"an impressive debut feature from Thomas Ward"

Thomas Ward’s debut feature, The (First) Last Screenplay, opened the October 2026 edition of the London Independent Film Festival. Accompanied by a Q&A following the screening, the film is a beautiful and well-told drama, with two stories running in parallel.

We follow Debbie Scott, an influencer turned film producer, as she clings to the crumbling illusion of her studio’s success, with reality itself fracturing around her and forcing her to confront a truth that no amount of editing can fix.

The ninety-minute drama is wonderfully acted. Jane Lee Jones makes Debbie Scott equally empathetic, antagonistic and vulnerable as the reality of her world crumbles, forcing her to question everything she sees and hears.

Debbie could easily have become a caricature, but Jones portrays her earnestly and thoughtfully. She isn’t a moustache-twirling villain trope; she’s doing the things she genuinely believes are best.

Her chemistry with the ailing Richard (Andrew Norman) forms the relationship at the centre of the film, and it is played beautifully. Emily Moment’s Marla, meanwhile, continually makes you question what is real and what isn’t — something that, as Ward explained during the post-screening Q&A, was a deliberate choice by the filmmaker.

The (First) Last Screenplay also features an excellent score by Charlie Flint. The piano-based music is able to invoke so much emotion throughout the film, making its exploration of memory and memory loss all the more poignant.

All in all, The (First) Last Screenplay is an impressive debut feature from Thomas Ward, and I, for one, will be interested to see what he and Sandstorm Films do next.