Private Project

Smooth The Edges

A young woman, soon to be Gypsy bride, decides to take a stance against traditional norms and find herself a job much against the liking of her fiance. When her background becomes a burden she can’t shake, she enters her latest job interview and calls them out for their prejudice.

  • Charles Newland
    Director
    ERODE
  • Charles Newland
    Writer
    ERODE
  • Alessandro Luchetti
    Producer
  • Liza Mortimer
    Producer
  • Megan Placito
    Key Cast
    "Chantel"
  • Maximilian Newland
    Key Cast
    "James"
  • Colin Wells
    Key Cast
    "Graham"
  • Robbie Bryant
    Cinematographer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 6 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 5, 2026
  • Production Budget:
    25,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    ARRI Alexa 35
  • Aspect Ratio:
    3:2
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Charles Newland

Charles Newland is a film director based in the UK. He is the founder of film collective Notown Films and a member of the European Film Academy. His work has been featured by BBC, TATE, VICE, BFI, and The Guardian, and his films have been screened at a variety of international film festivals. Charles began his career working in avant-garde and experimental film. Recently, he has been making documentaries on a freelance basis for a variety of international companies and organisations and has now moved into drama production. Charles is from a Romani Gypsy background and has specialised in films about the GRT community.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

SMOOTH THE EDGES was born out of a desire to listen more carefully, to look more closely, and to question who British cinema has historically allowed to speak for itself. From the outset, this film was not simply about telling a story that involved Romani Gypsy characters; it was about building a process that was inclusive, collaborative, and rooted in lived experience. The decision to work with a Romani Gypsy cast and crew was not a stylistic choice or a gesture of representation, it was fundamental to the integrity of the film.

British film culture has long been shaped by narratives about Romani Gypsy communities rather than from within them. Too often these portrayals flatten complexity into stereotype, reinforcing myths rather than revealing truth. SMOOTH THE EDGES actively resists that tradition. By placing Romani Gypsy voices at the centre of the creative process, the film challenges the power imbalance that has historically excluded these communities from authorship, decision-making, and visibility behind the camera.

The making of the film was shaped by trust, dialogue, and shared ownership. Using a Romani Gypsy cast and crew and coming from that background myself - is groundbreaking not because it should be rare, but because British cinema has made it so. The industry often speaks about diversity while maintaining structures that quietly exclude marginalised communities from meaningful access. This film demonstrates that inclusion is not a compromise, it is an expansion of creative possibility. It enriches storytelling, deepens realism, and opens up new cinematic languages.