Isla Badenoch

Isla Badenoch is a self-taught filmmaker living in the rural borderlands between the UK and Ireland. Her work focuses on hidden communities and rites of passage tied to the natural world. Her atmospheric films challenge stereotypes about society’s outcasts, with the aim of nurturing a culture of compassion.

Isla’s films have screened at numerous international festivals, been shortlisted for a BIFA, and featured on BBC4, Short of the Week, Vimeo Staff Picks, WaterBear, and Minute Shorts. She is an alumna of the BFI New Writers Lab, BBC New Creatives, LUX Now & Next, Reclaim the Frame’s Filmonomics, and Directors UK Inspire.

She is currently developing her first feature film with the support of the BFI and Film Wales, as well as a second narrative feature that stems from a documentary backed by DocSociety.

Whisperer

LIM | Less is More 2024

WHISPERER is an initiation story centered on Fiadh, a neuroatypical teenager.

Fiadh has just turned 13 when her mother, drained by life, decides to leave their suburban home in search of a better future. Struggling to adjust to constant upheaval, Fiadh finds comfort wherever they go— in the presence of horses. Near a camp, she meets a master of natural horsemanship and learns the art of horse whispering. But just as she starts to discover new meaning in her life, her mother’s increasingly extreme beliefs threaten to derail her path. Fiadh has to choose between remaining dependent in the security of childhood or embrace her coming of age.

In this tender portrait of self-discovery, Fiadh transforms from a hesitant girl into a confident young woman. By learning to emotionally connect with horses, she finds in them the strength to navigate the joys, sorrows, and quiet beauty of growing up.