Harris Dickinson and producer Archie Pearch were in attendance for a Film Talks conversation at the 73rd San Sebastian Film Festival on Saturday, where the actor will screen his directorial debut, Urchin.

The duo, who together launched production company Devisio Pictures in May last year, were speaking with Wendy Mitchell, the fests U.K. and Nordic delegate, about breaking into a busy industry and the 20+ projects they have lined up on their slate.

Dickinson, star of Babygirl, The Iron Claw, Triangle of Sadness and Sam Mendes upcoming Beatles biopics at Sony, was asked about picking the brain of his A-list co-stars who have also launched production outfits. It is hard to derail someone [during a shoot], he said, recalling working on Halina Reijns erotic drama Babygirl with Nicole Kidman, founder of Blossom Films in 2010 and star of Stanley Kubricks final film Eyes Wide Shut (1999). When you work with someone of that caliber, it takes a while, continued Dickinson. I remember on day 20, I was like, So what was Stanley Kubrick like? You cant start with that. You have to get there slowly.

Dickinson and Pearch formerly a producer at Working Title and mentee of David Heymans were discussing their new film, Urchin, helmed by Dickinson and made for around $3 million with help from BBC Film, the British Film Institute (BFI) and Tricky Knot. Frank Dillane stars as Mike, a drifter in London sleeping on the city streets and attempting to patch together his life while caught in the throes of addiction. The movie had its world premiere on the Croisette in Cannes in May, and Dickinson hopes for a similar raucous reaction in San Sebastian.

Harris Dickinson arrives at the #SanSebastianFilmFestival to discuss his directorial debut, ‘Urchin’. pic.twitter.com/hUaLJrEpLS

The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 20, 2025 The amount of heart and time and true creative investment that we put into this film, he said, we dont believe in being able to do that on a half measure. I think that kind of speaks to the way we want to carry on. Pearch added: Its a really good first film for us, because I think it shows the ambition that were wanting to take and the boldness, [the] taking risks. Its a perfect platform for what we have coming, though the two couldnt share more details on whats ahead.

Dickinson confessed that despite his small role in Urchin, he doesnt want to direct and act in the same project again anytime soon. It made sense, but it was hard, the British actor said. I dont think I would do it again because there was moments where I was really in two zones, trying to rely on other people to tell me what was wrong not just with my performance but with the whole frame, you know? Whats that person in the background doing? Whats the lamp doing? I admire people that do it, your [John] Cassavetes and [Rainer Werner] Fassbinders and Bradley Coopers. Im really impressed by it.

But the star was certainly not dissuaded by the experience and already has another script for his next feature even if it came more abruptly than his loved ones had hoped. It was bad, Dickinson said, When I finished [Urchin], me and my partner went on holiday She was like, Right, you need to not work now. Youre off for a second. And I had another idea, Ive got to write, and she caught me. I couldnt help myself. Ive got a script, but who knows if its good weve got a long development [process] to go with it.

Pearch predicts a shift toward mid-budget movies in independent film is on the horizon. I definitely think were going to be seeing more mid-[budget] films come through, he said. Thats the conversations were having with financiers. Weirdly, they would almost prefer to finance something at like, $7 million, $8 million than they would $3 million or $4 million because theres less risk if theyve got [a big] cast attached. So I think theres going to be a shift, personally.

While the gritty street-set drama Urchin proves the perfect example of the kinds of films Dickinson and Pearch are passionate about, there is one genre they wont be getting mixed in with anytime soon and thats horror. I dont think were avid horror people, Dickinson said.

Its obviously a very attractive genre, a lucrative and illustrious [genre], and if a great horror came along and we were intrigued by it, sure, but its not necessarily what were going out and looking for. If Guillermo del Toro approached Devisio, posed Mitchell, might that change things? Sure, responded Dickinson.

The San Sebastian International Film Festival 2025 runs Sept. 19-27.