A short version of a feature project that was one of 3 new microbudget features selected for Film London’s 2013 microbudget production initiative called Microwave (which is run in partnership with BBC Films), “Seekers” hails from British-Nigerian actor and playwright Arinze Kene (photo above), director Nicole Volavka and producer by Rob Watson.

Described as a thriller, the very timely feature is set in the world of London’s undocumented immigrant underclass. It follows a pair and their struggle to survive when a chance encounter with a ghost from the past exposes long buried traumas, which puts their lives in danger and threatens everything they have worked to accomplish.

The feature-length is in development, but the filmmaking team produced a short version of the feature, likely to aid with financing the feature (a common practice), and have made it available online.

The short film stars David Ajala (he appears in Noel Clarke’s upcoming “Brotherhood”) and Clare-Hope Ashitey (who you’ll most likely remember from “Children of Men” and will next appear in Gina Prince-Bythewood’s “Shots Fired” event series).

It is produced by Poisson Rouge Pictures and Quark Films.

In 2012, we featured director Volavka’s 2008 award-winning short film, “Survivor,” on this blog, which was my introduction to her work. The film, about a traumatized Rwandan genocide survivor living in London, who finds a friend in a man going through similar experiences, is also embedded below. The film won the Best Screenplay and Best Actor awards at the BFM Film Festival, London 2008; and, by the way, the the script was also being developed into a feature film with the BBC Writer’s Room.

First, meet Arinze Kene, who wrote the script for “Seekers” and then watch the short film version of “Seekers,” followed by “Survivor.”

Here’s “Seekers” – the short film.

And here’s “Survivor.”