In the Name of Honour

In the Name of Honour exposes frightening cases of ‘honour’ killings – the killing of a relative, especially a girl or woman, who is perceived to have brought dishonour on the family – from India, Jordan and Palestinian Territories. Hindu, Muslim and Christian families all share the tragic experiences that wrecked their lives.  

In this part verité / part investigative documentary, director Pawel Gula proves there is no honour in killing. The film juxtaposes horrific news footage with insights from the families of victims whose lives have been irreparably damaged and the killers who are still debating the consequences of their actions. Broader commentary from officials and activists fighting this horrific tradition combine to create a comprehensive picture of this brutal, hidden practice.

In the Name of Honour from Sideways Film on Vimeo.

Love Me

Can people find love through the modern “mail-order bride” industry? Or is the international romance business just a scam? Sincere and unflinching, Love Me follows Western men and Ukrainian women as they embark on an unpredictable and riveting journey in search of love.

Each character’s experience exposes the myths and realities of this unique industry, while also exploring the much deeper, human story that is too often overlooked.

Forget everything you think you know about “mail-order” brides and get ready for an outrageously funny, touching and unforgettable look at the extreme lengths people travel for love.

 

Who Took Johnny

If you’ve ever gotten separated from your child for just a few moments and remember the depth of panic that sets in, then you can begin to understand what Noreen Gosch has felt over the last 30 years since her son Johnny disappeared delivering newspapers on the morning of September 5, 1982.

More than any other missing child case, Johnny’s story has spawned countless theories and has instilled intrigue in the millions who remember the kid on the side of a milk carton. Along the way there have been mysterious sightings, strange clues, bizarre revelations and ambiguous photographs. A confrontation with a person who claims to have helped abduct Johnny paves the way to a crime scene and the possible involvement of a child abduction and prostitution ring. And then a knock on the door in the middle of the night raises as many questions as perhaps it answers..

Who Took Johnny is an examination into the infamous thirty-year-old cold case behind the disappearance of Iowa paperboy Johnny Gosch, the first missing child to appear on a milk carton. The film focuses on the heartbreaking story of Johnny’s mother, Noreen Gosch, her relentless quest to find the truth about what happened that tragic September morning when Johnny never returned from his paper route and her life since in helping others to mobilise the authorities when their children go missing.

Who Took Johnny captures the endless intrigue and conspiracy theories surrounding the eye-witness accounts, compelling evidence and emotional discoveries which span three decades of the most spellbinding missing person’s case in U.S. history.

“Timely, shocking and relentlessly compelling, documentary Who Took Johnny recounts the strange story surrounding the disappearance of paperboy Johnny Gosch, one of the original milk carton kids..Viewers with a taste for true-crime drama and plausible conspiracy theories are likely to come away wanting more, making the film a good candidate for a spin-off series. Others may cherish the ambiguity here, the way Capturing the Friedmans it allows room for debate.. despite the potentially lurid nature of the material, the film is never exploitative and a sense of compassion and respect, one untarnished by sentimentality, for victims and their families shines through throughout.”
Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter

“An amazing, lunatic documentary that will leave you creeped-out, excited and surprised”
John Waters, director of Hairspray and Crybaby

 

Marriage: Shattered Vows

With changes in society leading to a fall in marriage and rise in divorce, is it possible that the institution has outlived its function?

It’s well known that the origins of marriage are in consolidating wealth, unifying allied families and fomenting a society where the family unit is self-sufficient, but as we have moved on, the concept of marriage has remained static. Marriage: Shattered Vows examines what marriage means to us today, visiting the lives of those devastated by their own perceived failures and religious figures who promote it. We investigate the marriage industry and the costs of divorce, against a backdrop of government incentives, look at the arrival of Gay marriage, the rise in sanctioned infidelity and alternative relationship structures.

2015: Winner: Best Feature Documentary, New York Los Angeles International Film Festival.

Rise of the Sex Robots

Advances in computer science and engineering have lifted animatronic lovers from the realms of science fiction to reality with the first models due to go on sale by the end of the year.

We meet the men who are making the sex robots, the customers who want to buy them – and the critics who say they are dangerous.

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Contact us to request full treatment, budget, schedule, budget, finance plan or any other matters relating to potential partnerships.

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Director: Tom Silverstone
Writer / Presenter: Jenny Kleeman
Executive Producer: Charlie Philips
Executive Producer: Kazz Basma
Distributor: Sideways Film
Country of Production: UK
Language: English
We are looking for: Co-Pro and Pre Sales
Stage of Project: Early Development
Delivery Date: TBA

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Key Biographies

Director – Tom Silverstone

Tom Silverstone is a London and New York based filmmaker currently working for the Guardian, making short films across current affairs, tech and culture. You can see his portfolio at www.tomsilverstone.com

Writer / Presenter – Jenny Kleeman

Jenny Kleeman is an award-winning journalist who travels the world telling thought-provoking stories you won’t have heard from anyone else.

On TV, she’s reported for BBC One’s Panorama and The One Show and Channel 4’s Dispatches, as well as making 13 films from across the globe for Unreported World, Channel 4’s critically acclaimed foreign affairs documentary strand. She’s a regular commentator on Sky News’s nightly Press Preview.

Executive Producer – Charlie Philips

Charlie Phillips is the Head of Documentaries at The Guardian, commissioning and acquiring new short documentaries from all around the world. He was previously Deputy Director at Sheffield Doc/Fest and Editor of FourDocs for Channel 4.

Executive Producer – Kazz Basma

Kazz Basma set up Sideways Film in 2010 to distribute social justice and dramatic narrative documentaries. He has licensed films to broadcasters, all rights buyers, the education market and online on every continent and have been screened at prestigious festivals worldwide including Sundance, Tribeca, IDFA, Hot Docs and Sheffield Doc Fest. He attends at least twelve documentary festivals each year where he is regularly invited to speak on panels and at round-tables, serves as a guest lecturer at the London College of Communication and is an invited expert at EAVE (the European Audio Visual Entrepreneurs network).