BBC Film today celebrates the selection of three films it has supported through development and production for the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, each one a debut feature from exciting new voices in British cinema.

Rye Lane is a romantic comedy directed by Raine Allen Miller from an original screenplay by co-writers Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia, it stars Vivian Oparah (Class, The Rebel) and David Jonsson (Industry, Deep State) and is screening in Sundance Premieres. Writer/director Adura Onashile’s Girl starring French actress Déborah Lukumuena (Cesar winner for Cannes Director’s Fortnight Divines) and Le'Shantey Bonsu in her on-screen debut premieres in World Dramatic Competition. Writer/director Charlotte Regan’s Scrapper starring Harris Dickinson (Triangle of Sadness) and debut performances from streetcast newcomers Lola Campbell and Alin Uzun also premieres in World Cinema Dramatic Competition.

Eva Yates, Director of BBC Film says: "I’m so happy for Raine, Adura and Charlotte, three outstanding new British filmmakers presenting their debut features at Sundance – a remarkable achievement and testament to the talent and tenacity of these directors and their brilliant producers and teams. Working with filmmakers this good and backing their journey from early development, through production and now introducing their films to the world is such a privilege and at the very core of what BBC Film exists to do."

The Sundance announcement today comes in the same week BBC Film celebrated 12 wins for its films at the 2022 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs). Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun won seven BIFA awards including Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay, Georgia Oakley’s Blue Jean took home four including Debut Screenwriter and Lead Performance for Rosy McEwen, and Thomas Hardiman’s Medusa Deluxe took home Best Make Up and Hair Design for Eugene Souleiman and Scarlett O’Connell.

More information about the three films selected for Sundance:

Rye Lane

Directed by Raine Allen Miller from an original screenplay from co-writers Nathan Bryon (Bloods, Apple Tree House) and Tom Melia (Bloods, Zero Chill), and produced by Yvonne Isimeme

Ibazebo of Turnover Films (Top Boy, Guerrilla), and Damian Jones of DJ Films (The Lady in the Van, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie).

The romantic comedy stars Vivian Oparah (Class, The Rebel) and David Jonsson (Industry, Deep State), as Yas and Dom, two twenty-somethings, both reeling from bad break-ups, who connect over the course of an eventful day in South London - helping each other deal with their nightmare exes, and potentially restoring their faith in romance.

Rye Lane was developed with the assistance of BBC Film, and funded by Searchlight Pictures, BBC Film and the BFI (awarding National Lottery funding) with Searchlight Pictures distributing worldwide.

Girl

Girl is a story of an eleven-year-old Ama and her mother, Grace, who take solace in the gentle but isolated world they obsessively create. But Ama’s thirst for life and her need to grow and develop, challenges the rules of their insular world and gradually forces Grace to reckon with a past she struggles to forget.

Established theatre actress and director Onashile (Expensive Shit) directed and penned the film, which stars French actress Déborah Lukumuena (Cesar winner for Cannes Director’s Fortnight Divines) and debuting Le'Shantey Bonsu.

The film is produced by the Glasgow-based Rosie Crerar, Ciara Barry at barry crerar, and is supported in production by the BFI (awarding National Lottery funding), BBC Film and Screen Scotland. It was developed by BBC Film, after initially being part of the iFeatures programme (supported by Creative England, BFI and BBC Film). BBC Film also previously co-financed Onashile’s award-winning short Expensive Shit. New Europe Film Sales are handling international sales.

Scrapper

Scrapper is written and directed by Charlotte Regan and produced by Theo Barrowclough of DMC Film. The cast includes the Harris Dickinson (Triangle of Sadness) and brilliant debut performances from streetcast newcomers Lola Campbell and Alin Uzun. Supporting cast includes Ambreen Razia, Aylin Tezel and Olivia Brady.

Scrapper is a DMC Film production, financed by BFI, BBC Film and Great Point Media. It was developed with the support of Creative England and the iFeatures scheme, and with the assistance of BFI and BBC Film. International sales are handled by Charades.

Scrapper is a quirky and heart-warming British Indie, which challenges the perception of working-class kids. It is filled with comedy, colour and joy.

Georgie is a 12-year-old kid who lives in London on her own. She’s happy about it - would rather it be that way. She steals bikes with her best mate Ali and sells them on to get by. At home, her flat is filled with magic - the resident spiders are constantly making snarky comments and she seems to be building a weird endless tower into the sky from her mum's bedroom. When her estranged dad Jason turns up out of blue, she’s forced to confront what’s really going on.