An award-winning production team making impact documentaries for TV, VOD, brands and non-profits.
Happenstance Films crafts award-winning original and branded documentaries defined by chance moments. To do so requires meticulous research, patience, empathy and a little luck. We’ve proudly partnered with Channel 4, National Geographic, Al Jazeera, UNICEF, Unilever, Mastercard, and Bupa.
New work ⏰ 🏅 🎽
After a life-changing accident, Sara Andrés Barrio came to the realisation that she had been sleep-walking through life, and that embracing tranquillity after trauma was her key to health and success.
The series was produced in collaboration with National Geographic for Bupa's 'Picture of Health' campaign, featuring portraits by Annie Leibovitz.
This is Sara's episode.
Ted & Noel will be having its international premiere at DOC NYC this November!
You can catch Ted & Noel on Monday Nov 13th @ 5:45PM at Village East by Angelika or Tuesday Nov 14th @ 2:30PM at Village East by Angelika in New York City or an online screening anywhere in the U.S. from Nov 8 - 26.
tickets are on sale now:
Save the date! DOC NYC returns Nov 8 - 26, 2023.
As part of the impact campaign for our documentary Ted & Noel, the incredible Ted Brown is joined with members of the community for a 'think-in'. Join today, either in person or on the Zoom link below:
us06web.zoom.us/j/83520323232?pwd=Fv3G6hnACR68ATGhevQpdzQMBbIReq.1
An incredible project to have worked on - Maksym and Iryna are inspiring beyond belief.
Thank you to the fantastic team - Director Kateryna Pavlyuk, Producers Mary Pattison and Dan Hodgson, Editor Miguel Pinto and DOP Julia Alcamo and the Execs at Al Jazeera Close Up.
After fleeing the war in Ukraine, a nine-year-old chess prodigy and his mother adjust to their new life in Britain.
It's been an incredible journey and we're very proud to share "Modelling, Mania & Me" out now on Channel 4's Youtube:
This inspiring yet heart-wrenching film follows model and presenter Rosie Viva's journey to get her life back after being sectioned and diagnosed with bipola...
As we come to yet another rocky end to yet another challenging year, we want to celebrate 2021! Highlight #2: Being part of the COP26 madness.
In collaboration with the brilliant we produced our first short animation, which screened at the very first every Session on Health at COP.
Streamed live around the world, it premiered at Glasgow and has been raising awareness for the health impacts of climate change ever since. Watch it here: https://climateandhealthalliance.org/news/climateprescription-video-why-world-leaders-must-take-climate-action-to-protect-our-health/
As we come to yet another rocky end to yet another challenging year, we want to celebrate 2021! Highlight #1: Watching our original film "The Scarecrows" on the big screen for the first time (finally!) in New York at DOC NYC. Being part of an excellent programme and interesting Q&A in person was such a joy 🤩
Exciting films coming soon! Here a little glimpse from behind the scenes on a shoot in November. A treat on this dreary Tuesday afternoon...
Taking place on Wednesday, 10th November from 7:15pm - 9:15pm and hosted by Patrick Kielty, the awards will showcase the very best documentaries from the UK ...
The Scarecrows is going to NYC! 🗽We’ve been selected for America’s biggest documentary festival. Congratulations to all the team and to the wonderful village of 🥂
Excited to be part of WOFFF! If you're Brighton based, get a ticket to the screening at the Lewes Depot.
FIRST CINEMA VISIT!!!!!! (in what feels like a lifetime)
Have you been back yet? It's taken us a few weeks to get comfortable but we started strong with Marc Isaac's latest treasure The Filmmaker's House. Thanks to the Depot Cinema, Kitchen & Bar for making us feel safe, comfy and cosy with a delicious hot chocolate (weirdest cinema drink ever?!).
Is it the best film festival in the world? We couldn't possibly say...but check it out for yourself and you might be convinced! https://sheffdocfest.com/
Sheffield DocFest is an international film and arts festival and marketplace, with a mission to spark imaginations and empower our capacity for change by celebrating, championing and debating documentary film and art as a collective form of engagement.
Dusk somewhere far, far away...
Join us Short Sighted Cinema's Shortest Nights film festival this weekend where our film "The Scarecrows" will be screening.
Casting for a documentary...
Selecting the right person to "star" in your film can make or break a project, it can help audiences connect or push them to tune-off. And while a good actor can adjust her performance to a director's liking, the responsibility of picking the right documentary subject lies with us - and not with the subject themselves. Rule number one: You don't want them to change, so pick someone who is right for your film!
*Nominated for Best Documentary at NYC Independent Film Festival 2019* https://vimeo.com/459039164
Three years ago, at the height of tensions between the US and North Korea, our co-founder Dan Hodgson filmed a documentary about the man with the most difficult PR job in Britain: the Official Delegate and Chairman of the North Korean Friendship Association in the UK.
