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NOMINATIONS

Best Director & Best Actress - Unrestricted View FF 2024  |  Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress & Best Editing - Romford FF 2024  |  Best Actress & Best Colourist - Wolverhampton FF 2024  |  Best Supporting Actor, Best Sound Design, Best Short Film (Longlist), Best Hair & Make Up (Longlist) - British Short Film Awards 2025  |  Best Director Featurette, John Millius Award Best Screenplay, Best Featurette, Best Int'l Featurette and a further 8 nominations - Idyllwild Int'l Festival of Cinema 2025

Under the Blue, Steph Parry, Linda Ludwig, James Curle
Under the Blue, Ed White, Linda Ludwig, James Curle

LINDA LUDWIG & JAMES CURLE
 
writers / directors

Linda & James are a German/English writing and directing duo based in the UK – and Sony Future Filmmakers 2025. Garnering Awards and Official Selections in OSCAR, BAFTA and BIFA-qualifying festivals internationally, their films have distributed to territories worldwide on leading SVOD platforms, including Disney+ and Amazon Prime.

 

Honoured with the “Student Film Award, for the overall achievement in filmmaking” upon graduating (1st Class Hons in Film, Oxford Brookes University), Linda & James went on to direct their breakthrough short: MAN OF THE HOUR starring Charlotte Ritchie (You, Ghosts) was longlisted for Best British Short at the 2019 BAFTAs and proclaimed “among the best short films ever” by MovieViral. Three times Oscar-Nominee John Logan described it as “a beautiful film, with touching shadows of heartbreak. Elegant, evocative and emotional, the film captures a true and difficult moment of life and explores it gracefully”.

 

Their follow-up short, true-story crime drama UNDER THE BLUE with Nicola Walker (Unforgotten, The Split) hit the festival circuit in 2024, racking up 13 wins of Jury Prizes and Audience Awards alike (and in one case making festival history winning both at the same time). Variety covered its Jury Prize win during the Cannes Film Festival 2024 at the AmPav Emerging Filmmaker Showcase, when Linda & James won for a second time in this category that has previously brought forward directors such as Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) and Jeff Nichols (Mud).

 

In 2025, Linda & James were chosen from 11,750 submissions as finalists (the top 0.26%) in the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards 2025 by a judging panel of industry leaders including Jason Reitman (Saturday Night), Minhal Baig (We Grown Now), Elizabeth Gabler (Where the Crawdads Sing) and Justin Chadwick (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom). Subsequently, they took part in a week-long industry programme at Sony Pictures Studios in LA, during which their work was screened to Sony Delegates at the Cary Grant theatre.

 

Linda & James’ feature script MAN WITHOUT HEART, a drama about neurodiversity, placed as Quarterfinalist in the Raindance Script Competition, one of only 30 screenplays selected worldwide, receiving a score card of 9.1 out of 10 overall. Shortly after, it placed as a Quarterfinalist in the ScreenCraft Feature Competition, which called it “a flawless piece”, “penned by a writer who has mastered their craft”, “a unique and authentic voice”. As a neurodivergent/autistic directing duo, Linda & James are interested in stories about unique perspectives and unlikely connections. Their slate also includes feature scripts for a psychological thriller, an online-investigation thriller and a gothic romance mystery. For TV, they have completed true-story pilot NEW FACE about the dark side of modelling in the UK (longlisted BBC Open Call, top 1.8%).

 

Linda & James’ latest film, courtroom drama A WITNESS for Media Trust Films/CAAR starring Emily Carey (House of the Dragon), Sharon Small (London Kills) and Jordan Peters (My Lady Jane), previewed at Warner Bros in a closed screening in November 2024 and is scheduled for release later in 2025.

 

Linda Ludwig & James Curle are represented by Peter MacFarlane at MacFarlane Chard

Linda Ludwig & James Curle at the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards 2025
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About

WORK

Work
Ed White in Man of the Hour dir. Linda Ludwig & James Curle
MAN OF THE HOUR

Short Film  |  18mins  |  2018  |  UK  |  2.35:1 |

  • Man of the Hour on IMDb
  • Man of the Hour on Amazon
  • Man of the Hour on Disney+

AWARDS

Best Short Film Jury Prize - AmPav Emerging Filmmaker Showcase during the Cannes Film Festival 2018  |  Best Short Film & Best Cinematography - Chelmsford Film Festival 2019  |  East Frisian Short Film Award (3rd Winner) - International Filmfest Emden-Norderney 2019

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NOMINATIONS

Best Production Design - UnderWire Film Festival 2018  |Best Actress, Best Director, Best Screenplay & Best Score - Chelmsford Film Festival 2019

Man of the Hour dir. Linda Ludwig & James Curle
Charlotte Ritchie, Harriet Green and Oliver Chris in Man of the Hour dir. Linda Ludwig & James Curle

OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

Leeds International Film Festival**  |  Aesthetica Short Film Festival**  |  Foyle Film Festival***  |  Cambridge Film Festival**  |  UnderWire Film Festival**  |  HollyShorts Film Festival***  |  Bermuda International Film Festival***  |  International Filmfest Emden-Norderney  |  Dhaka International Film Festival  |  Catalina Film Festival  |  International Short Film Festival in Drama***  |  San Jose Film Festival***

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** BAFTA-qualifying   ***OSCAR-qualifying

