Kieran Bourne’s feature directorial debut, Arthur & Clara, will receive its world premiere at the Austin Film Festival on November 2, 2026. The British romantic drama, starring C.J. Beckford and Mirren Mack, will screen at Galaxy Theatre, Screen 4, from 12:50 p.m. to 3:05 p.m. CST. The 110-minute film also marks the first feature production from Candid Broads Productions, the independent company founded by producer Oriane Pick.
Written and directed by Bourne, Arthur & Clara follows two people from the film industry who retreat to the same rural farmhouse to escape the pressures of their professional and personal lives. Beckford plays Arthur, a Black filmmaker described in the festival’s official synopsis as pretentious, while Mack portrays Clara, a high-profile actress characterised as entitled. Their initial reluctance to connect gradually gives way to a shared vulnerability, setting them on an unexpected journey of self-discovery.
The Austin Film Festival’s synopsis places the idea of being seen at the centre of the story. Arthur and Clara arrive at the farmhouse seeking distance from their individual circumstances, but their encounter challenges the isolation they have chosen. As they begin to understand each other, their relationship becomes an opportunity to confront their own insecurities and reconsider how they see themselves. The film uses their contrasting personalities and professional experiences to explore identity, vulnerability and human connection.
The project was previously reported by Screen Daily in May 2025, when the publication announced the casting of Beckford and Mack and described the film as a UK romantic comedy. That report outlined Arthur’s struggle to complete a superhero screenplay and Clara’s disappearance during a press tour. Bourne’s official film page provides further context for Arthur’s identity crisis, including his experience as a Black filmmaker. The festival’s current synopsis places greater emphasis on the characters’ shared vulnerability and the personal discoveries that follow their meeting.
Arthur & Clara represents Bourne’s first feature as a director after working across short films, web series and theatre. His earlier credits include Poles, which he wrote and directed, and Call It a Day, a web series associated with Candid Broads Productions. He also wrote the short film I Am Pilate, directed by Femi Oyeniran. The feature brings his work as a screenwriter and director to a longer narrative centred on two characters navigating questions of identity and connection.
The film is also a significant step for Candid Broads Productions, which is moving into feature filmmaking with the project. Founded in 2020 by Oriane Pick, the company has identified stories from underrepresented communities and female representation as part of its production focus. Pick is producing Arthur & Clara, with Anais Ferrato serving as co-producer. In comments reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Pick said the screenplay aligned with the kinds of stories the company wants to champion and welcomed the opportunity to support Bourne’s first feature.
The cast is led by Mack, whose screen credits include The Bone Temple and Hedda, and Beckford, known for A Thousand Blows and Blitz. Tamás Apor Méder serves as director of photography, while Lucy Amos handled casting. The executive producers are Ilias Harcha, Hollis Hill, Rodney Baty and Ken Moreno for H3 ENT Company, alongside Maria Ishak for Mischief International.
The film was shot on location in Kent earlier in 2026, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Candid Broads Productions has also listed the project among its feature productions. An earlier Screen Daily report had anticipated filming in Cornwall in 2025, but the newer production report identifies Kent as the location where the film was shot.
The Austin Film Festival will run from October 29 to November 5, 2026, bringing filmmakers and screenwriters together through its film programme and Writers Conference. Arthur & Clara is scheduled to screen on November 2 as part of the festival’s 2026 edition. Its world premiere will introduce Bourne’s first feature to festival audiences while marking Candid Broads Productions’ entry into feature filmmaking.