BFF25: Urchin

Written and directed by Harris Dickinson, Urchin is a haunting, compassionate odyssey of survival, redemption, and the fragile architecture of hope. In his bold feature-length directorial debut, Dickinson crafts a visceral social-realist tapestry through the eyes of Mike (Frank Dillane), an unhoused man freshly released from prison who attempts to piece together his fractured life amid indifference and systemic barriers.

What unfolds is neither heroic nor sensational but deeply human. As Mike navigates rehab, menial jobs, tenuous relationships, and his own inner demons, moments of dark humor, lyrical surrealism, and cinematic intimacy are revealed.

Premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes 2025, Urchin claimed the FIPRESCI Prize, and Dillane earned the Best Actor award for his luminous, raw performance, cementing the film’s place as one of the year’s most striking discoveries. A lean yet unflinching portrait that resists easy answers while demanding empathy, Urchin heralds Dickinson as an audacious new voice in British cinema and a filmmaker to watch.

WINNER | FIPRESCI Prize, Best Actor, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival 2025