British Independent Film Festival 2025

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

The British Independent Film Festival 2025 features seven brilliantly varied, independent short films from a bunch of talented cast and filmmakers.

Family – 5.3/10
Creatives: George Foote, Tristam Cones, Hugo Harrison
Filled with warmth, a chef reflects on how his family and career define his life. Following in his fathers footsteps, food has always been an integral part of his life, and subconsciously he’s always looking for approval, whether it’s the diners that eat his meals, or his father. The food meticulously being prepared in the shots embed his connection to cooking further, and the voiceover about his life is interesting and insightful.

The Auge – 6.5/10
Creatives: Rudolf “Ronny” Augenheimer, Jannick Wenner
Fast-paced, fun and chaotic, camera specialist Ronny Augenheimer showcases his latest invention – the auge camera, which is effectively a huge helmet rigged to his head. Shot in a mockumentary interview style, Ronny talks through the endless possibilities his camera can explore – just keep as still as possible when doing panoramas and don’t try drinking from it at the same time! It’s funny and filled with action-packed shots that capture attention.

The Mermaid Wife – 5.9/10
Creatives: Lydia Wonham, Bee Wonham, Ollie Lambert
Gorgeously ethereal, the gentle, immersive shots are tranquil yet with a hauntingly poignant undertone. The mermaid wife gets trapped in the human world when someone steals her seal skin, and she lives out the majority of her life longing for the sea, until her child helps reclaim her original form. It’s a fantastical story, and the stunning underwater shots help to elevate it even further and completely draw you into the mermaid’s world.

Sola – 8.2/10
Creatives: Claudia Orriols, Teresa Del Olmo, Lucia Saavedra, Jonathan Oliver
Teresa Del Olmo is a fantastic lead in this deeply personal, wonderfully impactful short film. Finally plucking up the courage and seeking her daughters help to leave her husband, she’s almost ready to leave – she just needs to find the painting box her mother gave her, but time is ticking and the window for her to escape is shrinking. Brilliantly moving, Del Olmo’s powerful performance tugs at the heartstrings, with the silent suspense as she collects her belongings keeping the audience completely on edge as they root for her characters success.

Nervous Ellie – 8.8/10
Creatives: David Yorke, Kelsey Cooke, Sophia Capasso
We reviewed this gem back at UVHFF 2024 and it remains just as brilliant the second watch around. The cinematography is what stands out most in this funny yet horrifying short. New to the dating scene – Ellie is anxiety personified. Kelsey Cooke is fabulous – really making her stressed out state endearingly uncomfortable. The final scene is beautifully impressive, and although grim, it’s so uniquely stunning that it will remain memorable for a long, long time!

Wish You Were Here – 9.3/10
Creatives: Ramzey Sabbagh, Fhuad Braimoh, Anne Rosenfeld, Ken Abalos
A heartbreaking amount of pensioners go days without speaking to anyone else, seeking solace in the few moments they can interact with the postman or bus driver. Anne Rosenfeld shows us a lonely lady, with just her computer for company – but what she uses it for is definitely unexpected and a fantastically funny twist on where everyone expected the narrative to go. Her alter ego as an online troll is hilarious, her mischievously outrageous replies on various Facebook posts are comedic gold. An excellent film that is perfectly executed by all involved.

Twain – 7.1/10
Creatives: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Pip, Tom Allen, Benjamin Smith, Sylvie Briggs, Éanna Hardwicke, Toni O’Rourke
The twins during prison visiting hours couldn’t be more different – one incarcerated, the other free to live his life, but chained by memories and scars from his past. Running at 16 minutes long, it’s packed with emotion, suspense and strong characterisation. The intensity of the flashbacks help slowly unravel the story, and remains wonderfully engaging throughout, the audience hooked on where the conversation between the twins will lead, and what secrets might be revealed from their past.

The Film Festival Guild host a number of film festivals throughout the year, helping to shine a spotlight on emerging creatives and cast in a wonderfully supportive, inspiring and celebratory environment.