Getting pally in the alley

When stripped of fancy setups and elaborate production design, a film really has to rely on its script and the performances drawn from the director to make a mark.

Thankfully, Craig Ainsley's latest passion project, Alleyway Chefs, has both - telling a simple tale of restaurant chefs Al and Avi (Alistair Green and Arnab Chanda) taking a short break to discuss dreams and ill-advised wooing.

The film actually acts as a pilot for a show, currently in development with Baby Cow Productions, that will see each episode last the length of a cigarette break and play out in real-time.

If each manages to cram in as much wit and warmth as this initial iteration achieves, it'll be a break we're happy to take.