Name: No Dialogue, No Actors: How Alison McAlpine Made an Oscar-Nominated Film with Donkeys @DirectorsNotes
Uploaded: 2026-09-21T08:17:00-05:00
Duration: 8 min 17 s
Description: No Dialogue, No Actors: How Alison McAlpine Made an Oscar-Nominated Film with Donkeys

No Dialogue, No Actors: How Alison McAlpine Made an Oscar-Nominated Film with Donkeys

Directors Notes 2026-09-21 | No Dialogue, No Actors: How Alison McAlpine Made an Oscar-Nominated Film with Donkeys

Ebony & Ivory: Jim Hosking on Making the Weirdest Biopic Ever

Directors Notes 2025-09-18 | 🔔 Love indie films & deep-dive director interviews? SUBSCRIBE now: youtube.com/c/directorsnotes

Director Jim Hosking (THE GREASY STRANGLER, AN EVENING WITH BEVERLY LUFF LINN) returns to Directors Notes for an insightful interview about his latest absurdist comedy, Ebony & Ivory.

In this interview, Jim pulls back the curtain on his unique filmmaking process:
• How he crafts his singular, uncomfortable brand of comedy
• The genius of creating a "revisionist fake biopic" about a song nobody's fascinated by
• His long-running collaborations with actors Gil Gex & Sky Elobar (as "Stevie & Paul")
• Working with composer Andrew Hung (Fuck Buttons) on the film's score
• Why he pushes comedic moments far beyond the breaking point

Have you seen Ebony & Ivory? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

WATCH EBONY & IVORY (Official Trailer): youtu.be/mbHhIy3jtp0

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VIDEO CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:03 - Developing a Singular Filmmaking Style
00:08:32 - The "Fake Biopic" Concept
00:10:54 - Collaborating with actors Gil Gex & Sky Elobar
00:14:39 - Working with Composer Andrew Hung
00:19:34 - The Scottish Connection in Jim's Films
00:21:39 - Characters Out of Place
00:23:46 - Extending Comedy Beyond the Breaking Point
00:28:17 - The "Dooby Wooby" Box
00:29:10 - Production Design
00:31:27 - Early Audience Reactions

#JimHosking #EbonyAndIvory #DirectorInterview #MusicalLegends #Filmmaking #Comedy #IndieFilm #StevieWonder #PaulMcCartney #FilmMakingProcess #BehindTheScenes

Ebony & Ivory // Official Trailer

Directors Notes 2025-09-18 | 🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Ebony & Ivory with our exclusive interview with writer/director Jim Hosking
youtu.be/gVgg7e9AER0

Two musical legends gather at a Scottish Cottage on The Mull of Kintyre for a tense summit to discuss a potential collaboration that will ultimately result in a global Number One smash hit single.

The new surreal and hilarious comedy from Jim Hosking – director of The Greasy Strangler and An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn.

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// Credits //
Written & Directed by: Jim Hosking
Produced by: Denzil Monk, Ant Timpson, Jim Hosking, Thelonious Brooks
Starring: Sky Elobar & Gil Gex
Director of Photography: Marten Tedin
Composer: Andrew Hung
Production Design: Felicity Hickson

#musiclegends #musicallegends #comedy #steviewonder #paulmccartney

MOVEMENT - Lace

Directors Notes 2025-09-17 | Under the cloak of a Romanian night, on the very eve of All Hallows' Eve, a man falls prey to an ancient hunger. Witness a visceral metamorphosis, a brutal ballet of change.

Watch the full short film ⏯️ youtu.be/zt2S6-cm4JY

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Lace with our exclusive interview with writer/director Jason Bock
directorsnotes.com/2025/09/17/jason-bock-lace

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#vampire #metamorphosis #contortion #dance #transformation #musicvideo #thriller

He Was Bitten, Then He Began To Change... | Movement ‘Lace’ (Body Horror Music Video)

Directors Notes 2025-09-17 | Under the cloak of a Romanian night, on the very eve of All Hallows' Eve, a man falls prey to an ancient hunger. Witness a visceral metamorphosis, a brutal ballet of change.

