Once a regular customer of Edinburgh’s Cineworld, thanks to her Unlimited card, writer and director Charlotte Wells enjoyed a homecoming to remember in 2022. She brought her acclaimed feature Aftersun to the Edinburgh International Film Festival, fresh from winning a top jury prize at Critics Week in Cannes. With Barry Jenkins of the Oscar-winning Moonlight as one of the producers, Aftersun was a personal and critically adored opening film for EIFF, a sensitive drama that proved a darling of the festival circuit worldwide, picking up 16 nominations in this year’s British Independent Film Awards.

Creating an intimate, yet fully realised drama set in the 90s, Wells drew on her own experience of parenthood to capture the story of a daughter, Sophie (Frankie Corio), on a Turkish resort holiday with her father, Calum (Paul Mescal), reflected on decades after the event. Aftersun finally made its way into cinemas in November and suggests great things are ahead from a talent who previously only had a handful of shorts to her name.

Having grown up in Scotland, Wells honed her craft at film school in New York, a city in which she now lives. Those who saw her shorts Tuesday, Laps and Blue Christmas will already have some understanding of how her unique skill has developed. With an enviable way with actors and showcasing a selection of artfully chosen tunes from the era, Aftersun put Wells at the forefront of new and developing Scottish talent with a powerful big-screen debut for the ages. 

The List's Hot 100 was announced on 1 December in the December/January issue, available now.