Two Kids

Short Synopsis

When a video of a schoolyard bullying incident goes viral, two teenage boys - Ali, a refugee from Syria, and Casey, the local lad who mocked him, echoing the racism absorbed at home - find themselves at the centre of unwanted attention. While adults argue and the media fan the flames, something unexpected happens: the boys begin to discover the simple joy of friendship.

What starts as hostility slowly transforms into a bond that shows how young people can rise above the prejudices inherited from the world around them.

At its heart, Two Kids is a universal story for the whole family - one can watch with your children, your parents, or your friends, and come away moved and inspired. It is a film designed to entertain while delivering a powerful message: that friendship is stronger than the politics that seek to divide us. Our ambition is for Two Kids to stand as a lasting reference point - a film that unites audiences and communities for years to come.

Current Political Climate & Parallels

Two Kids shows how stories set in the recent past can reveal urgent truths about the present. By looking back to 2016 - the Brexit debate and the height of the refugee crisis - the film sheds light on divisions impacting our world.

Ali, a boy fleeing war and seeking belonging, stands for millions of children displaced today. From Gaza and Syria to Ukraine, Sudan, and ICE detentions in the US, refugee children have become frontline symbols of our age - reminders of innocence caught in the crossfire of politics.

By rooting the story in the eyes of two teenagers, Two Kids becomes more than a local tale. Looking back a decade allows us to see today's debates more clearly: behind every headline is a child, and friendship - not fear - is the most powerful response. This is why the film will resonate far beyond Britain. Like Slumdog Millionaire and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Two Kids is culturally specific yet universally humane - a story capable of touching audiences everywhere.

Watch the Concept Reel

Shot on location in Yorkshire with leads Austin Haynes and Hisham Marzouki, this short concept captures the tone, emotion and authentic execution of the feature film, delivering emotional, character-driven storytelling balanced with striking visual design.

Click the 'play' button to watch.

Austin Haynes

(Unforgivable, Adolescence, The Railway Children Return)

A rising star of British film and television. Charismatic, instinctive with screen presence beyond his years.

Austin Haynes succeeds or fails on the chemistry between Casey and Ali. Working with Sophie Holland Casting, we cast the net wide in 2025 - through agents, open calls and social media. Across a series of workshops, we paired different actors to test that spark. The result, captured in the concept reel, is undeniable: Austin and Hisham are magical. From day one, the elusive chemistry every film seeks is already with us.

Hisham Marzouki

Newcomer. A natural, authentic voice who can deliver a breakthrough performance. His chemistry with Austin anchors the emotional core of the film and was uncovered in casting sessions in the Summer of 2025 working alongside award winning casting director Sophie Holland.

The Two Leads

Max Beesley is attached to play Jason, the father of Casey Molton.

Max is known for his roles in The Gentleman, Suits, Bodies and Jamestown, as well as many more.

Casting

Sophie Holland CSA will be casting all the key supporting roles around the two leads Austin and Hisham.

Sophie has cast a number of acclaimed productions including Wednesday, Beetle Juice, Beetle Juice and The Witcher.

What moved me to write Two Kids was the same impulse that drove Papadopoulos and Sons, The Wife and Her House Husband, and my short Two Strangers Who Meet Five Times (now approaching 4m views on YouTube): the search for human connection in times of fracture. The thread through all my work is compassion and people breaking through walls of division. With Two Kids, that theme becomes not just intimate but urgent. My body of work shows that audiences across the world respond to stories that cut through politics and prejudice to speak to something universal.

From American History X and East is East to Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, Two Kids taps into the same universal conflict of love and hate. It's Green Book, it's Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. This story never gets old, and today it has never felt more real.

At its heart, this is the story of an unlikely friendship between Ali, a Syrian refugee, and Casey, the English local boy who bullies him. It is rooted in 2016, during the height of the Syrian refugee crisis and the heat of Britain's Brexit debate, but by being one step removed by a decade it shines a brighter light on today.

What excites me most is how the story allows audiences to see both sides. We understand Ali, the refugee trying to build a new life in a hostile environment, but we also see Casey, a boy shaped by his circumstances, repeating the rhetoric of those around him.

Casey's journey from aggressor to friend isn't just moving, it's a reminder that change is possible. In a world that feels more polarised than ever, Two Kids dares to suggest that empathy, laughter, and friendship will win the day.

Tone is everything. The friendship between Ali and Casey has a mischievous, almost punk energy, but it unfolds in a world of very real stakes. Finding that balance between levity and gravitas, between laughter and danger is why I believe in co-directing this film with Abbie Lucas. Abbie brings a rigour and sensitivity that challenges and complements my own instincts.

Directing can be lonely, but in partnership it becomes a dialogue and one that sharpens choices but also elevates the practical elements of the film making process. When co-directing works, it works extremely well - as was proved on the Sizzle Reel we shot in the Summer. We got more done, quickly and better.

I want audiences to view the rolling credits with an emotion stuck in their gut, with either tears or a smile, or preferably both. To think, "I loved those kids. I wanted them to win." To want to rewatch the film just to relive those feelings. To root for the characters at the end, to want to be friends with them, to want to know what happens next.

Director's Statement

Marcus Markou - Writer and Co-Director

Marcus Markou is a British filmmaker best known for writing and directing Papadopoulos and Sons (2013), starring Stephen Dilane. Self-distributed in the UK cinemas, the film achieved the second highest screen average in its opening weekend, only beaten by Tom Cruise's Oblivion. It sent on to sell widely, including to the BBC, ARTE and Netflix, cementing Marcus's reputation as a filmmaker able to create work that connects with both domestic and international audiences.

His acclaimed short film Two Strangers Who Meet Five Times (2017) has since become a viral success, amassing 4 million views online. The film is often cited as a modern short classic, demonstrating Marcus's ability to distil complex, topical issues into accessible, emotionally resonant stories. His most recent feature, The Wife and Her House Husband (2023), further showcased his ability to deliver intimate, character-driven drama with strong performances, continuing his track record as an independent voice in British Cinema.

The Creative Team

Abbie Lucas - Co-Director

Abbie Lucas is a multi award winning film director based in London, originally from Aotearoa, New Zealand. In 2018, LevileTV listed her as one of the Top 20 Rising Female Filmmakers in the UK. She is a member of Directors UK and Women in Film and Television UK. In 2022, she was invited to participate in the Reykjavik International Film Festival Talent Lab.

As a storyteller, she enjoys stories with flawed relationships, female protagonists, vigilantes, crime, and a bit of magical realism but most of all loves work with strong performances and impactful story lines. She is known for exploring dark themes in ways that are humorous and unexpected.

Credits inc: award winning films Testing Greta, Voices, and Reconsolidation. She was also the 2nd Unit Director on 2025 indie feature The Arbiter. She is currently attached to direct the female led thriller feature No Way Home written by Omar Khan and produced by Mermaid Pictures.

Elettra Pizzi is an award winning film and television producer. Her recent credits include Oscar-shortlisted short film Good Boy, starring Ben Whishaw and executive produced by Emma Thompson and Gia Coppola, now streaming on Disney+; BBC's hit series Ten Pound Poms for Eleven Film and feature documentary The Great Italian. Her tenure on Channel 4's Hollyoaks include over 80 episodes, earning her a Royal Television Society Award for Best Soap and multiple British Soap Award nominations. Her projects have been funded by BFI, Arts Council England, Canada Arts Council, Ffilm Cymru, has produced for Channel 4, ITV, Film 4, BBC and her projects have been released theatrically in the UK and internationally. Elettra is a BAFTA Connect member and joined Creative UK's Female Founders and BIFA Springboard cohort in 2025.