UNDER THE BLUE

Short Film  |  15mins  |  2024  |  UK  |  2.39:1 |

  • Under the Blue on IMDb
  • Sony Future Filmmaker Awards 2025

AWARDS

Sony Future Filmmaker Awards Finalist 2025  |  Jury Prize Best Short Film - AmPav Emerging Filmmaker Showcase during the Cannes Film Festival 2024  |  East Frisian Short Film Award (2nd Winner) - 34th Filmfest Emden-Norderney 2024  |  Best UK Short Film - Unrestricted View FF 2024  |  Best Crime - Beeston FF 2024 |  "Wolf Award" Best Film Overall & Best Short & Best Cinematography - Wolverhampton FF 2024 | Best Screenplay - Brighton Rocks FF 2024  |  Best Short Film Award (Audience Vote) and Directors Choice Award - Bute Street 2024  |  Best Performance - Romford FF 2024  |  Best Director Drama, Honourable Mention - London Director Awards 2024​

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OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

New York Shorts Int'l FF  |  London Director Awards  |  Gasparilla Int'l FF  |  Beeston FF* |  Unrestricted View FF*  |  Sunderland Short FF*  |  AmPav Emerging Filmmaker Showcase, Cannes Film Festival  |  34th International FilmFest Emden-Norderney  |  Brighton Rocks Int'l FF*  |  KINO London SFF*  |  Bute Street Festival*  |  The Shortest Nights*  |  Flickers' Rhode Island Int'l FF (Semi-Finalist)***  |  Catalina FF  |  Filmoramax  |  London Breeze*  |  San Jose Int'l FF***  |  Izmir Int'l SFF***  |  Tweetfest*  |  This is England  |  North East Int'l FF*  |  HollyShorts London  |  Crystal Palace Int'l FF*

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*BIFA-qualifying    ***OSCAR-qualifying

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Äyanna in music video Alone
ALONE

Music Video  |  3:20mins  |  2021  |  UK  |  2.35:1

OFFICIAL SELECTION

selected as one of 24 music videos worldwide to screen at the renowned BAFTA-qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2021

Äyanna in music video Alone
Äyanna in music video Alone
Äyanna in music video Alone

“Man of the Hour is a beautiful film, a richly realized slice of life with touching shadows of heartbreak. Elegant, evocative and emotional, the film captures a true and difficult moment of life and explores it gracefully. And Ed White's performance, especially, is nothing short of hypnotic.”

- John Logan, writer Gladiator (2000), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), The Aviator (2004)

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"Man of the Hour is among the best short films ever."

- Movie Viral

Linda Ludwig & James Curle winning the East Frisian Short Film Award 2nd Place at International Filmfest Emden-Norderney
Linda Ludwig & James Curle at HollyShorts Film Festival 2018

VARIETY: Sony Future Filmmaker Awards Names Shortlisted Finalists (EXCLUSIVE)

"These 30 filmmakers don’t only tell stories - they create whole new cinematic worlds. From tales of defiance in the face of adversity, to stories of hope for our planet, the films that make up this year’s shortlist have the power to transport their audiences. I am once again deeply impressed and encouraged as we look to the future of filmmaking through the eyes of these brilliant talents.”

- Justin Chadwick, director The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)​

Linda Ludwig & James Curle at theSony Future Filmmaker Awards 2025
Linda Ludwig & James Curle at theSony Future Filmmaker Awards 2025 at the Sony Pictures Studios Culver City

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VARIETY: American Pavilion announces 2024 Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes​

"Over half of the films were directed or co-directed by women, and the films hail from Bosnia and Herzegovina (“Sevap/Mitzvah”), China (“A Roadside Banquet”), Panama (“Ojue”), Colombia (“Bogotá Story”) and the United Kingdom (“Under the Blue”)."

VARIETY: American Pavilion announces Emerging Filmmaker Showcase Winners at Cannes​

"The American Pavilion revealed the Jury Award winners of this year’s Emerging Filmmaker Showcase presented by Gold House at Cannes.

Emerging Filmmaker Showcase – “Under the Blue” – Directors: Linda Ludwig, James Curle"

Variety Press Release American Pavilion Announces 2024 Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes
Linda Ludwig & James Curle winning the East Frisian Short Film Award 2nd Place at International Filmfest Emden-Norderney

PRESS

Press

"I was deeply impressed. The story moved along well with interesting characters, then took me by surprise, then extended the surprise until it ended in succeeding in making me empathize with the loneliness of the main character."

- Rosanne Welch, TV writer-producer Beverly Hills 90210, Picket Fences, Touched by an Angel

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A “unique and ambitious film”

- Leeds International Film Festival, Official Selection ‘British Short Film’ 2018

Linda Ludwig & James Curle at HollyShorts Film Festival 2018
Linda Ludwig & James Curle at HollyShorts Film Festival 2018

"Man of the Hour is a very polished production - performances, direction, art design, everything. But it has a strong script to work from - one written with nuance and sparseness. It is a story that hooks you in quickly and one that will leave you wondering where it is going. I'd be very interested to see more work from this team."

- Roland Moore, creator of Land Girls (BBC1) and head writer on Humans (China)

© 2018 Amirah Parker

R A N D O M   F A C T S   A B O U T   L I N D A   &   J A M E S

Unsatisfied with the output of YA novels at the time, Linda wrote her own fantasy epic and became a professional novelist at age 17

Linda assisted in breaking the Guinness World Record for "The Most People Motion Captured in Real-Time"

James once handed Barbara Broccoli a corkscrew and personally delivered a blue plaster to Daniel Craig

In order to film their student short, Linda & James had to pass the same security as Brad Pitt; FURY (2014) was filming on the same plot of land

Linda & James were among the first people to test the, at the time unreleased, RED Epic Dragon camera

At age 15 James decided to film a 45min dystopian war epic - the production was cancelled because none of his friends were free on the weekend

Random

CONTACT

Contact

Linda Ludwig & James Curle

 

represented by Peter MacFarlane at

 

MacFarlane Chard

Kings Cross Business Centre, 180-186 Kings Cross Road, London, WC1X 9DE

+44 (0)20 7636 7750

enquiries@macfarlane-chard.co.uk

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