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
Screenings: 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.
Premiere: Black Church Bay will have its World Premiere at Zurich film Festival in September 2026.
Festivals: The film will have its Asian Premiere at Busan International Film Festival in October 2026 and its UK Premiere at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2026.