VMI Awards Best Short Film at KIFF 2025

Rebecca Rose’s film “The Removed” won the VMI Best Short Film award at the Kingston International Film Festival (KIFF) in June 2025. VMI has been a proud partner of KIFF since 2022 and continued their support this year by sponsoring the Best Short Film category at the festival, which took place in June 2025 in Kingston upon Thames.

KIFF showcases a diverse selection of films from established and emerging filmmakers worldwide, using venues such as the Rose Theatre, the Odeon, and Curzon Cinemas. The festival also features workshops led by industry leaders and was the best attended festival year so far.

“THE REMOVED” is short film by award winning writer/director Rebecca Rose and produced by Swift Rocket Films. In England & Wales between 1949 and 1976 185,000 babies were removed from their mostly young unmarried mothers. The film explores the individual suffering caused by this policy of forced adoption. Starring Georgie Glen & Tom Christian.

About Rebecca Rose

Born in Manchester and later raised on a farm in Lancashire, she developed a love for drama from a young age, frequently taking part in school performances. Drama became a powerful outlet for her creativity, giving her confidence and a platform to express herself through performance and collaboration. This early passion led her to train at Drama Studio London, after which she enjoyed a 14-year career as a professional actress working in theatre, film, and television.

After starting a family, she reassessed her career and felt a strong pull toward directing. Keen to stay in the industry while supporting her young children, she pursued opportunities in Assistant Directing to gain hands-on experience behind the camera and the chance to shadow directors. Over the past seven years, she has worked extensively across the AD department in both Film and High-End TV, taking on roles as a 3rd and 1st AD. Her credits include Bridgerton (Netflix), Slow Horses (Apple TV), The Girl Before (HBO), His Dark Materials (BBC), The Great, and Andor Season 2. Her background as an actress gives her a natural rapport with performers, while her AD experience brings depth and practical expertise to her work in production.

[Image: VMI.TV AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM Winner: Rebecca Rose – The Removed
Accepted by Rebecca Rose; Presented by Shirley Cunningham, KIFF]