Through breathtaking and unsettling contortions, Strauss Serpant unleashes a torrent of raw emotion, each movement a ripple in the fabric of his unraveling humanity. Set against the stark, industrial decay of an abandoned factory – a location imbued with an eerie, serendipitous resonance – his dance becomes a language of the body, translating the unseen horrors and burgeoning power within.

As he journeys through this liminal space, the world around him begins to warp and twist, mirroring the tempest raging within. Reality itself bends to his horrifying new existence, pushing the boundaries of perception. Prepare for a crescendo of chaos, a shattering climax where his world dissolves into the very shadows that birthed him.

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Lace by Jason Bock
jasonbock.co

"When I approached this project, I wasn’t so much interested in the literal mechanics of vampire lore, whether it’s reflections, crucifixes, or instant death from sunlight. Instead, I was drawn to the feeling behind those myths, the emotional weight they carry, and how those ancient ideas could be translated through sound, movement, and image rather than exposition. I used the classical themes as a foundation, but my focus was on how transformation feels. The pulsating, grotesque beauty of it moving through the body of a dancer."

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Lace with our exclusive interview with director Jason Bock
directorsnotes.com/2025/09/17/jason-bock-lace

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// Credits //
Director - Jason Bock
Producer - Matej Marinko
Line Producer - Balint Hajagos
DOP - Ziga Zupancic
Colourist - Matic Prusnik
VFX Company - Fin Design + Effects
VFX Company - Nervous FX
VFX supervisor - Žiga Radulj
VFX Artist - Anita Ward
VFX Supervisor and Flame Artist - Michael Brown
Houdini FX Artist - Jorden Martin
Layout and Asset Artist - Shane Brouwer
Camera Matchmove Artist - Nathan Lane
FX Artist - Blaž Miklavčič
FX Artist - Luka Zabret
3D Generalist - Voranc Kumar
3D Generalist - Andrej Gregori
Compositor - Žiga Radulj
Compositor - Luka Leskovšek
Special Effects Make-up - Ionel Popa and Ilinca Angelescu
Sound Recordist - Florian Titus Ardelean
Location Manager - Denis Boerescu
Set PA - Andrei Sabie
Set PA - George Mocanu
Sound Designer - Abby Sie
Foley Artist - John Simpson
Foley Recordist - Caitlin Drew

Cast
Vampire - Strauss Serpent
Street Vampire - Cristian Balint
Gaffer - Sergiu Dan Nani

ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.

#vampire #metamorphosis #contortion #dance #transformation #musicvideo #horror

Sh*thead

Directors Notes 2025-09-15 | A man with shit for brains struggles to cope with his strange condition.

Watch the full short film ⏯️ youtu.be/GVr59cLnR7Q

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Shithead with our exclusive interview with writer/director Riley Donigan
directorsnotes.com/2025/09/15/riley-donigan-shithead

👉 Follow Us for More Short Film Greatness:
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Podcast: https://pod.link/192507317
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#bodyhorror #mentalhealth #comedy #shortfilm

A Grotesque Man Completely Loses It | Sh*thead (Body Horror Comedy)

Directors Notes 2025-09-15 | A man with shit for brains struggles to cope with his strange condition.

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Shithead by Riley Donigan
rileydonigan.com

"To me, it’s far more interesting to convey something in extreme, or even ridiculous, ways because things often feel far more extreme than reality gives them credit for. Also, my primary objective is to make something compelling and to challenge an audience by showing them something they’ve never seen before, rather than preach a particular message to them. That being said, I always have something personal that I am trying to examine about my own life via the premise and that is ultimately how I decide to move forward with a film. I have a long list of extreme and absurd movie ideas but if a premise doesn’t connect with something I am struggling with in my own life, then I will never make it."

