Drew Lord Haig (Gillen), a faded English 1980s pop star who is unexpectedly invited to perform in Northern Ireland, pulling him out of musical retirement and into a moral dilemma tied to the unintended legacy of his work.
What begins as an exercise in nostalgia turns into a reckoning when Drew discovers his music has been repurposed in ways that contradict its original intent. The film is BAFTA longlisted and currently under IFTA consideration.
The film also stars Jessica Reynolds (Kneecap) and Michael Smiley (Bad Sisters), alongside a predominantly Northern Irish cast. Written by Stacey Gregg and based on a short story by Wendy Erskine, Nostalgie explores the intersection of personal vanity, collective memory, and the political afterlife of pop culture.
Ferguson, the Belfast-born filmmaker best known for her documentary work including the Emmy-nominated Nothing Compares, said the project felt like a natural extension of her ongoing interest in music and power.
The short was produced by Stille Productions and Tara Films, in association with Globe Originals and Hopefield, and co-financed by Film4. Producers are Kath Mattock, Marie-Thérèse Mackle, and Marc Robinson, with executive producers Lucy Pullin, Neil Chordia, Tim Clark, Amy O’Hara, Eleanor Emptage, and Ferguson.
Cinematography is by Robbie Ryan (The Favourite, Poor Things), with editing by Mick Mahon and Edel McDonnell.
Music plays a central role in the film’s narrative, with Smith composing original songs that convincingly evoke the sound of 1980s pop while underscoring the darker moral undertones of the story. The collaboration marks a rare crossover between one of the UK’s most successful contemporary bands and a BAFTA-recognized short film.
Nostalgie is one of a select number of Film4-backed shorts to receive BAFTA longlisting recognition this year, further cementing Ferguson’s transition into fiction filmmaking alongside her documentary work.
Ferguson is currently completing a new feature documentary and is developing her first drama feature.