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Whilst we continue to make our final finishing touches to ‘To Catch A Siren’, we’re extremely pleased to announce that a feature version of the story is officially in development!

“When a teenage refugee loses her sister to adoption, she becomes convinced that the sea holds the truth about their missing mother– and that a mermaid may be the key to finding her.”

Selected as part of Torino Film Lab Next Feature Film 2026, ‘How to Catch a Mermaid’ explores themes of migration, cultural identity, and belonging in a way that is both intimate and universal, shifting the
conversation away from political abstraction toward empathy and lived experience.

2026 is already shaping up to be one of the deadliest years in the history of the Mediterranean refugee crisis. In just the first few months alone, nearly 1,000 people have lost their lives or vanished at sea.

These aren’t just numbers — they’re people. Individuals, families, and lives that matter.

At a time like this, it’s more important than ever to keep attention on what’s happening and continue to speak about it. Greater awareness and engagement can help ensure the crisis is not overlooked. With sustained attention, compassion, and collective effort, meaningful change is still possible 🧜‍♀️

First time dubbing my own movie! What a crazy experience 🙉 As you can see we had a lot of fun (how else would you keep concentrated over a 10-hour studio day). Our german voice-actresses were amazing! And when it came to recording some background action myself, producer Anke really loved my method acting approach 🤣🤣 Thank you to everyone involved! Can‘t wait to bring both english and german versions to audiences 🧜‍♀️

Introducing Sanee Raval (‘I May Destroy You’, ‘Cold Feet’) as Mr Anderson, a wealthy gentleman eager to adopt a child of his own.

Introducing Jane Shaw (‘The Awakening’) as Mrs Anderson, a wealthy woman eager to adopt a child of her own.

Introducing Tayah Callender (‘Mixmups’) as Pippa, one of the girls living at the local children’s home.

Introducing Jessica Johnson (‘Grandma is Thirsty’) as Kamyra, one of the oldest girls at the local children’s home.

Introducing Hannah Ferris as Lottie, the local children’s home’s newest arrival.

Introducing Melissa Knatchbull (‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’, ‘Pennyworth’, ‘Mission: Impossible’) as Sister Cordelia, a pious and steadfast nun devoted to helping run the town’s local children’s home.

Introducing Layla Badat as Roya, an 8 year old girl from Iran, who believes her absent mother to be a mermaid living beneath the sea. Although she has not seen her mother for years, Roya is convinced that she will one day return to take her home.

A behind-the-scenes glimpse of principal photography from earlier this year 🎣

A behind-the-scenes glimpse of principal photography from earlier this year 🎣

A behind-the-scenes glimpse of principal photography from earlier this year 🎣

A behind-the-scenes glimpse of principal photography from earlier this year 🎣

A behind-the-scenes glimpse of principal photography from earlier this year 🎣

A behind-the-scenes glimpse of principal photography from earlier this year 🎣

A behind-the-scenes glimpse of principal photography from earlier this year 🎣

A behind-the-scenes glimpse of principal photography from earlier this year 🎣

A behind-the-scenes glimpse of principal photography from earlier this year 🎣

“TO CATCH A SIREN, written and produced by Harvey John and directed by Raphaela Wagner, was the Grand Prize Winner of the Shore Scripts 2024 Spring Season Short Film Fund. Principal photography was completed in April 2025 and the team is currently wrapping up post-production. The story follows a young orphan who desperately searches for the mermaid she believes to be her mother before she is adopted and sent to live far away.” Thank you to @shorescripts for chatting with me about shooting our upcoming short @tocatchasiren. I unfortunately didn’t get to mention the legion of creatives who helped (and are continuing to help) make this ambitious little short film possible, but I am so very grateful to each and every one of them for making this dream a reality! There’s a link in my bio for anyone interested in giving the full Q&A a read 💌

Thank you to World Screen, Televisual, C21 Media, and Advanced Television for sharing the news of @developingroomfilms official launch. We are so excited to be launching with a slate of three new genre shorts: a fantasy about the migrant boat crisis @tocatchasiren; a dark comedy about loneliness in the South Asian community @dinnerforloners; and a sci-fi challenging perceptions of incarceration and rehabilitation ‘The Truth About Space’ (produced by @itskinofilms). As all three projects start to wrap up post-production, we can’t wait to share more about them with you all very soon! But in the mean time, please do give the various projects (and our new prodco!) a follow to stay up to date with the upcoming releases!