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Shithead with our exclusive interview with writer/director Riley Donigan
directorsnotes.com/2025/09/15/riley-donigan-shithead

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// Credits //
Cast:
Father - Michael Countryman
Therapist - Orlagh Cassidy
Nate - Will Duncan
Pharmacy Employee - Grant Sellars

Crew:
Writer/Director - Riley Donigan
Producer - Yoni Azulay
Producer - Anton Vicente-Kliot
Associate Producer - Sam Callahan
Associate Producer - Matthew Messinger
Cinematographer - Taylor Sanghyun Lee
Editor - Riley Donigan
Casting Director - Matthew Messinger
Prosthetics Designer - Izzi Galindo

First Assistant Director - Yoni Azulay
Second Assistant Director - Zach Rineer
Script Supervisor - Sam Callahan
Driver - Guillermo Prieto IV
Makeup & Hair - Frannie Bromley
First Assistant Camera - Kaylee Smith
Second Assistant Camera - Christopher Consoli
Second Assistant Camera - Polly Chesnokova
Production Designer - Micaela Bottari
Sound - Rufus Mullhaupt

ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.

#bodyhorror #mentalhealth #depression #comedy #shortfilm

Movement - Lace // Official Trailer

Directors Notes 2025-09-15 | Watch the full music video ⏯️ youtu.be/zt2S6-cm4JY

Under the cloak of a Romanian night, on the very eve of All Hallows' Eve, a man falls prey to an ancient hunger. Witness a visceral metamorphosis, a brutal ballet of change.

🔔 Love indie films? SUBSCRIBE to Directors Notes for more groundbreaking shorts: youtube.com/c/directorsnotes

🎥 Want to see your film here? Submit your work to Directors Notes: directorsnotes.com/submit

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Lace with our exclusive interview with writer/director Jason Bock
directorsnotes.com/2025/09/17/jason-bock-lace

👉 Follow Us for More Short Film Greatness:
Newsletter: directorsnotes.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Podcast: https://pod.link/192507317
Instagram: instagram.com/directorsnotes

// Credits //
Director - Jason Bock
Producer - Matej Marinko
Line Producer - Balint Hajagos
DOP - Ziga Zupancic
Colourist - Matic Prusnik
VFX Company - Fin Design + Effects
VFX Company - Nervous FX
VFX supervisor - Žiga Radulj
VFX Artist - Anita Ward
VFX Supervisor and Flame Artist - Michael Brown
Houdini FX Artist - Jorden Martin
Layout and Asset Artist - Shane Brouwer
Camera Matchmove Artist - Nathan Lane
FX Artist - Blaž Miklavčič
FX Artist - Luka Zabret
3D Generalist - Voranc Kumar
3D Generalist - Andrej Gregori
Compositor - Žiga Radulj
Compositor - Luka Leskovšek
Special Effects Make-up - Ionel Popa and Ilinca Angelescu
Sound Recordist - Florian Titus Ardelean
Location Manager - Denis Boerescu
Set PA - Andrei Sabie
Set PA - George Mocanu
Sound Designer - Abby Sie
Foley Artist - John Simpson
Foley Recordist - Caitlin Drew

Cast
Vampire - Strauss Serpent
Street Vampire - Cristian Balint
Gaffer - Sergiu Dan Nani

#vampire #metamorphosis #contortion #dance #transformation #musicvideo #horror

Sh*thead // Official Trailer

Directors Notes 2025-09-15 | Watch the full short film ⏯️ youtu.be/GVr59cLnR7Q

A man with shit for brains struggles to cope with his strange condition.

🔔 Love indie films? SUBSCRIBE to Directors Notes for more groundbreaking shorts: youtube.com/c/directorsnotes

🎥 Want to see your film here? Submit your work to Directors Notes: directorsnotes.com/submit

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Shithead with our exclusive interview with writer/director Riley Donigan
directorsnotes.com/2025/09/15/riley-donigan-shithead

👉 Follow Us for More Short Film Greatness:
Newsletter: directorsnotes.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Podcast: https://pod.link/192507317
Instagram: instagram.com/directorsnotes

// Credits //
Cast:
Father - Michael Countryman
Therapist - Orlagh Cassidy
Nate - Will Duncan
Pharmacy Employee - Grant Sellars

Crew:
Writer/Director - Riley Donigan
Producer - Yoni Azulay
Producer - Anton Vicente-Kliot
Associate Producer - Sam Callahan
Associate Producer - Matthew Messinger
Cinematographer - Taylor Sanghyun Lee
Editor - Riley Donigan
Casting Director - Matthew Messinger
Prosthetics Designer - Izzi Galindo