For Dr Dermot Hudson, being denounced on international news, shamed in national tabloids, and slandered on social media is all just part of the job as he seeks to halt Western threats to DPRK from within.
After spending time on the festival circuit, we are excited to announce that the film is now available to watch on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/459039164
Thank you to Mariana Tori, Joao Luís Ribeiro, Bartek Sozanski, and Guy Dowsett for your hard work in making this piece!
A weekend of short film joy - the Short Sighted Cinema's Shortest Nights film festival is taking place 29th to 30th of May online.
Our film "The Scarecrows" has been officially selected and is part of the GENERATIONS programme at 3.30 pm showing on Saturday. Join us!
Tickets can be purchased here for just £10!
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-shortest-nights-2021-tickets-151386678631
The Shortest Nights film festival is an annual celebration of British short film.
Another Festival!
"The Scarecrows" has been selected for Twister Alley International Film Festival - see the full line-up here and watch for free online through their page! http://www.twisteralleyfilmfestival.com/doc-shorts.html
We are excited to announce that "The Scarecrows" has been selected for Indy Film Fest 2021!
Do you miss travelling as much as we do?!
Here a few behind-the-scenes highlights from "The Scarecrows" shoot in Nagoro, Shikoku, Japan. As you can see our director Dan got up to all sorts.. stare-down competitions with kids and drinking too much sake in our mountain haunt. The prize for most beautiful smile goes to our fabulous audio recordist Rebecca Alvaro!
The film has been accepted into more festivals - exciting news! Details to follow soon.
Making documentary films doesn't always have to involve filming (although we have missed it dearly this last year!). Archive films can be fascinating journeys into a world from the past. And we love making them!
We are excited to share "Leonard." with you today. Following the UK's disability charity's founder through his life, from his illustrious RAF career to an unshakable commitment to change the face of disability, our short film gives insight into his passions, thoughts, his fears.
We were approached by Leonard Cheshire UK in December 2020 to produce this film. We have loved working digging through their archive, discovering over 200 hours of sound, stunning footage and hundreds of photographs, some of which almost 100 years old now.
https://www.happenstancefilms.com/portfolio/leonard-cheshire-leonard
leonard cheshire documentary
Brighton And Hove
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New work ⏰ 🏅 🎽 After a life-changing accident, Sara Andrés Barrio came to the realisation that she had been sleep-walking through life, and that embracing tranquillity after trauma was her key to health and success. The series was produced in collaboration with National Geographic for Bupa's 'Picture of Health' campaign, featuring portraits by Annie Leibovitz. This is Sara's episode.
Ep1 of the 60-second versions from our new series, More Than a Runner, produced in collaboration with Channel 4 GAY TIMES VoltarolPublicis Media. Check out Channel 4 for the full films 🏃
Ep2 of the 60-second versions from our new series, More Than a Runner, produced in collaboration with Channel 4 GAY TIMES Voltarol Publicis Media. Check out Channel 4 for the full films 🏃
Exciting new work on its way! More Than a Runner In collaboration with Channel 4 GAY TIMES Voltarol Publicis Media
Exciting new work on its way! More Than a Runner In collaboration with Channel 4 GAY TIMES Voltarol Publicis Media
As we come to yet another rocky end to yet another challenging year, we want to celebrate 2021! Highlight #2: Being part of the COP26 madness. In collaboration with the brilliant @witandwisdomtv we produced our first short animation, which screened at the very first every Session on Health at COP. Streamed live around the world, it premiered at Glasgow and has been raising awareness for the health impacts of climate change ever since. Watch it here: https://climateandhealthalliance.org/news/climateprescription-video-why-world-leaders-must-take-climate-action-to-protect-our-health/
Casting for a documentary... Selecting the right person to "star" in your film can make or break a project, it can help audiences connect or push them to tune-off. And while a good actor can adjust her performance to a director's liking, the responsibility of picking the right documentary subject lies with us - and not with the subject themselves. Rule number one: You don't want them to change, so pick someone who is right for your film!
*Nominated for Best Documentary at NYC Independent Film Festival 2019* https://vimeo.com/459039164 Three years ago, at the height of tensions between the US and North Korea, our co-founder Dan Hodgson filmed a documentary about the man with the most difficult PR job in Britain: the Official Delegate and Chairman of the North Korean Friendship Association in the UK. For Dr Dermot Hudson, being denounced on international news, shamed in national tabloids, and slandered on social media is all just part of the job as he seeks to halt Western threats to DPRK from within. After spending time on the festival circuit, we are excited to announce that the film is now available to watch on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/459039164 Thank you to Mariana Tori, Joao Luís Ribeiro, Bartek Sozanski, and Guy Dowsett for your hard work in making this piece!
