You may not know much about Rye Lane - but it is a great example of what a modern British rom-com looks like. Director Raine Allen-Miller attracted deserved praise earlier this year when the film showed at major international film festivals, and Rye Lane both respects and challenges the more traditional approach of the likes of Richard Curtis. On one level, this is ‘boy meets girl’, with great music, good gags, and eccentric characters. But with a black cast and set largely in South London, this is no Four Weddings and a Funeral. It is street wise and snappy, with very strong visuals and sharp dialogue, and the pace of the film is enhanced by the staging over a single day. The great cast is led by Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson, who bring a wry humour as well as vulnerability to the roles.

Rye Lane received a series of excellent reviews, including this by Mark Kemode in the Observer: “... a hugely enjoyable romp that effortlessly combines the “limited time” romcom format of Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy with the in-your-face visual cheekiness of Peep Show. Unfolding against the vibrantly photographed backdrop of sunny south London locales (Peckham, Brixton and the South Bank), Rye Lane blends the warmth and charm of a formulaic love story with the colourfully street-smart grit of Brit pics such as Shola Amoo’s A Moving Image or more recently Reggie Yates’s Pirates, creating something that is at once playful, poignant and personal.”