First Assistant Director - Yoni Azulay
Second Assistant Director - Zach Rineer
Script Supervisor - Sam Callahan
Driver - Guillermo Prieto IV
Makeup & Hair - Frannie Bromley
First Assistant Camera - Kaylee Smith
Second Assistant Camera - Christopher Consoli
Second Assistant Camera - Polly Chesnokova
Production Designer - Micaela Bottari
Sound - Rufus Mullhaupt

#bodyhorror #mentalhealth #horror #comedy #shortfilm

Love Is Real // Official Trailer

Directors Notes 2025-09-11 | Watch the full short film ⏯️ youtu.be/kVpRlWFpctQ

After a breakup, an unusual young couple try to reconnect with society, confronting the tangled nature of sex, power, and alienation.

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🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Love Is Real with our exclusive interview with writer/director Albert Bullock
directorsnotes.com/2025/09/09/albert-bullock-love-is-real

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// Credits //
CAST
Aoife: Cathy Sole
Mark: Warrick Simon
Tattoos: Olin Curran
Tom: Alexander Hackett
Samaritan: Lewis Noble
Mark’s Mum: Alice Aggrey Orleans
Mark’s Dad: Jarvis

CREW
Writer and Directer: Albert Bullock
Producer: Teena Dernaika
Co-Producer: Albert Bullock
Associate Producer: Zak Nathan
DOP: Alfie Fisher
1st AD: Cathrine Barinoff
2nd AD: Tijen Mustafa
1st AC: Byron Rigby
2nd AC: Josh Downing
Sound:
Louis Pearson
Kai Gawne-Cain
Sound Design: Zach Shoup
Art Director: Nana Sachie
Music: Of Canaan
Editor: Zak Nathan
Colourist: Oliver Hardingham
Assistant editor: David Simmons
Gaffers:
Anastasia Gandzha
Tom Homer
Harry Rollinson
Sparks:
Sam Hamilton
Pavan Dhanareddy
Kshitij Vispute
Best Boy: Enzo Amitrano
Key Grip: Justas Kavaliauskas
Intimacy Coordinator: Rosanna Normanton
Makeup: Louise Becker
Assistant Makeup: Frankie Berry
Production assistants:
Christina Alvarez
Anastasia Gandzha
David Simmons
Francisco Villanueva
Creative Consultant: Vladislav Motorichev
Special thanks:
Rosa Armstrong
Dzhenet Timoshenko
Max Mazower
#love #sex #romance #drama #shortfilm

Baby // Official Trailer

Directors Notes 2025-09-05 | At an east london house party, Red grapples with second-hand grief as she struggles to support Axel through the silent weight of his father's death— each scene revealing a new stage of mourning in a raw, dialogue-light portrait of love, loss, and emotional endurance.

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🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Baby with our exclusive interview with writer/actor/director Georgia Small
directorsnotes.com/2025/09/05/georgia-small-baby

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// Credits //
Starring: Georgia Small & Brandon Bendell
Written & Directed By: Georgia Small
Produced By: Ari Kwasner-Catsi & Adam Strawford

#grief #couple #houseparty #shortfilm

A Son Reaches Breaking Point as His Mothers Caregiver | Coda (Drama)

Directors Notes 2025-09-02 | The story of a mother who now needs the full-time care of her son who struggles to keep giving it.

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Coda by Joshua Elias Palmer
instagram.com/jeliaspalmer

"Béla has been doing small intensives and masterclasses over the years. This one in particular was hosted by Freeszfe Egyesület, an organization founded to promote freedom of expression after Viktor Orbán expelled the teachers and students from the national film school in Hungary. At this one, there were 12 directors from all over the world. Each director had two weeks to make a new short film and were partnered with a Hungarian assistant to help.

We all had the theme ‘knife’ beforehand and were supposed to come in with a film idea related to that theme. Knife for me, connected with ideas of sacrifice. Eventually, I landed on the idea of self-sacrifice, especially how far we go for loved ones, even if it destroys oneself. Ultimately, I landed on a film about caretaking—the physical manifestation of the core idea. We all met with Béla to review the ideas. He accepted the ideas of half of us, but for the other half, myself included, it was back to the drawing board to rewrite. Once he accepted your concept it was off to the races. It’s all a bit of a blur to me, but I believe I had something like four days to prepare the film for shooting, one day to shoot it, and about 72 hours to edit and finish the film. It was as if the five years of my filmmaking experience all manifested during those two weeks."

