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.

A young man with curly hair stands in the foreground, arms crossed, wearing a netted shirt, striped button-down, and a necklace. In the background, an older person with a beard stands slightly blurred, looking concerned. They are outdoors near a body of water, with grassy hills in the distance under a clear sky.

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 on Friday 25 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, and will close the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival on Sunday 18 October 2026.