A new British production company, Developing Room Films, has officially launched, unveiling a slate of three socially‑conscious genre short films currently in post‑production. To Catch A Siren, Dinner for Loners and The Truth About Space tackle urgent contemporary issues – migration, loneliness and rehabilitation – through fantastical, comedic and sci‑fi lenses.

Founded by Harvey John, Developing Room Films is the production arm of The Developing Room – a UK-wide creative network that helps emerging filmmakers break into the industry through masterclasses, networking, on-set opportunities and film financing. The Developing Room – with John serving as Executive Producer – most recently helped finance Breakwater, the most-nominated film at the 33^rd Raindance Film Festival.

Developing Room Films’ debut slate of three shorts brings together an impressive roster of creative talent including Emmy-winning executive producer Karina Michel (Tallulah Films) and BAFTA-winning Tobi Kyeremateng (Them Ones); actors Kulvinder Ghir (Blinded by the Light, Bend It Like Beckham), Melissa Knatchbull (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Mission: Impossible) and Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn (Small Axe); alongside directors Raphaela Wagner, Keshav Shree and Jeremiah Towolawi, and executive producers such as David Beazley (Shore Scripts) and John Jencks (The Uncertain Kingdom).

Each short has already secured industry recognition through competitive funding grants and awards. To Catch A Siren won the Grand Prize in the Shore Scripts 2024 Spring Short Film Fund and received funding from Hessen Film & Medien, Verein Südkultur and the Cine Circle Film Fund; The Truth About Space won the Shore Scripts 2025 Spring Short Film Finishing Fund and previously received support from The Uncertain Kingdom Belief Grant and Cine Circle Film Fund.

“We believe genre films are a powerful way to spark change—it lets us challenge people’s thinking while still keeping them entertained,” said Harvey John, founder of Developing Room Films. “These shorts tackle pressing issues like displacement, loneliness and rehabilitation, but in ways that feel fresh, cinematic, and accessible. We’re proud to support bold new voices in storytelling—voices that need to be heard.”

Melissa Knatchbull, playing Sister Cordelia in To Catch A Siren, added: “The script immediately drew my attention and my empathy for the main characters. It works on several levels, whilst confronting current crises. It was a pleasure to work with this young, passionate, creative team. In particular Raphaela, the director, who has an ability to convey a narrative in motion, beyond her years.”

To Catch A Siren is a modern fairytale about a young refugee who believes her absent mother is a mermaid, using allegory to humanise the ongoing migrant crisis, exploring trauma, loss and resilience through the eyes of a child. Starring newcomer Layla Badat and Melissa Knatchbull (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Mission: Impossible), the film is written by Harvey John and Jasmine Mohtashami and produced by John alongside an international team of executive producers. Notable recognitions include the Shore Scripts 2024 Spring Short Film Fund Grand Prize and support from Hessen Film & Medien and Verein Südkultur.

The Truth About Space, written and directed by Jeremiah Towolawi and produced by Emily Radakovic (Kino Films), follows a man recently released from prison who must confront the lie his estranged daughter has been told – that he was in space. Blending imagination with harsh reality, the film challenges perceptions of incarceration and rehabilitation. Backed by Shore Scripts, The Uncertain Kingdom and Cine Circle, it stars Jordan Kouamé (Malpractice, Dope Girls, Scoop), Olivia‑Rose Colliard (Back to Black, The Kitchen, Champion) and Amarah‑Jae St. Aubyn (The Confessions of Frannie Langton, Small Axe), with BAFTA‑winner Tobi Kyeremateng as executive producer.

Dinner for Loners is a sharp, darkly comic short from writer‑director Keshav Shree, shining a light on the epidemic of loneliness, particularly within the UK’s South Asian community. Newly single Dev, played by Shree (This England), enlists his dysfunctional Indian family to host a reunion dinner in a desperate bid to reconnect. The film co‑stars Kulvinder Ghir (Blinded by the Light, Bend It Like Beckham), Ruchika Jain (The Sandman) and Leo Anand (No Time For Goodbye).

The initial slate underpins a pipeline of long-form projects in development, led by a feature version of To Catch A Siren.

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Categories: Press Releases

Tags: production, UK