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Coda with our exclusive interview with director Joshua Elias Palmer
directorsnotes.com/2025/09/02/joshua-elias-palmer-coda

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// Credits //
Actors: Judit Pogány, Bányai Kelemen Barna
Written & Directed by: Joshua Elias Palmer
Produced by: Béla Tarr, Freeszfe Egysület
Director of Photography: Marcell Lobenwein
1st AC: Vértes Ákos
Gaffer: Szuromi Mátyás
Editors: Mila Taraczky
Production Manager: Petrovits Genovéva and Kino Alfa
1st AD: Incze Kata
Art Director: Andre Hirscler
Set Dresser: Kudar Máté
Production Sound Mixer: Új Bence
Post Producer: Ábel Kocsó
Colorist: Máte Ternyik
Sound Mixer: Gábor Kerekes

ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.

#caregiver #selfsacrifice #aging #family #motherson #drama #shortfilm

COME

Directors Notes 2025-09-01 | Glow worms across their skin, flowers sprouting from every pore, falling from a cliff, buzzing teeth, blood pumping, a kaleidoscopic sonic boom, and then they disappear. 5 women share with visceral clarity the sensations they experience when they orgasm.

Watch the full short film ⏯️ youtu.be/BBY_o1OCye8

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of COME with our exclusive interview with director Bronwen Parker-Rhodes
directorsnotes.com/2025/09/01/bronwen-parker-rhodes-come

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#femaleorgasm #orgasms #femalepleasure #documentary #animation #shortfilm

COME | What Do Female Orgasms Feel Like

Directors Notes 2025-09-01 | Buzzing, climbing, falling, tingling, pulsating, contracting, exploding, convulsing, disappearing… A film about female orgasms – exactly as they’re felt.

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COME by Bronwen Parker-Rhodes
bronfilms.com

"Most of my work explores the female experience and the ways women relate to their bodies. The female orgasm is something we still don’t talk about enough. So many women carry fear, doubt, or shame around their own experience of orgasms – often because there’s no clear sense of what it ‘should’ feel like, and because there’s no way of knowing for sure if what we’re feeling is the same as what other women feel. This uncertainty can lead many to question whether their experience is valid or ‘enough’. I believe it doesn’t matter how you reach orgasm – whether alone or with a partner – what matters is the pleasure.

As a passion project with limited funding, I had to work on it intermittently between other, more commercial jobs. All of the animation in the film was hand-drawn by my incredibly talented mother, Erica Russell, who was nominated for an Oscar back in 1994 for her animated short Triangle. Erica is a traditional animator who doesn’t use computers, so the process was extremely time-consuming. We worked closely together to find the best way to visually interpret each woman’s description."

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of COME with our exclusive interview with director Bronwen Parker-Rhodes
directorsnotes.com/2025/09/01/bronwen-parker-rhodes-come

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// Credits //
Directed and Produced by Bronwen Parker-Rhodes

Animation: Erica Russell
Cinematographer: Ailsa Aikoa
Editor: Bronwen Parker-Rhodes
Composer: Auf Togo
Sound Recording: Bronwen Parker-Rhodes
Sound Mix: Jenna Whelan
Colour: Amélie Ravalec

Supported by The New York Times Op-Docs
Senior Commissioning Producer: Christine Ketcher
Supervising Producer: Alexandra Garcia
Series Producer: Yvonne Ashley Kouadjo
Executive Producer: Adam Ellick

Additional support by Chicago Media Project
Executive Producers: Steve Cohen, Paula Froehle, Hussain Currimbhoy, Blue Skyzz Trust

ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.

#femaleorgasm #orgasms #femalepleasure #documentary #animation #shortfilm

FilmFreeway: An Interview with General Manager Matt Toigo

Directors Notes 2025-08-29 | FilmFreeway's new General Manager, Matt Toigo, sits down with Directors Notes for an exclusive, no-holds-barred interview. DN's MarBelle asks the questions that filmmakers and festival directors have been wanting answers to for years.

