Made in Sussex Film Festival
Presented in collaboration with Film Sussex
Friday 25 – Sunday 27 April 2025
The ‘Made in Sussex’ Film Festival celebrates the rich cinematic tapestry woven in the heart of Sussex. The festival is held here at Depot and showcases the finest films made in Sussex or created by Sussex filmmakers. With a strong focus on the environment, this festival highlights the diverse landscapes and history of this unique region.
Made in Sussex - Finally Nearly Getting There
Friday 25 April, 17:45
Dir: James Card
120mins
Certification: Depot recommends 15
Dan is ready to give up on his dream. Alice believes the fun part of life is over. When their partners drop out of a wedding trip, they end up car-sharing alone.
Initially clashing over directions, they slowly warm to each other. Sharing stories, jokes, and a waterfall picnic, they begin to feel seen and heard again.
An overnight stop brings them closer still. As the journey ends, so does their indecision—change might be possible after all.
This film includes a screening of the short film The Dog in the Long Grass, directed by Seb Cox
Runtime: 5 minutes
Certification: Depot recommends 15
After glimpsing Death in the form of a black dog, a man wanders the Sussex countryside on a haunting journey to confront the one question he never dared to ask.
Made in Sussex - The Forest in Me
Saturday 26 April, 13:30
Dir: Rebecca Elizabeth Marshall
120mins
Certification: Depot recommends 12
‘The Forest in Me’ reflects on love and human connection through three interwoven stories: Agafya Lykova, an 80-year-old Siberian hermit; a Mars simulation crew in Hawaii; and the filmmaker’s child exploring the world.
Drawing on over 25 years of personal footage, it becomes a “letter to the future” from a mother to her son.
The film contrasts cinematic landscapes with everyday life, connecting people across time and space. Music by Xylouris White, Guy Picciotto, and Apollonia Xylouris adds an immersive layer.
This film includes a screening of the short film Travels at Home, directed by Dave Ewan Thomas
Runtime: 20 minutes
Certification: Depot recommends: 12
When lockdown halted his international photography work, Roff Smith turned to the landscapes near his Hastings home. This gentle short follows his rediscovery of beauty in the everyday, capturing painterly images on two wheels and reshaping his creative journey.
Made in Sussex - Leave No Trace Brighton
Saturday 26 April, 16:15
Dir: Daniel Emile Satchell & Coral Evans
135m
Certification: Depot Recommends 15
This documentary, co-created by Daniel Satchell and Coral Evans, follows Leave No Trace Brighton, a beach-cleaning community group with national and global impact potential.
Nearly two years in the making, it highlights how a small volunteer-led initiative can drive lasting change through partnerships and education.
The film exposes commercial fishing vessels as major polluters and features upbeat music, engaging graphics, innovative camerawork, and nature footage. Interviews with locals and stakeholders paint a broad picture of coastal waste along the English Channel and its effects on humans and marine life.
This film includes a screening of the short film The Waiter, the Scientist and Jenny, directed by Joe Snelling
Runtime: 32 minutes
Certification: Depot recommends 15
Once a rising star in science, Marc Esposito now waits tables in Hastings—seeking peace, purpose, and freedom while navigating the complex realities of mental health.
Made in Sussex - Splinter
Saturday 26 April, 20:00
Dir: David Bryant
120mins
Certification: Depot Recommends 15
After his family is murdered, John becomes an agoraphobic recluse, unable to leave his home. Surrounded by memories, he begins to suspect something is watching him.
Is it the ghosts of his wife and son—or something worse?
This film includes a screening of the short film, WIRED, directed by Will Jewel.
Runtime: 18 minutes
Certification: Depot recommends 15
After losing her partner and job, Becca finds solace in her AI wellbeing hub, MAIA. But when she starts to rebuild her life, MAIA resists letting go.
A smart, unsettling sci-fi short with echoes of Black Mirror and Ex Machina—with a wicked twist of dark comedy.
Made in Sussex - Short Film Programme
Sunday 27 April, 11:30
Total Runtime: Approx. 1hr 45min
Certification: Depot Recommends 15
A vibrant and varied programme of short films celebrating Sussex-based talent, this showcase brings together voices from across the region — exploring themes of identity, connection, culture, and creativity. With a mix of narrative, documentary, and experimental work, each film offers a unique window into the stories being told right here on our doorstep.
Programme:
First Sight
Director: Andrew McGee — Runtime: 18 min
Just Plain Ben
Director: Tom Bryan — Runtime: 17 min
Market Values, Women’s Voices
Directors: Esther Springett, Moose Azim, Martine Pierquin, Jackie Yeates — Runtime: 16 min
Messiah
Director: Marinella Setti Mantle — Runtime: 20 min
Mirror Mirror
Director: Joe Morgan — Runtime: 10 min
Nocturnal
Director: Ruben Spink — Runtime: 3 min
Shouting at the Sea
Director: Benjamin Verrall — Runtime: 20 min
Made in Sussex -The Captain
Sunday 27 April, 15:30
Dir: Jamie Patterson
100mins
Certification: Depot Recommends 15
Fergus, a retired sea captain, is placed under house arrest after robbing his local newsagent on a mobility scooter. While confined to his home, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with his Greek caregiver, Leni, sparking a journey of self-discovery for them both.
Made in Sussex - Fright
Sunday 27 April, 18:00
Dir: Warren Dudley
100mins
Certification: Depot Recommends 15
It’s 1937, and young Emily is trapped in a nightmare. Her chronic agoraphobia and strange, domineering mother have turned their sprawling gothic mansion into a prison.
On the brink of madness, Emily is haunted by malevolent forces lurking just outside. Her only hope lies in the desperate belief that her missing father might return and rescue her from this living hell.
But as she longs for his return, Emily is tormented by visions of a sinister, gnarled black hand—a spectre that has haunted her since childhood.
Fright is an homage to the unsettling atmosphere of 1950s horror cinema, echoing the terror of The Haunting and the ghostly dread of The Innocents.
