BIFA is proud to announce the 2022 Best British Short Film longlist, supported by BFI NETWORK.
The 17 exceptional shorts listed below were chosen by BIFA voters from over 300 entries and showcase some of the best new shorts – and most exciting new and established shorts filmmakers – in the UK today.
A FOX IN THE NIGHTKeeran Anwar Blessie, Benjamin Jacob Smith A South London story in which opposites attract, appearances deceive and bravery reaps rewards. |
A LETTER TO BLACK MENKiosa Sukami Kevin succumbs to a life of crime after the loss of his father. On the day of Kevin’s initiation, Black is released from prison. He attempts to rekindle the relationship with Kevin and his sister, turned legal guardian, Kelsie.
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HEART FAILUREWill Wightman, Cleo Yeomans In this EDM musical, Frank does everything he can to avoid another horrible breakup. He does not do a good job. Heart Failure was created by a group of art students in Cornwall during the pandemic.
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HONESTYRoxy Rezvany, Emily Renée, Elly Camisa A young woman goes to the police to report her husband for domestic abuse, but rather than finding the relief she longs for, she faces a gruelling interrogation. She is just about to lose her cool, when it is revealed that this is in fact an audition. |
HORNBEAMMark Pluck, Daniel Lane Under cover of darkness, two strangers bond over a shared secret. But how well do they really know each other?
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JILL, UNCREDITEDAnthony Ing, Catherine Bray, Charlie Shackleton One of the world’s most prolific background actors takes centre stage in this unique portrait of Jill Goldston, a fifty-year veteran of UK film and television. Constructed entirely from Jill’s performances, the film is a lyrical journey through half a century of popular culture, and a haunting study of a life lived out of focus.
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MILKAdam Etheridge, Katherine Press A single Mum collects her teenage son from hospital following a suicide attempt, but quickly finds herself trapped between the medical advice she receives, and her fundamental instincts as a parent.
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MIRRORSPaul Daly, Jacqui Davies Seven years ago this film began as a modest document of contemporary England. But as unprecedented events unfolded across the country, the camera witnessed recent history’s most extraordinary years. Shot on 16mm film, Mirrors is a lucid diary and poetic map, a journey across an island with a diverse range of individuals, communities, and historic events.
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PRAM SNATCHERTheo James Krekis, Sorcha Bacon, Archie Johnston Stewart In a service station off the A90, a heavily pregnant criminal and her partner-in-crime struggle with the prospect of becoming new parents.
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SALVATION HAS NO NAMEJoseph Wallace, Loran Dunn A troupe of clowns gather to perform a story about a Priest and a refugee but as their misguided tale unfolds, the boundaries between fiction and reality begin to fray. |
SANDSTORMSeemab Gul, Abid Aziz Merchant Zara, a schoolgirl in Karachi, shares a sensual dance video with her virtual boyfriend, who then blackmails her. Caught between his manipulative behaviour and the desire to experience love on her own terms, Zara searches for the strength to reject the confines of a patriarchal society. |
SCALEJoseph Pierce, Hélène Mitjavile Driving along the motorway, Will loses his sense of scale. As his crippling drug addiction deepens, he struggles to unpick the sequence of events that led to his predicament, before he’s lost forever.
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THE ELVERMENIsla Badenoch, Joe Binks As the sun sets on the banks of the River Severn, a group of men gather in a race to catch a vanishing creature; the elusive elver. Shot over a moonlit night, The Elvermen reveals the last of a hidden community hunting an endangered fish and shows how a rite of passage has changed into a fight for values: of tradition, community, and a connection to nature in an environment of impending change.
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THREE BULL-MASTIFFS IN A CORNER KITCHENPaul Chambers, Sam Batley Sam looks back on his younger years and relives the moments that led him into troubles with addiction in later life with a mature wisdom that flows as poetry. A story of hindsight, addiction, learned behaviour and toxic masculinity, Sam’s past battles his future as he struggles to control his own narrative. Can we change our fate if we become aware of it?
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TOO ROUGHSean Lìonadh, Ross McKenzie, Alfredo Covelli After a night of intoxication, a hungover and hysterical Nick wakes up next to his boyfriend Charlie and must conceal him from his own homophobic and dysfunctional family.
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YOU FROM THE FUTURETim Bunn, Joseph Patrick, Reb Day Daniel and Mary are a twenty-something couple with their lives stuck on pause; that is until two very familiar-looking visitors from the future come to hit fast-forward.
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This year’s longlisted filmmakers join the ranks of previous BIFA recognised short film talent, including Aneil Karia, Riz Ahmed, Fyzal Boulifa, Prano Bailey-Bond, John Ogunmuyiwa and many others.
Nominations will be announced on Thursday 3 November. Winners will be announced during the BIFA Awards ceremony on Sunday 4 December 2022
Featured image: A Letter To Black Men, Kiosa Sukami
