LOCAL film maker Emily Batty is excited that the premiere of her film, ‘Near and Distant Things’, is taking place on Saturday, July 18 on the deck at Saundersfoot, as part of the Torch Theatre’s Sunset Cinema season.

Emily has always lived in Saundersfoot - where the film was shot. She was the movie’s writer, director and producer and she surrounded herself with local talent for the filming process.

The 13-day filming process was a “dream come true” for the 21-year-old Oxford graduate. When we last caught up with her, Emily was in the process of editing the project, ready for release “as soon as possible”. Now one year on, Near and Distant Things is getting its first local screening before being released onto Amazon Prime.

Emily said: “It feels particularly meaningful that ‘Near and Distant Things’ will be screened in Saundersfoot, where it was filmed. It couldn’t have been made without the involvement, generosity and incredible support of the local community.

“I’m very excited for locals to see how their support fed into the project, and for audiences more broadly to see Pembrokeshire on the big screen.”

The film is a feature length drama surrounding a widowed fisherman and his family, as he grapples with the grief when his daughter returns home.

Emily described it as “a film highlighting the importance of human connection and community, and how the fear of losing it hinders our reaching out for it.”

Determined to harness local skills, Emily ended up working with many people she had gone to school with at Ysgol Greenhill, Tenby. These include Louis Bullock (Director of Photography), Daisy Blackwell (runner), and songwriter Kiah Lindsay who is featured on the film’s soundtrack.

Filming took place in July 2025 - at the picturesque Saundersfoot Harbour, including on the water, by kind permission of the harbour authority; at Skrinkle on the coast near Manorbier; in the woods; on the beach; in St Bride’s Cottage; and at the Royal Oak in Saundersfoot, where the actors, crew and extras were welcomed by Byron. The cast also headed to St Issell’s Church for one morning of filming.

Describing her colleagues as a ‘family for life’, Emily said she felt “beyond lucky to have had such a wonderful group of people bring this story to life.”

Friday, July 18 provides locals with a unique opportunity to watch this this intimate story of grief, family and hope in the very place where it was created. The screening starts at 7pm.

“The Sunset Cinema setting also feels very fitting for the film,” Emily added. “It engages closely with the natural beauty of the Pembrokeshire coast, and the project is a love letter to the area I call home. There’s something especially fitting about the idea of it being watched outdoors, in the heart of the village. It’s an immersive setting that places viewers both within the landscape and within the film itself.”

Book tickets for the Sunset Cinema at Saundersfoot Harbour via the Torch Theatre Website or call 01646 695267.