Jessica Swale's feature film debut, Summerland, is released today

Summerland, written and directed by Jessica Swale, is released today in cinemas and is also available online.

Starring Gemma Arterton and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Summerland follows reclusive writer Alice (Arterton), whose life is disrupted when she is made to care for young Frank (Lucas Bond), an evacuee from the London Blitz, seeking refuge in her Kent home. As the two begin to bond, secrets from Alice’s past are revealed and her long-buried emotions begin to surface.

The film has been warmly received by critics who have praised Arterton's perfromance; "Arterton turns in a massively impressive performance as Alice", Empire, as well as remarking on Swale's accomplishments as writer and director; "That modernity is credit to writer-director Jessica Swale, a British theater director and playwright, who with “Summerland” makes a noteworthy entry into the world of film", AP News.