#filmfestivals #filmmakers #filmfreeway #filmsubmissions #festivals

Submitting to Film Festivals? FilmFreeways GM On Scams, Fees, Marketing & the Platforms Future

Directors Notes 2025-08-28 | 🔔 Love indie films? SUBSCRIBE to Directors Notes for more interviews & short films: youtube.com/c/directorsnotes

FilmFreeway's new General Manager, Matt Toigo, sits down with Directors Notes for an exclusive, no-holds-barred interview. DN's MarBelle asks the questions that filmmakers and film festival directors have been wanting answers to for years.

In this comprehensive interview, we cover:
🚨 SCAM FESTIVALS: The new ID verification system, first-year festival payout rules, and how FilmFreeway is working to protect filmmakers.
💰 FEES: The reason behind the activation & relisting fees, marketing costs, and how FilmFreeway actually makes its money.
🔮 THE FUTURE: New features, marketing tools for filmmakers, and the platform's promise to improve transparency.

🔗 Links:
Read the full interview on Directors Notes: directorsnotes.com/2025/08/28/filmfreeway-matt-toigo
FilmFreeway: filmfreeway.com

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** VIDEO CHAPTERS **
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:15 Matt's background as a developer
00:03:09 Running FilmFreeway as someone without a film background
00:04:33 The size & structure of the FilmFreeway team
00:05:19 FilmFreeway's responsibility as the dominant film festival submissions platform
00:08:42 Accusations of enshittification
00:12:33 How FilmFreeway makes its money
00:15:08 FilmFreeway's marketing services & the belief that it's 'pay to play'
00:16:51 How many film festivals are listed on FilmFreeway
00:18:25 FilmFreeway Top 100 Best Reviewed Festivals List
00:19:59 FilmFreeway festival reviews
00:21:39 Scam festivals on FilmFreeway
00:27:39 Film festival activation & relisting fees
00:29:45 Awards/Laurel mills
00:32:12 Unreliable Vimeo analytics
00:35:52 Better film festival filtering options
00:37:28 FilmFreeway's Future: DCPs, Marketing & New Tools
00:39:10 Matt Toigo's #1 Tip for Filmmakers & Film Festivals
00:41:07 Beyond Submissions: FilmFreeway's New Vertical Plans
00:44:16 A direct message to the FilmFreeway community
00:46:00 Adding new awards bodies lists

#filmfestivals #filmmakers #filmfreeway #filmsubmissions #festivals #submission #festivaltips #filmfestivalcircuit #submissions #submit #filmmaking #laurel #awards #festivalseason

Boy Inside

Directors Notes 2025-08-27 | The past doesn’t speak, it hums, pulses, returns in fragments. A boy remains inside, untouched by time but changed by everything. What the body can’t say, it finds another way to release.

Watch the full short film ⏯️ youtu.be/E5OMkvedpRU

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Boy Inside with our exclusive interview with director Luke White
directorsnotes.com/2025/08/27/luke-white-boy-inside

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#childhood #trauma #dance #shortfilm

The Body Remembers What The Mind Forgets | Boy Inside (Dance Short Film)

Directors Notes 2025-08-27 | The past doesn’t speak, it hums, pulses, returns in fragments. A boy remains inside, untouched by time but changed by everything. What the body can’t say, it finds another way to release.

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Boy Inside by Luke White
https://www.lukewhite.xyz/

"The child/adult connection came through conversations Jacob and I had on childhood dynamics and health in adulthood. Children really are sponges, and I’m interested in how young children are exposed to the complexity of adult lives, the coping mechanisms they develop, and how that shapes what they come up against in adulthood. If it’s unacknowledged, it can develop into a dissociated, third-person mindset, or the body will find a way to express it. I wanted the child in the film to have too much responsibility for his age—controlling the industrial air compressor and running the drills."

