First Cut

Emma Hughes explores the world of the vintage motor trade, following the work of prolific second-hand car salesman Richard Biddulph.

This First Cut documentary follows three spirited pensioner couples who are set to tie the knot and prove that you're never too old for love. In 2015 the number of grooms in their late sixties increased by 25%, while the number of brides in the same age group went up by 21%. The programme captures their excitement as well as their fears as they tackle the challenges of getting down the aisle and face the realities of what the future might hold for them. Widow Georgina, who's 94, is marrying 86-year-old retired chef Raymond, who has terminal cancer. Defiant in the face of this knowledge, they hope to have at least a couple of years together. Margaret, who's 81 and has 11 great grandchildren, has turned to the internet to find love. She met Victor, who's 77, fell for him instantly and, ignored her granddaughter's warning not to take him home on the first date.

In the world of competitive ballroom there's a serious shortage of young male dancers, with hundreds of girls lining up for every boy. This First Cut documentary from first-time director Carla Wright follows four of these rare boys, from south Wales's Valleys, as they head towards the biggest competition of their dancing lives so far: the UK Championships in Bournemouth. The ballroom boys train six days a week and compete most Sundays. They're serious about winning, and so are their mums. But as they gear up to compete against the best in Britain, these boys don't just have the pressure of the competition to contend with. In an area where rugby is an obsession, it isn't easy to go against the grain. Even more so when dance competitions require the boys to wear make-up and fake tan, which doesn't wash off before school. The boys face disapproval from peers, friends and even fathers. When the competition is over, will any of them decide that the pressure isn't worth it?

A bold and deeply personal documentary from British South Asian filmmaker Maleena Pone; commissioned as part of Channel 4's First Cut strand. The film follows Pone as she tries to repair her complicated relationship with her mother Jasbir and confront the legacy of silence, grief and alcoholism that has shaped their family. Filmed across the UK and Costa Rica, it charts an unfiltered journey through love, resentment and recovery. At the centre of the story is an ayahuasca ceremony that's a catalyst for change and a raw emotional reckoning; forcing both women to face painful truths and see each other beyond the labels of 'mother' and 'daughter'. Told through years of personal footage, photos and diaries, this film captures a side of British Punjabi family life rarely seen on screen as it unpacks how trauma passes through generations, and what it means to break the cycle.