Finding My Voice (London Premiere) - LIFF
Running time: 94 mins
Genre:
Directed by: Arabella Arabia Burfitt-Dons
Release Date: 04/10/2026
Starring: Anais Garnes, Michelle Ryan, Kierston Wareing, Nick Moran, Rachel Warren, Tracy Shaw, Arafin Putra, Junior Andres, Peter Andres, Lily Harvey, Vicki Michelle, Donna Taylor
Melanie is a talented singer-songwriter on the brink of a life-changing opportunity as she approaches a scholarship audition for the prestigious Highbury College of Music. It could be her chance to finally be seen, just like other successful stars who started their careers there. But with a single mother working nonstop and three younger siblings to help raise, Melanie spends most of her spare time supporting her mother and also quietly struggling with her own self belief. Deep down, Mel finds it hard to believe she actually deserves the dream she’s chasing.
One evening while babysitting her siblings and stealing precious moments to practice, an unthinkable tragedy happens. Suddenly, overnight Melanie is torn from the only life she has ever known and she is placed into the care of estranged relatives. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt, she convinces herself that her ambition caused what happened and that if she hadn’t been busy chasing her own dream, everything might have turned out differently. Broken and displaced, Melanie makes a vow to herself that she will never sing again.
As she struggles to survive in an unfamiliar world, every attempt to reconnect with music seems doomed to fail, pushing her further and further from the life she once imagined. Mel must learn that to reclaim her future and find her way back to her family she must rediscover not only her voice, but her belief in herself.
About London Independent Film Festival
The London Independent Film Festival (LIFF) is devoted to the advancement of first- and second-time filmmakers telling amazing stories with limited budgets. Hosted every spring at the Genesis cinema – repeatedly voted the best cinema in the UK – the October 2026 London Independent Film Festival will screen the work of almost 100 filmmakers from around the world. Stretching over 10 days with numerous industry events, LIFF offers an unmissable opportunity for networking and building collaborations for future projects. It's little wonder that Time Out Magazine has called LIFF "a treasure trove of undiscovered cinematic gems, one of Europe's top indie film fests". With a reputable support system for emerging filmmakers, LIFF includes popular training programs run by industry professionals who understand the ins and outs of moving a filmmaker's career to the next level.
