"Anais Garness Shines In Arabella Burfitt-Dons's Powerful Coming-Of-Age Drama"

Playing as part of the October 2026 edition of the London Independent Film Festival was Arabella Burfitt-Dons’s music-infused coming-of-age, gritty British drama Finding My Voice.

At the centre of the film is Melanie, a talented singer with the dream of making it, played by the incredible multi-talented newcomer Anais Garness. Not only can this young woman sing, but she has the acting chops to go along with it, sharing the screen with acting heavyweights including Michelle Ryan as her on-screen mum Lisa, Nick Moran as Simon, Rachel Warren as Jane, Lily Harvey as Freya and Tracy Shaw as Kizzy.

Following a family tragedy, Melanie is placed with her aunt (Donna Taylor) and uncle (Arifin Putra), and when that falls through, she enters the care system.

What follows I won’t spoil, because Finding My Voice goes to places I genuinely wasn’t expecting. It takes a level of maturity to pull off some of the themes explored in the film, and kudos has to go to Garness for not being afraid to go there.

This may only be Arabella Burfitt-Dons’s second feature, but you wouldn’t know it from the confidence with which she handles the material. She has an incredible eye and brings Donna Taylor’s story to life with the assurance of a far more seasoned filmmaker.

Thought-provoking and gripping, Finding My Voice is a must-watch. Garness is the standout for me in a film that boasts an impressive cast featuring the aforementioned Ryan, Warren, Moran, Harvey and Shaw.

It was especially nice to see Michelle Ryan back on screen. I last saw her in EastEnders — I know she has since returned to Albert Square, but I don’t own a TV — while Joe Riley, Peter Andre and Sean Cronin also pop up in cameos.

Music is obviously a huge part of Finding My Voice, and that side of the film is handled expertly by Nick Southwood.

All in all, Finding My Voice is the standout of the festival for me so far. Arabella Burfitt-Dons and her creative team have crafted an excellent film, led by an exceptional performance from Anais Garness, and I for one cannot wait to see where it goes from here.