Directing
After a middle-aged father falls mysteriously into a coma that transports him to an idealised version of his past, his daughter must do all things necessary to rescue him from an eternal trap.
In an overpopulated Britain, a law called the Parental Act requires everyone to obtain a license to have children. Young couple, who after falling pregnant, must attend a week long "retreat" where their baby's fate is decided by the State.
Transit is an evocative, genre-bending exploration of migration and what it means to find a place to call home. Told through a series of vignettes utilising physical theatre, poetry, dance, multimedia, practical lights and live music, Transit follows a cast of contemporary migrants as they navigate the feeling of being ‘too foreign for here, too foreign for home.’ This deeply human piece is a love letter to everyone who has ever lived in between where you came from and where you are now, whether that be 5 or 5,000 miles away. Studio Holder is delighted to be collaborating with Halfpace Theatre, in the production of a not-for-profit feature-length film of Transit, the film of which is bound for festivals from Autumn 2026.
A mother’s decision to relocate out of London and begin a new chapter of her life brings vulnerable conversations to light, encouraging hope and change in her family dynamic.
A boy finds solace in a ball pit, at a soft play enclosure, until he is sucked down into an alternate dimension and greets his older self.
In 19th century England, sisters Cara and Caitlin run their late mother's isolated farm alone. But when their father unexpectedly returns from sea during a harsh winter, the land becomes unsettled. Cara, struggling with her family's past, fights for control and must protect her younger sister against an unknown danger.
Witness the rise and fall of The Warehouse, a rave venue from Plymouth and times gone by now reduced to a derelict shell. We explore its history, its people and the future. An amateur filmmaker-explorer finds the building in an empty derelict state, long after the prosperous life and energy it endured through the 90s. Through a combination of archives and stories of people who lived there, the film explores through the medium of analogue what once was and how even a now silent derelict shell can become the centre of the universe.
A fragmented collection of independent closed cinemas, in London during lockdown, captured on Super 8mm film.
An in-depth look at the life and career of veteran illustrator and bluegrass musician John Holder.
Veteran Illustrator and Bluegrass Musician John Holder returns to the village he grew up, Badwell Ash in Mid-Suffolk, England; reconnecting with family and friends from the past and encountering stories of growing up and growing old in Suffolk. Having left the village to pursue a formal education at Cambridge School of Art at just 16, and begin a life and career that would see him travel all over the world; performing with and meeting his Bluegrass Heroes - the likes of Bill Monroe, Hank Williams, Dolly Parton. Old Suffolk Boys provides an insight into an area of Eastern England, as well as a man who is returning to his roots - entrenched with pickup trucks, a dash of conservative politics and a deep-rooted love of country music, that will surely resonate with audiences.
One Night More is a story of inner-city romance set in modern day London and how two people can meet and change each others lives to make them think differently about themselves and how change is an inevitable thing and also a constant. We explore the complex, albeit brief, relationship between Rose, an aspiring photographer, who meets Khrisna - a dancer. The film gives an unique, negative and perhaps melancholy perspective on love and attraction and how people at the end of the day just might not be attracted to one another, and must simply learn how to move on to the next thing, whatever that might entail. The story isn't trying to say anything big or new in regards to romance other than subverting 'the teenage ideal' of being in a relationship which sees no lasting potential just for the sake of fitting in.
Gareth Holland, the young charismatic presenter of a dreadful infomercial show goes through a rough day of shooting. He is then taken aside by his producer who lets him know of a request from the show's sponsors to finally meet him.
Ben Douglass wants to reignite pride in his home city of Newcastle after discovering that not everything is as worth being proud of as he once thought. However, is his idea of a mass sing-a-long enough to spark a change?
