Writer and director Thea Gajić’s feature debut SURVIVING EARTH will open in UK and Ireland cinemas on April 24 2026, following premieres at SXSW and the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Based on a true story, Surviving Earth follows Vlad (Slavko Sobin), a gifted harmonica player who arrived in the UK in the 1990s after fleeing the conflict in Yugoslavia. Now settled in Bristol and working as a counsellor, he reconnects with his roots and passion for Balkan music by forming a band with colleagues from work.
As the group chases success, however, Vlad finds himself haunted by the trauma of his past as the life he has carefully rebuilt begins to unravel, with his beloved only daughter, Maria (Olive Gray), the hardest hit.
The cast also includes Stuart Martin, Peter Coonan, Toni Gojanović and Ann Ogbomo.
Gajić, who was born and raised in South London, previously won the New Talent Award at BFI Future Film Festival for her short RUN and was selected for the Sundance Ignite Fellowship.
Gajić said of the project: “Making this film has changed the way I look at myself and the people around me. It has allowed me to extend grace further than I thought possible, and I only hope it does the same for others.
“I am so excited for our release in the spring and for audiences to finally be a part of its story and further conversation.”
Watch the trailer below.