Sunny Dancer was never a film that was particularly on my radar, and I went into it not really knowing what to expect. What began as a spontaneous cinema trip, however, ended up becoming one of my biggest surprises of the year.

Filled with heart and emotion, the film shines a light on an important and rarely explored story: children who have experienced cancer, the isolation they can face from wider society, and the impact that attending a “cancer camp” can have on their lives.

Bella Ramsey delivers an excellent performance and, for me, this may be my favourite performance of theirs to date. The rest of the cast also more than hold their own, particularly impressive considering many of them have relatively few previous screen credits.

The storytelling is handled brilliantly, giving each character their own struggles while never losing sight of the tragedy that connects everyone at the camp, including the person running it. The emotional moments land incredibly well throughout, and there certainly weren’t many dry eyes in the theatre by the end.

I really hope more people seek this film out. Sunny Dancer is a heartfelt, moving and beautifully told independent coming of age film, and one that deserves to find a wide audience.