Director and producer Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours, The Reader) and Sonia Friedman, the theater producer behind such West End hits as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Stranger Things: The First Shadow, have boarded A Friend of Dorothy, a short film starring Miriam Margolyes (Harry Potter, The Age of Innocence) and Stephen Fry (Gosford Park, Wilde) as executive producers.
Supported by Age U.K., the movie marks the filmmaking debut of writer-director Lee Knight, who also serves as an executive producer on the short.
A Friend of Dorothy follows “Dorothy (Margolyes), an elderly woman living alone, whose unexpected friendship with her young neighbour, JJ (Alistair Nwachukwu), begins when his football lands in her garden,” reads a synopsis.
Following multiple award wins at qualifying festivals throughout the year, the project is now eligible for both the best live-action short film at the 2026 Academy Awards and the BAFTA for best British short film, according to the creative team.
“Seeing it for the first time was a revelation. In just 20 minutes, we experience the sweep of whole lives — a story that is both deeply moving and profoundly uplifting,” said Daldry, a three-time Oscar nominee and three-time Tony Award winner. “As a director myself, I know how rare it is for a debut to arrive so fully formed; it feels like the work of an artist with a lifetime of experience. What Lee has created is, quite simply, a mini masterpiece.”
Friedman added: “I’m proud to support a work that will resonate far beyond the screen, sparking conversations about loneliness, friendship, identity, and the power of art to change hearts and minds. Above all, I hope it reminds us of the extraordinary impact that even the smallest acts of kindness can have on our lives.”
About the support of the two big names, Knight said: “I’m thrilled to have Sonia and Stephen on board. I’ve admired their careers for many years; they’re true game-changers in the world of storytelling. Their commitment to championing unique voices and amplifying urgent, essential narratives is deeply inspiring.”
He added: “Sonia produced my very first acting job, and she also produced The Inheritance by Matthew Lopez, which Stephen directed, a play that had a deep impact on me, and is an underlying theme within my film. Having their support now feels incredibly full-circle.”
Producing the project under Knight’s Filthy Gorgeous Productions banner, in association with A Marlow’s Production, Double Dice Films, and Namesake Films, are James Dean, Scottie Fotré, and Max Marlow. The executive producers are Knight, Daldry, Friedman, Harry Burnett Rae, Gordon Cameron, Charles Gordon, Nicky Hale, Soumia Majumdar, Nichola Martin, Elliott Linger, and Ingrid Tarrant.
