Yarns announces Editors for NOSTALGIA 2026

The not-for-profit short film competition, run by Stitch, champions unsigned filmmakers across the UK by providing the creative, practical and industry support needed to bring ambitious ideas to the screen. 

For Yarns, the edit is an integral part of that journey: a space where two creative perspectives come together to discover the film in its final form.

Each filmmaker is paired with an editor from Homespun’s roster, creating a collaborative space for directors and editors to shape the films together from the rushes through to the final cut. The process is designed not only to support the directors in realising their vision, but to nurture the creativity of everyone involved giving editors the opportunity to develop their craft, experiment with new forms of storytelling and build meaningful creative relationships with emerging filmmakers.

Taking on her fourth Yarns films, Laura Zvaríková returns to the competition to cut Heath Virgoe’s Cock-A-Doodle-Do’ Following last year’s desktop documentary Clankers, Zvaríková takes on another distinctly different challenge.

“I had so much fun cutting Clankers last year. It was my first time editing a documentary, and having so much storytelling control. Working closely with Naomi Pallas in the edit suite and crafting the story together in the moment was incredibly fun. I’m so happy with how it turned out!

One of my favourite genres is surreal horror, especially with queer themes, so this script immediately caught my attention. I’m really looking forward to working on something with a completely different pace and vibe, something that also makes you question what the heck is going on... but in a good way!”

Also returning for his fourth Yarns film, Luke Anderson will cut Joseph Osayande’s Norfolk Dumpling, a folk tale following a fostered Black girl who discovers a mask that allows her to block out painful memories.

“Working with Tom Tennant on Angling for Love was great fun, using the edit to elevate an already hilarious script. Four Yarns films in and I’m still getting to work on stories that couldn’t be more different from one another. 

Norfolk Dumpling immediately stood out to me as something really ambitious and personal. I’m excited to work with Joseph to find the balance between the film’s more fantastical elements and the emotional heart of the story.”

Following her Yarns debut last year, Ruoyu Ou returns to cut Julia Mervis’ Forgive Me, Furby, a playful documentary examining the deeply unsettling hyper-realistic robot that once threatened to take over human civilisation.

“My first Yarns film, Ciara O’Rourke’s Don’t Believe A Word I Say was definitely a challenge, piecing together lots of surreal fragments while finding the emotional truth in the working class experience of the main character.

Working with Julia this year feels like a huge change of pace, leaning more into comedy and dipping my toe into the world of documentary. I’m excited to help craft the narrative of Forgive Me Furby”