With Madfabulous is Ynys Môn having its ‘cinematic moment’ in 2026?

Dion Wyn

Ynys Môn (Anglesey) has long attracted people with its beauty and the enduring pride of its residents. Even in tough economic times, their passion for the island shines. Known as Mam Cymru (Mother of Wales), Môn serves as a central figure—a nurturing landscape and Welsh stronghold.

However, Ynys Môn has not always been in the spotlight. She has long been a supporting character—her scenery and beauty have drawn notable productions. Films like Half Light (2006), starring Demi Moore; Dr Dolittle (2020), starring Robert Downey Jr. and Anemone (2025), starring Daniel Day-Lewis, have all been filmed here. They used the island’s Film & TV studio, Aria, as a base, further driving the desire to work and make films on the island. Now, in 2026, Ynys Môn will take centre stage, with films focusing not just on its beauty but uncovering unique narratives and voices.

One name that continues to fly the flag for the place he calls home is director and actor Celyn Jones (The Almond and the Seahorse, Set Fire to the Stars). His next directorial feature, Madfabulous, tells the true story of Henry Paget (Callum Scott Howells), the 5th Marquess of Anglesey, and his eccentric life. It portrays a riotous, flamboyant aristocrat in late 19th-century Wales who squandered his family’s fortune.

The film opens with the Marquess arriving at Plas Newydd on the Menai Straits, giving viewers a glimpse of Ynys Môn and its untold stories. Henry’s arrival marks both his own new dawn and Môn’s to the big screen.

This drive is evident beyond Madfabulous. The passionate determination of Jones and his production company, Mad As Birds, to tell this story will be the foundation for an emerging body of work across various genres set on Ynys Môn. These include the LGBTQIA+ story On The Sea, directed by Helen Walsh, which is doing the rounds at various film festivals. There is also the mystery-thriller Black Church Bay from Rhys Marc Jones. Both films were shot on location in Amlwch, with anticipated release late 2026.

All these films are different, formed from Môn’s nurturing ways. Filmmakers are drawn to this part of Wales. New, dynamic viewpoints about the island and its people are ready to be seen by the world. Passion and drive are fundamental to storytelling, as Jones himself said: “The next challenge, as a north Walian, is bringing more to north Wales and closing that gap—it has a lot to offer.”

There is importance in telling stories where they are based; it adds to and elevates the raw nature of storytelling. Being on home soil can inspire and bring nuance that being on sound stages or other locations can’t. To see a film like Madfabulous utilise the beauty and grandeur of Plas Newydd and Glynllifon is to delve into its history, and to give the audience that much-valued authenticity. Cymru (Wales) has an abundance of wonderful and fascinating areas across its vast land, and the film sector in Wales is recognising this value.

Building on this creative surge, Môn has a passionate cohort of filmmakers, creatives, and cinemas. All with stories to tell. In recent years, we’ve seen Lindsay Walker win a BAFTA Cymru for “The Welshman.” RTS Cymru-winning filmmaker Matt Colin Evans recently received rave festival reviews for “A Ray of Hope: HAWFC – The Gym of Champions.” Pryia- Rose Brookwell starred in the recent family hit “Grow,” and young independent filmmaker Gruff Huws created the Welsh comedy film series “Cicio” on YouTube.

The island also boasts community cinemas like Sinema Llangoed, and independent venues Ucheldre Centre and Empire, Holyhead – all flying the banner for film on the island.

Altogether, it’s evident that Môn is having her cinematic moment, but perhaps it is the foundation for more stories to be told there. Ultimately, this could become an inspiration for other corners of Wales that have yet to have their moment on the big screen.

Madfabulous is coming to cinemas across the UK from June 5th, 2026.

The film has various connections to Wales including director Celyn Jones, writer Lisa Baker and production company Mad as Birds. The cast features Callum Scott Howells, Leisa Gwenllian, Lisa Jen Brown, Steve Spiers and Tom Rhys Harries. It was filmed in Ynys Môn, Caernarfon and Pwllheli and was funded by the Ffilm Cymru Wales Feature Film Production Fund via the National Lottery (delegated via Arts Council of Wales) and Creative Wales.

Dion Wyn is a freelance journalist who regularly contributes to Movie Marker, BBC Radio Cymru, and BBC Radio Wales. He also serves as the Cinema Coordinator for Sinema Pontio in North Wales.

This article was commissioned by Film Hub Wales as part of its Made in Wales project, which celebrates films with Welsh connections, thanks to funding from Creative Wales and the National Lottery via the BFI.