Alastair Curtis





Contact

CJ Rock (Writing, TV & Film)
cj@casarotto.co.uk

The AIDS Plays Project
alastair@theaidsplaysproject.com



Sweetheart

In 1723 London, Thomas Neville is discovered cruising in the public toilets and forced to take refuge in a Molly House. There, he encounters a secret community as they prepare for a night of festivities.

World Premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2025

Written by Alastair Curtis
Directed by Luke Wintour
Produced by Chloe Culpin, Luke Kelly, Luke Wintour and Elliot Zelmanovits
Executive Produced by Marco Alessi, Alastair Curtis, Matthew Lopez and Francesca Woods

Cast
Eben Figueiredo
Thomas Flynn
Ian Gelder
Kadiff Kirwan
Olisa Odele
Hadrian Delacey
Ms Sharon Le Grand

Festivals
Poster: Sam Ashby


Press

        

“There’s a moment in the short film Sweetheart, written by Alastair Curtis, in which the quietly trepidatious but inquisitive protagonist conveys the silent realization of what a more perfect world could look like. Despite its 18th century setting, his experience is universal, at least for those of us who remember the tidal wave of fear, and then relief, upon entering a queer space for the first time. Curtis is a London-based writer whose disarming charm is met by a powerful sense of responsibility. His work chronicles the past and showcases the ever-present joy of queerness, from the kooky to the kinky.”
Interview Magazine, 27.02.25

“Sweetheart isn’t about powdered wigs and velvet breeches. It’s about the underground. The forgotten. The inventive. The working-class queers who gathered in clandestine clubs, who dressed up using whatever they had—stolen beads, old ribbons, found feathers.” 
i-D, 08.04.25
“Long before – like centuries before — “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” there were Molly Houses, queer underground clubs that operated in London in the 1700s. Yes, the 1700s. By day, these houses were regular coffeehouses, but at night, they turned into secret watering holes that included drag performances, sexual activity and more. There were up to more than two dozen houses throughout London. Molly Houses — molly was a slang term for gay men in 18th century England — are brought to life in Sweetheart, a scripted short about a young man being introduced to London’s secret queer subculture in 1723.” 
Variety, 23.01.25

“With Sweetheart and Carmen Emmi’s Plainclothes there’s a new wave of queer filmmakers reclaiming our history, reminding us where we came from so that we can collectively cruise along to a better and brighter future.” 
Queerty, 27.01.25