Out There is funny and charming, and bringing back together two places that not only fit together perfectly, but also have a richly layered backstory- Wales and Outer Space.
Maz, played captivatingly by Nerys Amber Stocks, and her father Lew, played by Game of Thrones star Iwan Rheon, were into space. It was their shared top- of- the- shed- stargazing universe, and the film opens with a glimpse into Maz as an 11-year-old in 1994, when Wales was in a grip of a spate of UFO sightings, and something life-changing is about to happen to Maz’s family. There’s real archival footage of locals being interviewed on the news about what they believe to have seen in the sky, which sets the tone for a small town with its own problems, but a hopeful gaze upwards.
The rest of the film is set in 1999, with Maz now a teenage astronomer who heads off to late night viewing spots with her best mate Elis, played by Tom Moya, with the wonder of the stars an important way for her to keep a connection with her now late father alive.
Premiered at Edinburgh International Film Festival 2026 In Competition
Written and Directed by Simon Ryninks
Produced by Tibo Travers and Katie Dolan
Cinematography Catherine Goldschmidt
Editor Rachel Durance, Hiran Balasuriya
Music Sami El-Enany
Executive Producers Miah Bays, Kiah Simpson, James Barton Steel, Tibo Travers, Susan Signet, John Glencross, Mariyah Dosani, Rich Moss, Eve Moss.
Starring Anuerin Barnard, Tom Noya, Nerys Amber Stocks, Alice Lowe, Matthew Aubrey, Remy Beasley, Olivia Southgate, Iwan Rheon and Michael Sheen
Maz becomes convinced that extra-terrestrials might be back in the sky, and the film becomes a caper through conspiracy theories, teenage rebellion, and alien abduction being a practical alternative to overwhelming grief.
A cast of fantastic characters make up the core family and the town, and the film paints a poetic picture of a certain kind of kitsch in the arcades and run down urban environment, which sits in the middle of majestic Welsh landscapes. It’s fast paced, and the talent of the cast make the madcap storyline sing.
Olivia Southgate plays Cari, Maz’s younger sister who has Down’s Syndrome. She is hilarious throughout and her whip-smart only-liners are a brilliant advert for inclusivity on screen.
Manic conspiracy theorist Bryn, played by Aneurin Barnard, pushes the boundaries of how much alien we might be looking at, while Michael Sheen plays Shifty Gruff, the local psychic and seller of all things fallen off the back of a lorry. Sheen is doing his best not to steal every scene he’s in, but it really is impossible to not be completely absorbed by him as he weaves his way as the dodgy seer who may or may not be able to help Maz find some old memories.
Getting this kind of acting pedigree into a debut film is testament to not only a sharp script, but how the Welsh filmmaking community supports each other, especially Sheen, a bonafide champion and hero of the whole Welsh arts scene.
Debut filmmaker Simon Ryninks, who was brought up in both Wales and England, was apparently thinking about his own late mother when he wrote the script, and found the huge history of UFO sightings in Wales a gentle and funny way into a story about dealing with loss.
Universal longing for what is just out of reach is, whether that’s intergalactic communication, or loved ones who have passed, can be a sombre topic, but bringing those sentiments together with comedy means that Out There has its profound moments, but overall it’s a good time and a lot of fun.
As a plus, the soundtrack was so irresistible we couldn’t help but make it into one of our own playlists. Diolch yn fawr!