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Boy Inside with our exclusive interview with director Luke White
directorsnotes.com/2025/08/27/luke-white-boy-inside

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// Credits //
Directed by: Luke White
Choreographer: Jacob Jonas
Featuring: Jarrett Yeary
Child: Damiano Bertoldo, Leonardo Tapparo
Performers: Evan Beek, Alyse Rockett, Ryan Green, Alexa Donnelly, Paulina Donnelly
Producers: Maria Clara Taglienti, Rocco Marcandino
Co-produced by: Tapeless Film, Mathieu Brelière
Cinematographer: Mathieu Brelière
Editors: Matt Nee, Anna Meller
Sound Design: Mutant Jukebox
Costume: Fucked Up Individuals
Set Designer: Weronika Wolinska
1st AC: Giacomo Piccolo
Gaffer: Xavier Tozzi Fontana
VFX: Time Based Arts
Particle VFX: Samuel Pietri
MoCap VFX: Luke White
Colourist: Ruth Wardell - Time Based Arts
MoCap equipment: Andrew Knight
Drawing by: Leonardo Tapparo
Filmed on location at: Orsolina28 Art Foundation
Special Thanks: Simony Monteiro, Michele Denegri, Maura Sodero & Ivan Bertoldo, Alice Nicoletti, Paideia Foundation, Joe D'Ovidio, George Miller

ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.

#childhood #trauma #dance #shortfilm

Buried

Directors Notes 2025-08-26 | Stalked by a sinister presence, a winemaker is suspicious that her vineyard is being poisoned.

Watch the full short film ⏯️ youtu.be/uHniUzIb0S8

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Buried with our exclusive interview with writer/director Nat Gee
directorsnotes.com/2025/06/03/nat-gee-buried

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#winemaker #vineyard #psychologicalthriller #shortfilm

Buried | Is a Sinister Presence Stalking Her Vineyard? (Psychological Thriller Short Film)

Directors Notes 2025-08-26 | Stalked by a sinister presence, a winemaker is suspicious that her vineyard is being poisoned.

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Buried by Nat Gee
nataliegee.com

"Audience reactions have been really dynamic and sparked conversations around how often artists rely on others for validation and how the judgement of the public realm interplays. Women are stereotyped into being weak when their bodies don’t show up for them and there’s a lot of shame thrown around when our health fails us. People often try to take advantage of you when you’re so vulnerable and claim you’re not up to the job. We often dismiss a woman’s real pain, but what I’ve uncovered through this story is that showing up in your honest way is how you reach and wrestle with our repressed feelings, even if it’s untethered to those around you."

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Buried with our exclusive interview with writer/director Nat Gee
directorsnotes.com/2025/06/03/nat-gee-buried

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// Credits //
Written, Directed & Produced by Nat Gee
Starring Lily Baldwin as Eva
Produced by Lindsey Nadolski, Zeus Kontoyannis, Amelia Spitler & Andre Basso
Executive Producer Annabelle Aronis
Starring Melinda Tanner, Johnny Sanchez, Michael J. Burg, Jeff Ayars, Cliff Samara, Woody Sempliner & Kana Hatakeyama
Director of Photography: Alván Prado
Edited by Lindsey Nadolski
Production Designer: Huda Haqqani
Costume Designer: Emily Chalmers
Music Composer: Coti K.
Sound Designer & Sound Re-recording Mixer: Stelios Koupetoris
Co production with Avion Films.

ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.

#winemaker #vineyard #psychologicalthriller #shortfilm

Cowboy, Choker, Harness & Heart

Love, Lust, Lies. Trapped with His Boyfriend Outside | Cowboy, Choker, Harness & Heart (Queer Short)

Directors Notes 2025-08-19 | Cowboy and Harness are furiously making out in the bathroom stall of a gay rave when they are interrupted by Mistress.

Cowboy laughs it off at first, until he hears his boyfriend, Heart, walking into the bathroom.

Separated by only the thin wall of the stall, Cowboy and Heart’s relationship will be then put through the ultimate test, but will they withstand it?

Cowboy, Choker, Harness & Heart explores the limits of commitment and desire, and the places where it can take us.

