beyond typical experiences.

Sky Peals uses restrained pacing and understated performances to invite viewers into a contemplative space, creating an enigmatic and deeply emotional narrative about human experience.

In crafting a quietly affectionate film about a man who thinks he might be an alien, “Sky Peals” director Moin Hussain manages to make an allegory about solitude and isolation with a deft and steady hand. The film’s lead character, a 30-something British man of Pakistani origin, could be a stand-in for millions who feel removed from their roots while living within cultures and among people who think of them as outsiders. Hussain’s skillful filmmaking avoids making obvious points, instead deepening the narrative as a singular character study with sci-fi elements.

Adam (Faraz Ayub) still lives with his English mother (Claire Rushbrook) while working as a night shift short order cook at a gas station diner. His life is small: just home and work, with no apparent close relationships. He has closed himself off from the world, having never been able to make real connections with other people.

The term “alien” takes on multiple meanings in writer-director Moin Hussain’s intriguing and rather gloomy debut feature, Sky Peals, which follows a lonely rest-stop cook whose life is upended by the death of his estranged father. Although extraterrestrials are evoked at some point, this intimate indie is less of a sci-fi thriller than a minimalist character study, focusing on a multiracial protagonist who doesn’t seem to be at home anywhere.

Screening in Venice’s International Critics’ Week sidebar, the film marks a promising first feature for Hussain, who shows a steady command of tone in a story that’s basically set in one colorless, extremely alienating place. But it can also be too much of a one-note affair at times, lacking the dramatic energy to take it to wider audiences.

What’s important to note about Sky Peals’ young hero, Adam (Faraz Ayub), is that his mother (Claire Rushbrook...

In the run-up to Cannes, the British Film Institute and the British Council held the Great8 showcase, which presented eight U.K. films from emerging filmmakers. Here are the films selected:

“Aftersun” (drama)

Director/writer: Charlotte Wells

Cast: Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio, Celia Rowlson-Hall

Sales: Charades

Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father 20 years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between miniDV footage as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t.

“Birchanger Green” (sci-fi)

Director/writer: Moin Hussain

Cast: Faraz Ayub, Natalie Gavin, Claire Rushbrook, Simon Nagra

Sales: Bankside Films

Adam lives a solitary life. Upon hearing that his estranged father has died, he finds himself in search of answers. Piecing together a complicated image of a man he never knew, Adam starts to become convinced he is descended from an alien race.

Titles include ’Aftersun’, ’Enys Men’, ‘Birchanger Green’ and ‘A Gaza Weekend’.

Cannes premieres Aftersun, sold by Charades, and Enys Men, sold by Protagonist Pictures, are among the titles selected for year’s Great 8, the annual Cannes buyers’ showcase of UK films from emerging directors.

The other six titles are all in post-production.

Now in its fifth edition, the 2022 Great 8 showcase is funded and run by the BFI and the British Council, in partnership with BBC Film and Film4.

Unseen footage from all of the titles will be introduced by their filmmakers and screened on May 12 exclusively to buyers and festival programmers during the online-only showcase,...

The BFI and British Council have revealed the line-up for this year’s Great8 showcase, which allows international distributors and festival programmers to get an early look at eight releases from emerging U.K. filmmakers in the run-up to Cannes Marché.

Now in its fifth year, the showcase on May 12 will allow filmmakers to screen unseen footage from the films, which will be available to buy during the market, which runs from May 17-28.

Of the eight films selected for the showcase, one has also been selected for the official Directors’ Fortnight and another for the Critics’ Week line-up. The remaining six films are in post-production.

The Great8 showcase is funded and organized by the BFI and the British Council, in partnership with BBC Film and Film4. It has previously presented films including “I Am Not A Witch” and “Calm with Horses.”

Neil Peplow, the BFI’s Director of Industry and International Affairs,...

Film4, BFI, Screen Yorkshire backed the film.

UK-based sales firm Bankside Films has boarded sales on Birchanger Green, the feature debut of Screen Star of Tomorrow writer-director Moin Hussain that wrapped production in Yorkshire last month.

Bankside will debut the film to buyers in Cannes; Screen can reveal a first-look image at the film (above).

Birchanger Green centres on a man living a small, lonely life working nightshifts at a motorway service station. On hearing his estranged father has died, he finds himself in search of answers and starts to become convinced that he descends from an alien race.

The...

Dara, adapted by Tanya Ronder from Shahid Nadeem’s play, originally performed by Ajoka Theatre, Pakistan, opens in the Lyttelton Theatre on 27 January, directed by Nadia Fall. The cast is Esh Alladi, Nathalie Armin, Rudi Dharmalingam, Emilio Doorgasingh, Vincent Ebrahim, Mariam Haque, Indira Joshi, Scott Karim, Nicholas Khan, Ranjit Krishnamma, Anjli Mohindra, Simon Nagra, Ronak Patani, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Anneika Rose, Chook Sibtain, Gurjeet Singh, Liya Tassisa, Zubin Varla, Anjana Vasan, Gary Wood and Sargon Yelda. Dara will be designed by Katrina Lindsay with lighting by Neil Austin, music by Niraj Chag, sound design by Carolyn Downing, movement by Liam Steel and fight direction by Kate Waters.

1659. Mughal India. The imperial court, a place of opulence and excess; music, drugs, eunuchs and harems. Two brothers, whose mother’s death inspired the Taj Mahal, are heirs to this Muslim empire. Now they fight ferociously for succession. Dara, the crown prince, has the...

One of the classic comedies of William Shakespeare gets a new treatment in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Much Ado About Nothing. Directed by Iqbal Kahn, he has translated the vibrant comedy to modern day India. The production stars Meera Syal and Paul Bhattacharjee who play the sparring lovers, Beatrice and Benedick. Following its premiere last month in the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford upon Avon, the play transfers to the Noël Coward Theatre in London for five weeks from 24 September.

Talking about his modern day Much Ado, director Iqbal Kahn has said, “The production is set in modern Delhi which provides a very interesting lens through which to view the play because of the parallels between early modern England and modern day Delhi: the hierarchical structures are similar; the relationships between masters and their servants are still present; the importance of honour; the centrality of women within that; the idea of bloodlines,...