Short Stuff Premiere: Watch the brand new trailer for ‘Far From the Plains’ by Luigi Sibona and Niellah Arboine, starring musician Kojey Radical, Amari Bacchus and Faith Alabi
Directed by Luigi Sibona and co-written with journalist Niellah Arboine, Far From the Plains is a magical realist film about a 14-year-old boy, Frankie (Amari Bacchus), watching his mother (Faith Alabi) slip away as London drowns under rising seas and storms. His refuge comes in a South London urban stable and the friendship he finds with the stable hand (Kojey Radical).
WATCH THE TRAILER
Far From the Plains follows in the lineage of films like Pan’s Labyrinth, Beasts of the Southern Wild and A Monster Calls where complicated themes are framed through the perspective of a child, while retaining a distinctive character all of its own. Far From the Plains is an ambitious, emotionally charged film about finding beauty in the bleakness of life and hope in a world that can often feel hopeless.
“I wanted to make something that feels expansive but on an intimate scale,” says director Luigi Sibona. “When you’re in the midst of depression, it can literally feel like the world is ending around you. When the world is actually ending at a grotesque, alarming rate I found there to be a potent, quiet parallel. A very personal apocalypse.”
BTS photo by Amira Umar
This is BRIT-nominated musician Kojey Radical’s first ever film role, and he stars alongside rising star Amari Bacchus (Adolescence) and Faith Alabi, fresh from Industry and Luca Guadagnino’s We Are Who We Are.
On his first acting role, Kojey Radical says, “I had quite a lot of imposter syndrome going into the project, but everyone in the cast and crew was so game to make something brilliant and to work with me. The moment I got to set, all that angst disappeared. It was a really collaborative process between understanding what Luigi wanted and what I could bring to the screen. Working with Luigi and Amari was amazing – I’d do it again any time. I’m excited to see what the world of acting has in store for me, to grow with directors and keep finding ways to bring energy to set and depth to characters.”
“It was because this project was so intimate and personal that I was drawn to the role of Frankie,” Amari Bacchus says. “This film wasn’t something we were making just for the sake of it, it was made from pure heart and truth, with so much love and affection poured into it.”
On working with Kojey, he adds, “It was such a valued moment for me and it allowed me to push myself even more, and for me to push him as well. It was really special to work with someone who has such a drive to learn and be such an all-round creative – that’s what I aspire to be, to put myself in every room possible, to show young Black boys that you can do anything you want to do as long as you put your mind to it and give yourself the opportunity to try everything that you want to try.”
BTS photo by Amira Umar
Produced by NOIR in association with Grey Moth and Hollow Films, Far From the Plains is the third short film for award-winning writer/director Luigi Sibona, co-written with acclaimed writer and journalist Niellah Arboine. It also features original music from Lisa-Kaindé Diaz from Ibeyi.
“It was just so special being brought onto this project, and I'm so thankful for being given this opportunity to shed truth on such an impactful story,” Bacchus says. “The world is waiting for this to come out, and I'm so excited for people to see what we've created.”
Far From the Plains has already been selected to play at multiple Oscar and BAFTA qualifying festivals around the world, including Edmonton International Film Festival, Tirana and Bolton. It will have its World Premiere in London on the 7th September at The Shortest Nights Film Festival.
