Hope Is Lost Premieres at BFI London Film Festival — A Bold Stop-Motion Thriller in Sustainable Filmmaking
September 3, 2025
A striking new stop-motion short, Hope Is Lost, will premiere in competition at the 2025 BFI London Film Festival, bringing together a powerful personal story, an acclaimed cast, and a bold commitment to sustainability.
A Story Rooted in Survival and Resilience
Written, directed, and animated by Eno Enefiok, Hope Is Lost draws inspiration from her own childhood experience of arriving in the UK as an asylum seeker. Set ten days before the millennium, the 16-minute thriller follows Hope, a single mother navigating a city consumed by Y2K paranoia. When a charismatic stranger offers her and her two infants shelter, her desperate search for safety spirals into a chilling fight for survival.
A Cast of Acclaimed Talent
The short features two-time BAFTA winner Rakie Ayola in the lead role, supported by Gary Carr, Matt Rose, and Charity Muiruri. Their performances bring depth and urgency to the story of displacement, motherhood, and resilience.
Sustainability at the Core
Hope Is Lost is as notable for its craft as it is for its story. Built almost entirely from recycled materials — including popsicle sticks, tin foil, and cardboard — the short embraces an eco-conscious production ethos. Enefiok explains:
“I didn’t want it to look so clean that it could be CGI. Growing up in Nigeria, we reused everything. That mindset shaped how I made this film.”
The project has already been recognized as a BAFTA Albert case study for the BFI’s Sustainable Screen Fund, showcasing how inventive design and ecological responsibility can go hand in hand.
Festival Screenings
The film will compete in the Short Film Competition as part of the Discovering Home programme, with two festival screenings:
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Wednesday, 15 October 2025 — 20:30 — Curzon Soho Screen 1
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Friday, 17 October 2025 — 15:50 — BFI Southbank NFT2
A Creative Team Dedicated to Story and Craft
The film was produced by Pauline Blanchet, Mikel Iriarte, Adam Smith, and Eno Enefiok, with production companies Needle & Hey, Aral Sea Productions, and Hidden Art Films. VFX was handled by Jellyfish Pictures, and sound design by Grand Central Record Studio.
With its blend of emotional storytelling, star talent, and handcrafted artistry, Hope Is Lost represents not only a personal milestone for Enefiok but also a bold statement about the future of sustainable filmmaking.
Credits & Source: Article prepared by Stop Motion Magazine based on official press release materials for Hope Is Lost (embargo lifted September 3, 2025).
