Sunrise – In Development

It’s almost the end of the 1980s. Stressed teen Celia is studying hard for her final exams. In the middle of the chaos, she receives an offer to study Maths at a top university. Coming from a modest market town in Norfolk England, this is a huge achievement for her and her family. However, the pressure quickly sets in when her parents and teachers excitement becomes greater than her own. Her jealous younger brother, a struggling teenage entrepreneur, Carl watches all her attention from the sideline.

A trip to London to visit their father’s lively family changes everything for Celia. Celia and Carl unexpectedly end up at an acid house rave led by their off-the-wall cousin Mike. This blows her mind and armed with a music tape given by Mike, Celia’s curiosity blossoms. She starts listening to local pirate radio, visiting nearby record shops and a local illegal rave. This draws her further into the scene and ignites her newfound dream of becoming a DJ and putting on her own party. 

As she gets lost in the music, her exams start to suffer. Her teacher starts to notice as she says and does what she can to remain the maths golden child but she cannot put her newfound love under threat. Carl is getting increasingly annoyed at being ignored and after stumbling along Celia’s first adolescent gig he finally has the ammunition to expose her.

Eventually, the newspapers and government start to turn against the rave scene and Celia’s dream is on the precipice, the local community are fuelled by fear and division. Everyone around her starts to cotton on to what’s going on and closes in on her double life. Will Celia keep up the act and protect the thing she really loves, without destroying her and her family’s future?

The rave scene saved her, but can she change the minds of the people she loves to let her be the person she wants to be?