CFD 24|The Old Oak

The Old Oak is a special place. Not only is it the last pub standing, it is the only remaining public space where people can meet in a once thriving mining community that has now fallen on hard times after 30 years of decline. TJ Ballantyne (Dave Turner) the landlord hangs on to The Old Oak by his fingertips, and his hold is endangered even more when the pub becomes contested territory after the arrival of Syrian refugees who are placed in the village. An unlikely friendship develops when TJ encounters a young Syrian with a camera, Yara (Ebla Mari). Can they find a way for the two communities to understand each other?

Selected Awards:
Audience Award – Best Film, Ghent International Film Festival, Belgium, 2023.
Audience Award, Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland, 2023.
Best Actor Award & Best Film – Audience Award, Valladolid International Film Festival, Spain, 2023.
Audience Award, Palic Film Festival, Serbia, 2023.
Audience Award – Special Presentations, Calgary International Film Festival, Canada, 2023.