Black Church Bay

A mystery-thriller about a man whose world unravels after an intimate encounter with a younger man, exploring the lengths someone will go to hide their true self.

Year: 2026

Director: Rhys Marc Jones

Writer: Rhys Marc Jones

Producers: Alex Polunin and Tristan Goligher

Main Cast: Tom Cullen, Joe Locke, Marli Siu, Rakie Ayola 

Sales Agent: The Bureau Sales

Distributor: Vertigo Releasing (UK)

Screen Scotland support: The film accessed £210,000 through Screen Scotland’s Film Development and Production Fund 


Synopsis

In a remote Welsh coastal village, the disappearance of an openly-gay sixth form student disrupts the delicate balance of local life for one deputy head teacher, exposing long-buried secrets and threatening to tear the community apart.

A mystery-thriller about a man whose world unravels after an intimate encounter with a younger man, exploring the lengths someone will go to hide their true self.


More information

Festivals: The film screened as part of the Great 8 Showcase 2026, 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 attending Cannes Film Festival.