Fans of contemporary British film will no doubt be automatically attracted to "South West 9" which at first glance offers a meld of hit films like "Human Traffic" and "Snatch".

Even if you didn't care for these films however, South West 9 is worth a gander.

Set in Brixton, the London suburb whose postal code (SW9) provides the film's title, the film energetically begins in a late night rave where a mix of characters have found themselves.

"Scammers, dealers, the National Front and a space man in a church," notes the film's narrator, street-smart Freddie. "Cultures are about to collide."

The film comes from the producer of "Human Traffic" - a popular, award winning film at BIFF 2000 - but not its creative team.

While "South West 9" has the pace of "Human Traffic" and a similar setting with much of the action taking place in a rave, it lacks HT writer Justin Kerrigan's keen observations of human motivation and insecurities within social settings.

Alternatively, what it offers is a multi-layered story with intersecting characters which keeps the audience guessing right until the final moments.

SW9 is a darker story with much more going on.

What you see on the surface in its characters is never the whole story. A grungy, blonde living in a communal squat is actually a privileged upper middle class kid who goes home to her nice, clean house every few days.

A seemingly, straight-laced family man actually runs a full, illicit chemicals laboratory in his basement.

A hard-as-nails Brixton woman who clawed her way to the top of the City boy's club takes a wrecking ball to her own career when she can no longer stomach the reality of the deals she brokers.

A hired tough is bullied mercilessly by his pint-sized sister.

And while these descriptions may seem to give away a lot about the film, there is so much happening in South West 9, that they barely skim the surface of the way these characters and others will be skilfully woven together over its well-edited 99 minutes.

Writer-director Richard Parry has spun a tale that feels fresh and is virtually impossible to be bored by although he mixes ingredients - drugs, raves, lost twentysomethings, gangsters - which have become the stock core of British film offerings in recent years.

Tickets may go fast for this British offering with its talented cast and slick format.

Preceding short: Pluck

This ten-minute Irish film concerns itself with a man's obsession with a wayward hair which has sprouted, uninvited, on his wife's chin.

The main character - played by the very cute Conor Delancy - is driven near mad by this tiny invader but can't quite figure out why.

A cute concept but, while fun, I doubt this short is inventive enough to challenge for an award.

Times: April 13, 6.30 p.m., Liberty

April 15, 9 p.m., Little Theatre

Tania Theriault