Elle Edwards' dad says film success 'bittersweet'

A film capturing the personal journey of the father of Elle Edwards as he deals with the trauma of her murder has won an award at an American festival.

The 26-year-old was shot outside a pub in Wallasey Village on Merseyside on Christmas Eve in 2022, which led Tim Edwards to set out walking the length of the UK in his search for healing.

He paired up with Liverpool comedian John May, and their walk was turned into the film, The Two of Us, which has scooped the award for best documentary at the 2026 Beverly Hills Film Festival.

Edwards said the film's success was "bittersweet" as it came as a result of his daughter's death, but it had led many others experiencing grief to "reach out".

He travelled alongside May to the festival in Hollywood and told BBC Radio Merseyside he had wanted the world to know Elle's name after her murder,

"On the night we genuinely thought we weren't likely to win, the talent in that room was unbelievable -we were thinking we've got no chance," Edwards said.

May said he had "already swanned off to the bar to find a distributor" when the announcement came that the film had won.

"What was great was the way it resonated with an American audience - when we left the screening the feedback was amazing," Edwards said.

"I was worried they wouldn't get British sense of humour - or Scouse accents."

Edwards said: "I'd swap all this to have Elle back here - if it hadn't have happened, none of this would have happened, so it's a bittersweet pill.

"But lots of people have reached out because of the film."

May was on his own walk from Land's End to John O'Groats to raise awareness about gun and knife crime when Edwards contacted him, and they began to share their journey trekking thousands of miles across the UK.

The film captures their blossoming friendship and the challenges they face along the way.

"When I look back in that timeframe, it happened so quick, literally within days of Elle passing away," Edwards said.

May had set off on his journey after her funeral, before Edwards joined him in Worcester.

Later, here were "1,000 people walking behind us" through Liverpool to the Pier Head as part of the walk, and the wider campaign against gun and knife crime.

"And we're now in Beverley Hills, the journey just keeps going," he said.

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