Documentary about refugee fashion collective set for U.S. premiere in Los Angeles

FABRIC will screen July 30 at the 2026 Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, an Oscar- and BAFTA-qualifying event. The short documentary follows a Paris atelier that trains refugees for careers in fashion and comes to Los Angeles after its world premiere at Raindance.

Why it matters: - FABRIC puts a refugee employment story on an international festival stage and brings the film to U.S. audiences for the first time. - The Los Angeles International Short Film Festival is Oscar- and BAFTA-qualifying, which can raise the documentary’s profile. - The film spotlights how fashion training and access to work can support refugee integration into French society.

What happened: - FABRIC will have its Los Angeles premiere on July 30 at the 30th Los Angeles International Short Film Festival. - The screening follows the documentary’s world premiere at the 34th Raindance Film Festival, where FABRIC was nominated for Best Documentary Short. - The film is directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Anabelle Marshall. - FABRIC is a UK-France co-production from Tiny Circus Productions and Hemeroscope Studios.

The details: - FABRIC follows Espero Atelier, a Paris-based social enterprise that trains refugees in tailoring and supports their path into employment in the fashion industry. - The documentary uses exclusive access to follow refugee artisans as they create a fashion collection for display at the Musée d'Orsay on the eve of Haute Couture Week. - The film centers on Espero co-founder Maya Persaud, whose organization uses fashion education, skills development and employment to create opportunities for refugees and marginalized communities. - Persaud grew up in San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Hawaii, has lived in Paris for decades and previously worked as a fashion model. - The documentary follows Espero team members Ibrahim, Suad, Haider, Sumaiya and Cynthia, who are from Guinea, Eritrea, Afghanistan and Congo, as they prepare for the show and navigate personal and professional growth. - The film also features Catherine Brickhill, a former Alexander McQueen and Givenchy designer and mentor at Espero, and Sylvain Amic, who was president of the Musée d'Orsay and Musée de l'Orangerie during filming. - FABRIC received four-star reviews during its Raindance run, including praise from We Love Short Film, which called it “Elegant, compassionate and quietly inspiring.” - Tiny Circus Productions describes itself as an independent film production company founded in 2025 and focused on documentary, short-form and scripted storytelling. - Hemeroscope Studios is based in London and Paris and was founded by writer-director Sabrine Dahaut.

Between the lines: - The film’s festival trajectory suggests a strategy to use awards-qualifying platforms to broaden visibility for a social-impact documentary. - FABRIC’s focus on craftsmanship, migration and fashion reframes refugee storytelling away from crisis coverage and toward agency and work. - The involvement of figures tied to high-fashion and museum institutions gives the project cultural credibility beyond the documentary world. - Director Anabelle Marshall said the film humanizes the refugee experience and shifts the prevailing narrative. - Maya Persaud said the film showcases the hard work and skills of refugees rebuilding their lives.

What's next: - FABRIC screens in Los Angeles on July 30, 2026. - The festival appearance may help position the documentary for additional screenings and awards consideration. - Press inquiries can be directed to sanam@tinycircusproductions.com.

The bottom line: - FABRIC is moving from a Raindance premiere to a Los Angeles launch, with its refugee-and-fashion story positioned for broader international attention.