'Ruby Blue' wins London festival

The prize of £50,000 ($96,000) provides Dunn and her producing partner Elaine Wickham with a significant portion of the post-production budget of their next feature, “The Calling,” which has already been shot.

“It couldn’t have come at a more timely moment, as we have a cut for our new film but no money to complete it,” Dunn said.

“Ruby Blue,” a micro-budget feature starring Bob Hoskins as a widower falsely suspected by his neighbors of being a pedophile, was Dunn’s second film, following her well-received debut “Gypo.”

Both films, as well as “The Calling,” were shot in Ramsgate, Kent, where Dunn and Wickham’s company Medb Films is based.

Medb’s next movie will be Wickham’s directorial debut. Wickham’s short “My Mother” also won the prize for best short at the London Independent Film Festival.

The fest, dedicated to low-budget indie filmmaking, ran April 14 to 19. Welsh helmer Julian Richards won best director for “Summer Scars.” Hoskins and Film London were each honored with the Champion of Independent Cinema award, given for outstanding service to British indie film. Gareth Roberts won best international feature for “Kill Kill Faster Faster.”