Writer-director Deborah Haywood makes her feature directorial debut with the surreal and whimsical mother-daughter nightmare Pin Cushion, driven by a singular vision and masterful control of a unique tone, which tiptoes the line of beauty and terror.

Haywood's formidable first feature is at once a ruthless dissection of cruelty, capturing the relentless torment of outcasts for the pleasure of self-styled superiors, and a warm evocation of an interdependent mother-daughter bond.

It's not always an easy watch but it's a sensitive, assured film with characters you'll warm to and root for.

Refreshingly charismatic and full of its own unique personality, Pin Cushion is an endearing and eye-opening exploration of the impact of bullying, wrapped in a colourful coming-of-age tale.