Simon Callow and Chumbawamba’s Dunstan Bruce Appear in Short Film AGUSKA, Selected for Mindfield Film Festival

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico - Short film AGUSKA has officially been selected for the 8th Annual Live Mindfield Film Festival, which takes place at Guild Cinema in Albuquerque from August 28 to 31, 2025. The film will be presented on August 30th during the 3:30p.m block of films. 

AGUSKA tells the story of Melissa, a young British girl who is bullied at football for her lack of skill and for her wealth, but she works with her family to overcome it and unite the team and ensure everyone wins - in more ways than one. The project takes its name from Aguska Mnich, a five-time world freestyle football champion, Polish freestyler, and Guinness World Record holder who serves as the film’s inspiration.

The film also boasts a special appearance from the titular character, Aguska, who is shown as herself in a scene involving young footballers. Canadian football legend and Chelsea FC star Ashley Lawrence, who gave up her time to play the role of a football coach. Dunstan Bruce, the lead singer of anarcho-punk band Chumbawamba (best known for its 1997 hit ‘Tubthumper’) also makes several cameos.

AGUSKA stars Tegan Muggeridge as Melissa, and features legendary actor Simon Callow as Patrick Carter alongside Hannah Baxter-Eve, Mary Roscoe and Skye Kilgallon. Muggeridge, in particular, was inspired by her role in the film. 

“To play alongside BAFTA-nominated and Oliver Award-winning actor Simon Callow was an amazing experience,” she says. “I look up to him as an actor and learned a lot from being on set with him. Callow has a wonderful energy that is very calming, and I take comfort in the knowledge that we bounced off one another really well in the scene.”

AGUSKA was directed by Tristan Loraine, who reunited with executive producer Herb Jackson Jr. after the pair worked on ANGEL FLEET together. 

Now in its eighth year, Mindfield Film Festival has a reputation as one of Albuquerque’s premier platforms for celebrating visionary independent cinema. The festival presents features, shorts, and music videos from around the world, both during the annual festival at Guild Cinema and throughout the year via its bimonthly online competitions.

“I am thrilled as we gear up for the screening of Aguska at the Mindfield Film Festival,” Jackson says. “Returning to The Duke City holds immense significance for me, as it has played a crucial role in my journey. This marks a return to the USA for our film and marks a special occasion for me, as I have another film I’m involved with screening in the city where I attended college.” 

High-res imagery and a trailer for AGUSKA can be found here, and a digital screener for the film are available upon request. Select interviews are also available upon reques