Spark Presents: Filmmakers Showcase
Celebrating local talent. Big screen. Big stories. One brilliant night.
We’re thrilled to launch the very first Spark Presents: Filmmakers Showcase, a brand-new platform celebrating the creativity, craft and imagination of filmmakers from across Warwick District.
For one night only, the Royal Spa Centre Cinema will be taken over by six extraordinary short films: documentaries rooted in local history, bold experiments in form, powerful dramas, and stories that push the boundaries of how we see the world. Each film has been created by an emerging or independent filmmaker with a unique voice and a strong connection to our creative community.
This special event brings together filmmakers, collaborators, artists, students, and anyone interested in locally made film for an evening of discovery, conversation and inspiration.
What to Expect
- A curated programme of six standout short films
- Personal introductions from the filmmakers
- A relaxed, friendly networking space before and after the screening
- A chance to meet the people shaping local film culture
- A rare opportunity to see homegrown work on the big screen
Whether you’re a filmmaker yourself, work in the creative industries, or simply love great storytelling, this will be a brilliant snapshot of the talent emerging in our district.
Event Details
- Date: Monday 9 February 2026
- Time: Doors open 6pm for a 6.30pm start
- Venue: Royal Spa Centre Cinema
- Tickets: Free (booking required)
- Capacity: Approximately 180 seats
We’ll wrap up around 9.00pm, with the option to continue conversations at the pub across the road for those who want to carry on the night.
Tickets
Tickets are FREE, but you are required to book:
Why We’re Doing This
Spark Presents showcases have always been about creating opportunities:
- Raising the profile of local creatives
- Building connections across the district
- Celebrating emerging voices
- Making space for new work
This Filmmakers Showcase is the next step - shining a spotlight on the incredible film talent right on our doorstep.
The Programme
Full details of films and their makers will feature here over the coming weeks:
1. Mark Ellis – Leamington at War
Genre: Local History Documentary
Runtime: Approx. 31 minutes
Audience: PG
Synopsis
A new documentary delving into what life in Leamington Spa was like during World War II. Drawing upon interviews, archive media and dramatic reconstructions, this film presents a vivid account of the town’s wartime experiences and explores how the community adapted and endured through one of the most transformative periods in British history.
About the filmmaker:
Mark was a director of the UK’s largest ad agency and head of audience research at the BBC before setting up his own media research company, The Knowledge Agency, in 1998. For the past 15 years he has specialised in video ethnography, becoming increasingly interested in documentary and the power of storytelling. This has led him to explore creative film-making processes through a number of courses at MAC and Film Oxford, and write and direct a series of documentaries in collaboration with organisations including Leamington History Group, The Loft Theatre and the University of Warwick.
2. Andrew David Barker – Baby on Board
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 15 minutes
Audience: 12
Synopsis
A haunting, emotional encounter between a teenage girl and her estranged father, who appears suddenly one night. As the pair reconnect, tensions rise and past wounds resurface in this intimate character-driven short exploring grief, responsibility, and fractured family dynamics.
About the filmmaker
Andrew David Barker is an author, screenwriter, and director. He was born in Derby, England, in 1975, and is the author of the acclaimed novels Dead Leaves, The Electric, and Society Place. In 2011, He wrote and directed a micro-budget post-apocalyptic feature entitled A Reckoning, and has also made several award-winning short films, including The Unknown Refugee, Baby on Board, and Laura Living Backwards, which he co-wrote. He is also the co-screenwriter of the upcoming feature, The Wilding, and the writer/director of the micro-feature, The House on Lidderman Street. He now lives in Leamington Spa with his wife and two daughters.
3. Leon Finnan – SPLINTERS
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 15 minutes
Audience: PG
Synopsis
Young musician Em’s life begins to spiral out of control. Lost and desperate she seeks out old friends in the hope of reconnecting but life has a way of moving on, whether you want it to or not. Splinters follows Em’s emotional journey as she attempts to redefine her sense of self and navigate fragile relationships. A sensitive and affecting film about trauma, identity, and rebuilding.
About the filmmaker
Leon is a storyteller. As an actor he has performed on stage and screen but was always fascinated in the making of the films and what was going on behind the camera so began to experiment. As well as starting to direct for theatre, he produced and directed 5 music videos across one summer and then wrote and directed his first short With Grace which he made on a zero budget during lockdown. Hungry for the knowledge and skills to create the films he had begun to write, Leon enrolled at the London Film School to study and develop his craft: writing and directing 5 short films across his 2 years at LFS, finishing with SPLINTERS his graduation film. An actors’ director, Leon’s driving passion is for creating narrative films and working closely with actors to pull out and discover authentic emotionally-driven performances that exist in the half spaces, between the words. Leon’s films focus on people, the interactions and actions that shape us, and the emotional complexity of existing.
4. Ingo Lyle-Goodwin – THE TRUTH about THE TRUTH
Genre: Experimental Documentary
Runtime:14:36 (with interactive screening element)
Audience: U
Synopsis
An exploration of ‘truth’ in the modern world. Blending documentary interviews, archive footage and audience interaction, THE TRUTH about THE TRUTH questions the nature of authenticity, perception, and belief. The work examines how truth is shaped, framed, and distorted in digital culture.
About the filmmaker
Multidisciplinary Director, Writer, Editor and 2x Royal Television Society award winner from Warwick. Ingo is an alumni of the Southern Film School at Colchester University, and has since directed more than two dozen projects including short films, theatre productions and a BBC commissioned Radio Drama. He has worked across both documentary and fiction, often incorporating improvisation and non-actors into both his fiction and non-fiction work. Since 2022 Ingo has collaborated with Madeleine Wynn of RADA on projects for the stage and screen, working with organisations including The Royal Shakespeare Company and Shakespeare’s birthplace trust, and on sets for Channel 4, the BBC and Netflix. His film projects have played at BAFTA/BIFA qualifying festivals and won two awards for Drama. Ingo is currently writing his debut feature film script, adapting several projects for the stage, and generally planning all sorts of mischief...
Councillor Ella Billiald, Warwick District Councillor, Portfolio Holder - Arts, Culture & Economy, said:
We’re really pleased to be hosting the first ever Spark Presents Filmmaker Showcase at the Royal Spa Centre. It’s a fantastic opportunity to celebrate and platform local film talent, while building stronger connections within the district’s creative community.