Synopsis

In a remote Welsh coastal village, the disappearance of an openly gay sixth form student disrupts the delicate balance of local life for one deputy head teacher, exposing long-buried secrets and threatening to tear the community apart. Black Church Bay is a mystery-thriller, about a conflicted teacher (Tom Cullen) dealing with the consequences of a sixth-former (Joe Locke) disappearing. It follows the immediate aftermath of the event, exploring the lengths a person might go to hide their true self – to save their skin at the expense of their soul.

Director’s bio

Rhys Marc Jones is a Welsh-Irish filmmaker who received his MFA in writing and directing from NYU Tisch School of the Arts as a three-time BAFTA Scholarship recipient. His debut feature film Black Church Bay (BBC Film, Screen Scotland, Film Cymru Wales, Vertigo Releasing) received support from the iFeatures scheme and the Festival de Cannes Cinéfondation Résidence. His screenplay for Black Church Bay won the Black Family Feature Prize, the highest accolade bestowed by the faculty at NYU Film Department – and his three student shorts played festivals worldwide, receiving various awards and recognitions including three BAFTA Cymru nominations and a BIFA longlist. His short Father of the Bride was selected in competition at SXSW 2020 before streaming on Amazon Prime Video in the US and being broadcast on the BBC in the UK. Rhys received BFI Flare x BAFTA Crew Mentorship from Wash Westmoreland, a scheme that rewards and supports filmmakers advancing LGBTQ+ representation – and in 2021, he was selected for Berlinale Talents and the Torino ScriptLab.

Logline

Dirgelwch-gyffro am athro y mae ei fyd yn dadfeilio ar ôl cyfarfyddiad agos at ddyn iau, gan archwilio’r hyd y bydd rhywun yn mynd iddo er mwyn cuddio ei hunan go iawn.

Crynodeb

Mewn pentref arfordirol anghysbell yng Nghymru, mae diflaniad myfyriwr chweched dosbarth hoyw agored yn tarfu ar gydbwysedd bregus bywyd lleol i un dirprwy brifathro, gan ddatgelu cyfrinachau sydd wedi’u claddu ers amser maith a bygwth rhwygo’r gymuned ar wahân. Mae Black Church Bay yn ddirgelwch-gyffro, am athro mewn dau feddwl (Tom Cullen) yn delio â chanlyniadau diflaniad myfyriwr chweched dosbarth (Joe Locke). Mae’n dilyn canlyniadau uniongyrchol y digwyddiad, gan archwilio’r hyd y gallai person fynd i guddio ei hunan go iawn – i achub ei groen ar draul ei enaid.

Bywgraffiad y cyfarwyddwr

Mae Rhys Marc Jones yn wneuthurwr ffilmiau Cymreig-Gwyddelig a dderbyniodd ei MFA mewn ysgrifennu a chyfarwyddo o Ysgol Gelfyddydau NYU Tisch fel derbynnydd Ysgoloriaeth BAFTA dair gwaith. Derbyniodd ei ffilm nodwedd gyntaf Black Church Bay (BBC Film, Screen Scotland, Film Cymru Wales, Vertigo Releasing) gefnogaeth gan gynllun iFeatures a Gŵyl Cinéfondation Résidence de Cannes. Enillodd ei sgript ffilm ar gyfer Black Church Bay Wobr Nodwedd y Teulu Black, yr anrhydedd uchaf a roddir gan y gyfadran yn Adran Ffilm NYU – a pherfformiodd ei dair ffilm fer myfyrwyr mewn gwyliau ledled y byd, gan dderbyn amryw o wobrau a chydnabyddiaethau gan gynnwys tri enwebiad BAFTA Cymru a rhestr hir BIFA. Dewiswyd ei ffilm fer Father of the Bride mewn cystadleuaeth yn SXSW 2020 cyn ei ffrydio ar Amazon Prime Video yn yr Unol Daleithiau a’i darlledu ar y BBC yn y DU. Gaeth Rhys ei fentora gyda Chriw BFI Flare x BAFTA gan Wash Westmoreland, cynllun sy’n gwobrwyo ac yn cefnogi gwneuthurwyr ffilmiau sy’n hyrwyddo cynrychiolaeth LHDTQ+ – ac yn 2021, cafodd ei ddewis ar gyfer Berlinale Talents a’r Torino ScriptLab.

Statws Première

Première Cymru