The GREAT 8 showcase, which presents new UK feature films from some of the UK’s most exciting first-time and early career filmmakers to international distributors and festival programmers, has announced eight new projects for this year’s edition, taking place throughout this year’s Cannes Marché.
Now in its eighth year, the 2025 GREAT 8 showcase is funded and produced by the BFI and the British Council, with thanks to 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 from Thursday 8 May and throughout the festival across five different time zones. All of the features will be available to buyers during the Cannes Marché (13-24 May).
The films and filmmakers in this year’s GREAT 8 are:
- Animol – director Ashley Walters, writer Nick Love
- Ish – director Imran Perretta, writers Imran Perretta, Enda Walsh
- Learning to Breathe Under Water – director Rebekah Fortune, writer Richard Brabin
- Madfabulous – director Celyn Jones, writer Lisa Baker
- Mission – director/writer Paul Wright
- On the Sea – director/writer Helen Walsh
- Retreat – director/writer Ted Evans
- The Son and the Sea – director Stroma Cairns, writers Imogen West, Stroma Cairns
Briony Hanson, the British Council’s Director of Film said” “The 8th edition of GREAT 8 shows once again that UK film is in rude health with an upcoming slate that we can be proud of. Again, this shows off the range of new UK talent, with hard-hitting social commentary sitting alongside broad comedy, with voices representing England, Scotland and Wales, and with a significant selection of stories exploring traditionally under-represented communities. There’s a lot to be excited about here – and we look forward to sharing the eight with international colleagues throughout Cannes.”
Agnieszka Moody, BFI Head of International Relations said: “We’re very pleased with year’s special selection of GREAT 8 films and the talent behind them representing a range of unique and original voices from across the UK. GREAT 8 gives that invaluable opportunity to help them be discovered by the international film community and by doing so rewards their creativity and accelerates their careers.”
