Ted Evans says working with sign language has deepened his understanding of filmmaking. The British writer-director’s feature debut, Retreat, is a thriller centered on a young woman who arrives at a remote wellness retreat for Deaf people. The film stars Anne Zander, James Joseph Boyle and Sophie Stone, and features Deaf actors in all its lead roles.

Evans, who grew up in the Deaf community, describes his interest in bringing Deaf people, their languages and their culture to cinema as “sign language cinema.” He says sign language’s visual nature made him think more closely about continuity, rhythm and visual grammar, since each shot and take must preserve the flow of signing.

Retreat grew out of a short film of the same name that Evans made on a very small budget about 14 years ago. Although the short focused on a community and featured Stone, Evans says he spent the following decade developing a thematically different project. The two works are not closely connected, he told The Hollywood Reporter.

Evans has been named to the 2026 U.K. BAFTA Breakthrough list, supported by Netflix. He called the recognition a major honor and said he was especially pleased to share it with Stone. He hopes the program will help him meet experienced industry figures and explore what comes next.

One project already in development is a horror film with BBC Film, though Evans said it is at a very early stage. He also hopes to keep working within the Deaf community while reaching wider audiences.

Retreat focuses on British Sign Language but includes several sign languages, including German. Evans noted that American Sign Language differs from British Sign Language, while Australia’s Auslan is related to BSL but is its own language.

Evans says he thinks of the film as having two audiences: the Deaf community and the wider public. He hopes both will enjoy it as a thriller, while also finding deeper themes about choice, identity and the experiences that shape people. The film is due to be released in cinemas early next year, after its world premiere at Toronto and screenings around the world.

Sources: The Hollywood Reporter.