Mumbai: Better Things, the first feature film from British director Duane Hopkins, has been selected for the Critics’ Week competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.  

Set in a small, rural community in the Cotswolds, Better Things tells the story of a group of young people as they struggle to come to terms with the difficulties of growing up in a world of limited opportunities, whilst their parents and grandparents try to hold their families and their own relationships together.  The cast features up and coming actors as well as non-professional actors.  

Better Things received £300,000 of National Lottery funding from the UK Film Council’s New Cinema Fund and has already been acquired for cinema release in the UK by Soda Pictures.  In addition, the New Cinema Fund for short film initiative Cinema Extreme supported Hopkins’ short film Love Me or Leave Me Alone.    
Producer Samm Haillay says, "Better Things’ selection for the Critics’ Week this year is fantastic news for the director, the producers and everyone connected with the film. Cannes represents an important platform for artistically driven film and we are very proud to be part of a distinguished history of films that have been invited to premiere at the festival."

EM Media chief executive Debbie Williams comments, "In a festival, which can introduce the best of world cinema the official selection of Better Things is a fantastic achievement and we congratulate all involved – writer/director Duane Hopkins, producer Samm Haillay. And we are delighted our production finance and continued support for producers Alistair Clark and Rachel Robey of Wellington Films has produced such a memorable film."