Soneva Jani has welcomed Elliott Hasler, the youngest feature film director in the United Kingdom.

From July 1 to 7, Elliott is hosting a dinner and screening at Soneva Jani’s Cinema Paradiso, the Maldives’ first overwater cinema.

Charlie’s Letters, as well as To Hunt a Tiger and Nootau, are part of the screening at Soneva Jani. The latter two films are set to be released later this year and next year, meaning Soneva Jani is hosting the first public screening.

Elliot will also run a mobile video shooting workshop for guests at Soneva Jani. He will also be shooting a short two-minute story about the resort.

The young director completed his first film, Charlie’s Letters, at the age of 16, which portrays a true World War II Brighton story. Charlie’s Letters premiered in Brighton, Elliott’s hometown, selling out six of the seven showings in May 2017 as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival. The film also screened at the Edinburgh Festival and was shown on the Brighton Big Screen alongside T2 Trainspotting and La La Land where it received critical acclaim and was lauded by critics as a “miracle”, with Culture Trip’s Graham Fuller citing Elliot as “the next Spielberg.”

Elliott recently completed To Hunt a Tiger, a short film set in the British Raj featuring John Locke (Darkest Hour, The Favourite) and Charlotte Peters (Pound of Flesh, Interlude in Prague). The film is a tale of love, loss, and adventure against a backdrop of early 20th Century India. It centres on a troubled English hunter who travels to West Bengal with the intention of hunting an elusive and magnificent tiger. To Hunt a Tiger was shot in Sri Lanka, following in the footsteps of David Lean’s The Bridge on the River Kwai, it also features an original score by Emmy Award-winning composer Daniel Clive McCallum.

Elliott heads up Relsah Productions, an independent production company based in Brighton, which offers both feature films and documentaries for cinema and television. Along with Charlie’s Letters, Elliott also made a documentary covering the exploits of Brighton’s mayor, The Mayor Diaries, which premiered on TV in February 2018 and a selection of short films.

His next project, Vindication Swim, is a feature film based on the true story of a swimmer, set in the 1920s. In the shadow of World War I, swimmer Mercedes Gleitze fights to overcome the patriarchal society, along with her troubled coach, to become the first English woman to swim the Channel. However, after a rival comes forward claiming to have already accomplished the feat, Gleitze is forced to battle against the Channel Swimming Association in order to retain her record and her legacy.

World-leading luxury resort operator Soneva runs two resorts in the Maldives, Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani.

In 1995, the award-winning luxury resort Soneva Fushi set the standard for all desert island barefoot luxury hideaways in the Maldives. Located in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Soneva Fushi pairs Robinson Crusoe fantasy with intelligent luxury.

Sixty-two private villas with their own stretch of beach are hidden among dense foliage within touching distance of a pristine coral reef. Intuitive service is provided by Mr./Ms. Friday butlers.

Highlights include the open-air Cinema Paradiso, counting Saturn’s rings in the high-tech Observatory, the home-made chocolate and ice cream rooms, five hundred wines to choose from, six different restaurants and countless destination dining options. In November 2015, Soneva launched a floating villa concept, Soneva in Aqua, a treasure trove children’s Den and a multi-purpose facility encompasses a glass gallery, boutique and studio where guests can learn the art of glass blowing.

If the experiences are magical, the philosophy is simple: No news, no shoes. No pretensions either.

Opened in December 2016, Soneva Jani is Soneva’s newest property and the world-leading luxury hotel group’s second resort in the Maldives.

Soneva Jani is located on the island of Medhufaru within a 5.6 kilometre lagoon in the Noonu atoll, and has uninterrupted ocean views in all directions. The lagoon is 35 minutes by seaplane from Velana International Airport and one hour by speedboat from Soneva Fushi.

Meaning ‘wisdom’ in Sanskrit, Soneva Jani currently comprises 24 overwater villas and one island villa, with additional villas to be built in phase two. Five islands encircle the lagoon, each one with soft white sands and covered in rich tropical vegetation. Four of the five islands will remain untouched, making Soneva Jani the lowest density development in the Maldives. The overwater villas are spaced across the expansive lagoon, offering privacy and extensive views over the Maldives’ turquoise waters. The island villas will be tucked into the lush greenery, providing the ultimate privacy, and all within steps of the beach.

Soneva Jani’s main guest facilities are located at The Gathering, the heart of the overwater villas. This dramatic three story structure is home to the main dining outlets, in addition to the Soneva Spa, library, retail area and wine cellar. It is located next to the Maldives’ first overwater Observatory.

Facilities on the island include the overwater Cinema Paradiso, the Eco Centro Waste-to-Wealth centre, organic gardens, tennis courts, water sports champa and Zuhair’s Beach on a desert island in the lagoon.