British short film LAST NIGHT will have its world premiere at the Oscar® and BAFTA-qualifying Indy Shorts International Film Festival in Indianapolis this July.
Directed by Hannah Beach, Produced by Will Slade and written by James Murphy, the film follows strangers Arun and Tam, who meet on a rooftop on the night they both intend to take their own lives. When Arun suggests they spend the night together instead - just until sunrise - they embark on an unexpected journey through the city.
LAST NIGHT explores how even the briefest human connection can become a lifeline when everything feels lost.
“LAST NIGHT tackles the subject of suicide in a gentle way, through the opposing perspectives of Tam and Arun,” says Beach. “Despite their differences, they arrive on the same rooftop having made the same quiet decision to disappear. The film is about two people coming together in a moment of aching loneliness, and the idea that a human connection doesn’t have to last forever to matter.”
Beach is a London-based filmmaker whose writing and directorial debut, MARS, starring Corey Mylchreest, was selected for several Oscar® qualifying festivals before being acquired for distribution by Network Ireland Television. Her second short, A MATTER OF MINUTES, screened internationally at multiple Oscar® and BAFTA qualifying festivals. LAST NIGHT is her second film made in association with Slick Films.
The film stars Navid Tharani as Arun and Melina Farahani as Tam, alongside Jessica Barber, Monty McLaren, Carlota Caraballo and Coco Peach.
LAST NIGHT was created through the Slick Showreels Short Film Scheme, devised by Academy Award® winning director and Slick Films founder Chris Overton. The initiative brings a group of actors together to jointly invest in the creation of an ambitious, professionally produced short film, giving them the opportunity to take greater control of their careers and showcase their work on the international festival circuit.
“To see LAST NIGHT begin its journey at a festival of this calibre is incredible,” says Overton. “I’m blown away that the film is giving these six actors a platform at one of America’s leading short film festivals.
“It can be incredibly frustrating to see brilliant actors struggling to break through because they’re waiting for someone else to give them an opportunity. Through the Short Film Scheme, we brought six talented actors together, each investing at a different level, and helped them put some of that power back into their own hands.
“You could describe it as a prestige showreel, but it is much more than that. It is a fully realised short film, made by an exciting creative team and designed to stand on its own. Of course, it requires a greater investment, but a world premiere at Indy Shorts shows what can be achieved.”
Produced by Will Slade, LAST NIGHT was completed in May 2026 and has a runtime of 13 minutes and 18 seconds.
The film will screen as part of the ninth annual Indy Shorts International Film Festival, taking place in Indianapolis from 21–26 July 2026.
Synopsis:Strangers Arun and Tam meet on a rooftop on the night they both intend to end their lives. When Arun suggests they spend the night together instead, just until sunrise, they embark on an unexpected journey through the city.
Director: Hannah Beach
Writer: James Murphy
Producer: Will Slade
Executive Producer: Chris Overton, Mustapha Wehbi, Dan O'dwyer, Rachel Shenton
Cast:Navid Tharani - Arun
Melina Farahani - Tam
Jessica Barber - Lily
Monty McLaren - Freddie
Carlota Caraballo - Isabel
Coco Peach - Chantelle
Runtime: 13 minutes, 18 seconds
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Language: English
Completion date: 1 May 2026
Production: Slick Showreels / Slick Films
About the Slick Showreels Short Film SchemeCreated by Academy Award® winning director and Slick Showreels founder Chris Overton, the Short Film Scheme enables a group of actors to invest collaboratively in an original short film. Participants receive substantial roles in a professionally produced project designed to compete on the international film festival circuit while providing each actor with high-quality material for their professional portfolio.
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