Refugee fashion documentary FABRIC heads to Los Angeles

FABRIC will make its U.S. premiere at the 30th Los Angeles International Short Film Festival on July 30, bringing a refugee-focused story from a Paris fashion atelier to an Oscar- and BAFTA-qualifying stage. The documentary follows Espero Atelier’s work training displaced people in tailoring and showing how fashion can open a path to employment and integration.

Why it matters: - FABRIC puts a refugee employment story on a major short-film stage in Los Angeles. - The screening gives the documentary exposure at a festival that is Oscar® and BAFTA qualifying. - The film centers on how fashion training can connect displaced people to work, skills and social integration.

What happened: - FABRIC will have its Los Angeles premiere at the 30th Los Angeles International Short Film Festival on July 30, 2026. - LA Shorts is the longest running short film festival in Los Angeles. - The festival qualifies films for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences OSCAR® awards and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). - The documentary previously premiered at the 34th Raindance Film Festival, where it was nominated for Best Documentary Short. - We Love Short Film gave FABRIC a four-star review and called it “Elegant, compassionate and quietly inspiring.”

The details: - Director Anabelle Marshall follows Espero Atelier, a Paris-based social enterprise that trains refugees in tailoring and supports their entry into fashion employment. - The film had exclusive access to the atelier and follows refugee artisans creating a fashion collection for display at the Musée d'Orsay on the eve of Haute Couture Week. - FABRIC features the work of Maya Persaud, co-founder of Espero Atelier. - Persaud created Espero to build opportunities for refugees and marginalized communities through fashion education, skills development and employment. - Persaud grew up in San Francisco, Washington D.C. and Hawaii, has lived in Paris for decades and previously worked as a fashion model with ties to the luxury fashion world. - The documentary follows Espero team members Ibrahim, Suad, Haider, Sumaiya and Cynthia, who come from Guinea, Eritrea, Afghanistan and Congo. - The film tracks their personal and professional growth as they prepare for the show and build lives in French society. - The documentary also includes Catherine Brickhill, a former Alexander McQueen and Givenchy designer and a mentor at Espero, and Sylvain Amic, who was president of the Musée d'Orsay and Musée de l'Orangerie at the time of filming. - FABRIC was produced by Tiny Circus Productions and Hemeroscope Studios. - The film is a UK-France co-production led by global majority female filmmakers. - Tiny Circus Productions describes its work as high-impact storytelling across documentary, short-form and scripted content, and says the company was established in 2025. - Hemeroscope Studios is based in London and Paris and was founded by writer-director Sabrine Dahaut. - Hemeroscope Studios says it works with emerging authors, creators, small businesses and NGOs to develop narrative and unscripted films, plays and podcasts. - The production company says the film is intended to foster empathy and deepen understanding across cultures. - Press queries go to sanam@tinycircusproductions.com. - Tiny Circus Productions also shared an Instagram link: Tiny Circus Productions on Instagram

Between the lines: - FABRIC uses a fashion story to frame a broader immigration and belonging conversation. - The festival run suggests the film is being positioned for both audience reach and awards visibility. - The emphasis on artisans, mentors and institutional settings like the Musée d'Orsay gives the documentary a culture-industry angle, not only a social-impact angle.

What's next: - FABRIC screens in Los Angeles on July 30, 2026. - The festival appearance will likely expand the film’s visibility with U.S. audiences and industry viewers. - The documentary’s next opportunities may follow from its festival reception and awards eligibility.

The bottom line: - FABRIC arrives in Los Angeles as a refugee-centered documentary with both social impact and awards-season ambitions.