Marley Morrison’s award-winning debut feature Sweetheart is a charming and refreshing coming-of-age comedy packed with wit and sensitivity.

Socially awkward and environmentally conscious misfit ‘AJ’ has a few things on her mind. Mostly how the methane from all the cows is destroying the planet, and how she would rather be anywhere in the world than on holiday with her painfully uninspiring family.

Following AJ’s suspension from school, mum Tina has dragged AJ out of her bedroom and driven four hours to the family’s favourite coastal holiday park in Dorset. Joining them is AJ’s neurotic and heavily pregnant older sister Lucy, their curious younger sister Dayna and Lucy’s foot-rubbing, attentive boyfriend Steve.

For AJ, the only thing worse than spending an entire week with her uniquely ‘un-woke’ family, is being in a holiday cabin with no Wi-Fi. She’s determined to have the worst week of her life, but her plan comes unstuck when she meets carefree lifeguard Isla who might just be the girl of her dreams.

A warm-hearted and tender exploration of young sexuality, Morrison's take on the coming-of-age story is both honest and hilarious and definitely not one to be missed.

Marley Morrison - writer/director

With a background in music videos, Marley's first narrative short, Sticks & Stones was screened as part of the BFI Future Film Fest 2014. Marley took part in Encounters Film Festival, 'Widening The Lens' 2016, earning 1st Prize for pitching new short film Baby Gravy, a comedy about same-sex parenting, made with the help of BFI Network and nominated for the screenwriting award at Underwire Festival 2018. Crowd-funded short 'Leroy' was nominated for the prestigious LGBT Iris Prize Best British short and Youth Jury Awards. Marley’s debut feature film ‘Sweetheart’ is supported by Film London, BFI, BBC Films and in 2020 Marley was selected as a Film London ‘Lodestar’ celebrating the capital’s emerging creatives. You can watch some of Marley's short films here.

Michelle Antoniades - Producer, Hazey Jane Films

Michelle is a London-based producer and Film London Lodestar 2020. Credits include debut feature Sweetheart, winner of the Glasgow Film Festival Audience Award 2021, and supported by Film London, BBC Films, BFI. Previous shorts include Leroy, nominated for Iris Prize 'Best British Short' and Underwire Festival's 'Emerging Producer Award', plus BFI Network funded short Baby Gravy starring Sophia Di Martino and Jade Anouka. Michelle started out in factual TV and feature documentaries and runs Hazey Jane Films with writer/director Marley Morrison, focusing on LGBTQ+ and female driven stories and currently developing a TV and film slate.

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