Once Upon a Time in Suffolk (12A)

After years of collaboration and dedication, Once Upon a Time in Suffolk is finally ready to share its unique collection of stories with audiences. Eight stories. One region. A feature film made by East Anglian talent. The Stories Crossing the Earth Set in the present day, this poignant drama explores how legends are born. A grieving and isolated young boy becomes convinced that a famous local sculpture possesses healing powers capable of saving his fractured family, while his exhausted mother struggles to cope with the pressures of everyday life. The Painters In the 1820s, the young John Constable is persuaded by his best friend to try his hand at portrait painting after responding to a mysterious newspaper advertisement. His client is none other than the fairy-tale princess Rapunzel, who hopes a flattering portrait will help find her Prince Charming. Unfortunately, Constable has rather uncompromising ideas about artistic beauty. Mawhini Against the backdrop of Thatcher's Britain, an ambitious property developer plans to build a luxury golf resort in rural Suffolk. His schemes begin to unravel when he encounters a sinister local cult fiercely protective of an ancient scarecrow, leading to a chilling supernatural confrontation. Briar and Daughter When two trainees are left in charge of a law firm specialising in magical disputes, they inherit a dangerous case involving a desperate mother who wants to escape a fairy bargain that promised away her child. Standing in her way is the malevolent fairy known as Clay. A Mid-Suffolk Night's Dream A provincial amateur theatre company attempts to stage Shakespeare's classic comedy, only to find themselves disrupted by mischievous fairies. When the magical visitors turn vindictive, it falls to the overlooked musical director to restore harmony before the production descends into chaos. Red A modern reimagining of the Red Riding Hood legend, this darkly comic thriller follows nervous vegan Rory on what should have been a romantic evening. Instead, he discovers his outspoken date, Sassaba, has rather more carnivorous intentions than he expected - and she may not be entirely human. Widdershins Imaginative young Mia is desperate to save her older brother from the influence of a local gang. When an ancient Suffolk legend transports her back to the eighteenth century, she witnesses tragic events that mirror her own life. Can the lessons of the past change the future? Ethel A lonely woman finds solace in sea swimming along the Suffolk coast until she uncovers the truth behind the legend of the Wild Man of Orford - a mysterious merman said to have washed ashore centuries ago and whose story may not have ended in the distant past.