Distracted (57 mins, UK, 2018)

A bored detective has no interest in solving the murder he has been assigned to, preferring to drink scotch and read novels. His new partner, however, is desperate for promotion. An absurd comedy of contrasts unfolds in elegant black and white.

A tragi-comic detective story, Distracted undermines the conventions of the genre in order to explore the absurdity of one man’s state of being.

Written & Directed by James Devereaux

Cast: James Devereaux, John Giles, Louise Torres-Ryan, Nadine Hanwell, Alfie Black, Andrew Elias, Pete O’Shea.

Noir-ish Project (66 mins, UK, 2018)

Bleak, melancholy, neorealist feature film masquerading as film noir. A couple of low-lifes try to make some quick cash but end up just waiting around.

Noirish Project is a melancholy and gently comic feature film about Billy, who steals his family’s precious pearls and hands them over to low-life Jimmy (played by James Devereaux), who in turn takes them to a fence. But when the pearls turn out to be fake, Jimmy barely escapes from the fence with his life, let alone the pearls. Billy and Jimmy endevour to get the pearls back before Billy’s family finds out they’re gone, but when the fence goes missing, they realise their story has only just begun.

Shot in black and white, Noirish Project is a neo-realist fantasy, featuring moments of peculiar poetry and gentle comedy.

Written & directed by James Devereaux.