Reel Futures: Working Class Voices
23/04/26
General £7.50 WNC Concessionary (ID required) Free
Reel Futures: Working Class Voices
Stories from the margins, voices from the heart of everyday life.
Join us for the next event in Reel Futures, a screening season exploring bold, boundary-pushing short films from across the UK and beyond.
Reel Futures is a season of short films curated by Mansfield Town Film Festival, designed to bring festival-quality cinema into the heart of the community while creating a direct pathway for students and members of the public alike into MTFF26 this September.
For this edition, we’re spotlighting Working Class Voices, powerful stories rooted in real communities, exploring resilience, identity, struggle and hope. From housing pressures and political disconnect to family responsibility and the pursuit of a better life, these films capture the humour, hardship and humanity of working-class experience.
The Films
She Will Play On (13:51)
Directed by: Grace Morgan
Sienna nurtures her younger sister’s dreams of playing in a professional girl’s football team, whilst facing the realities of a crumbling home life.
Best, Michael (13:01)
Directed by: Sol Taibi
Michael Best is a man trying to better. Fresh out of prison he wants to try and live a better life and prove his loved ones wrong that he is a good man. With plenty of bridges to build, he sets off in hope to right his wrongs.
Four Door Dante (13:37)
Directed by: Daniel Rands
Caught between a rock and a hard man, long-time loser Dante finds himself embroiled in a gruelling endurance contest in order to pay back a debt. As time runs out, he must decide whether to keep running or face his problems head on.
Empty Your Pockets (19:56)
Directed by: Tara Aghdashloo
A young airport customs officer must secure an advance on his salary to afford his mother’s medication, navigating an absurd and totalitarian system.
Party Games (15:00)
Directed by: Alfie Beard
An out-of-touch politician gets a dose of reality when he visits an underfunded care home. Will he learn from the experience and campaign for change, or slip back into his old ways?
The Last Dance (16:39)
Directed by: Hayden Mclean
When Fox’s “LA Bar” is hit with a compulsory purchase order, a cornerstone of Caribbean life in 90’s East London is threatened. As the city begins to forget, the community remembers.
What to Expect
After the screening, we’ll host a 45-minute hybrid Q&A, with filmmakers both in the room and joining remotely from around the world.
Audiences will have the opportunity to engage directly with the creators of the films they’ve just experienced, asking questions, exploring creative choices, and diving deeper into the themes raised on screen.
Whether you’re a film lover, an aspiring creative, or simply curious, this is your chance to experience cinema differently, not just watching stories unfold, but being part of the conversation.
Agenda
4:30pm – Doors open
5:00pm – 5:15pm – Introductions
5:15pm – 6:45pm – Films
6:45pm – 7:00pm – Break
7:00pm – 7:45pm – Filmmaker Q&A
7:45pm – 8:00pm – Closing and event end
Event Details
Doors Open: 4:30PM
Start Time: 5:00PM
Location
Create Theatre, West Notts College, Mansfield, NG18 5BH