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Cowboy, Choker, Harness & Heart by Julia Ponce Diaz & Nico Blanco
juliaponcediaz.com
instagram.com/thisisnotnico

"I’ve always been a big part of the queer nightlife and the underground wherever I’ve lived. I think it is such an amazing world full of the most interesting people. It is a place for play and self-discovery, yet I rarely get to see it be captured in a way that feels authentic to what it actually looks and feels like. It always feels sanitized and I wanted to do something that would showcase this world. When it came to the actual story, I based it on a past date I had at this techno party and how we ended on a situation like this where the two of us were hitting on other people in spite of being on a date. When I had the idea, I knew that Julia, a classmate from the AFI, would be a great partner for this."

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Cowboy, Choker, Harness & Heart with our exclusive interview with directors Julia Ponce Diaz & Nico Blanco
directorsnotes.com/2025/08/19/julia_ponce_diaz_nico_blanco_cowboy_choker_harness_heart

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// Credits //
Directors: Julia Ponce Diaz & Nico Blanco
Producers: Céline Bava-Helms & Nico Blanco
Writers: Nico Blanco & Thomas Kivney
Cinematographer: Olivia Segarra Alcalá
Editor: Colton Warren

CAST
Ty Chen
Matt Ford
Amina Lakin
Jeffrey Castillo Peña
Taylor Vasek

ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.

#cheating #rave #bathroom #lgbtqia #queercomedy #shortfilm

Cacique Del Monte

Stealing a Sacred Emerald Brings a Bloody Reckoning | Cacique del Monte (Drama)

Directors Notes 2025-08-18 | After looting and desecrating sacred lands, Aníbal must escape from one of the most dangerous Zars in the emerald trade, while holding onto a gem that could change his life. The gods of the Andes are dangerous forces to be reckoned with, Aníbal must present a sacrifice to compensate for his actions.

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Cacique del Monte by Mateo Martinez
https://www.resetglobal.art/

"Colombia is a land shaped by mystery, conflict, and breathtaking beauty, yet I often feel the absence of a cinematic language that truly captures our essence. The dominance of the narco genre has flattened our identity into a single narrative, erasing the layers of our heritage. I grew up haunted by the stories whispered in the mountains, the spiritual echoes in our ecosystems. My mission is to give form to that unseen Colombia, complex, magical, and deeply human. Cacique del Monte is, at its core, a love letter to the land. It’s a mythic homage to a place where the sacred and the violent coexist, where history and legend blur. One cannot exist without the other, and neither should be portrayed without the other."

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Cacique del Monte with our exclusive interview with writer/director Mateo Martinez
directorsnotes.com/2025/08/18/mateo-martinez-cacique-del-monte

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// Credits //
Director: Mateo Martinez
Writers: Mateo Martinez, Juan David Cobos
Producers: Pablo Villalon, Mateo Martinez, Karime Rodriguez
Editor: Case Avron
Cinematographer: Cece Chan

ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.

#greed #emerald #columbia #betrayal #shortfilm #drama

Cowboy, Choker, Harness & Heart // Official Trailer

Directors Notes 2025-08-16 | Watch the full short film ⏯️ youtu.be/S--td-NPcfU

Cowboy and Harness are furiously making out in the bathroom stall of a gay rave when they are interrupted by Mistress.

Cowboy laughs it off at first, until he hears his boyfriend, Heart, walking into the bathroom.

Separated by only the thin wall of the stall, Cowboy and Heart’s relationship will be then put through the ultimate test, but will they withstand it?

Cowboy, Choker, Harness & Heart explores the limits of commitment and desire, and the places where it can take us.

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🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Cowboy, Choker, Harness & Heart with our exclusive interview with directors Julia Ponce Diaz & Nico Blanco
directorsnotes.com/2025/08/19/julia_ponce_diaz_nico_blanco_cowboy_choker_harness_heart

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// Credits //
Directors: Julia Ponce Diaz & Nico Blanco
Producers: Céline Bava-Helms & Nico Blanco
Writers: Nico Blanco & Thomas Kivney
Cinematographer: Olivia Segarra Alcalá
Editor: Colton Warren

CAST
Ty Chen
Matt Ford
Amina Lakin
Jeffrey Castillo Peña
Taylor Vasek

#cheating #rave #bathroom #lgbtqia #comedy #shortfilm

Cacique Del Monte // Official Trailer

Directors Notes 2025-08-14 | Watch the full short film ⏯️ youtu.be/pr3jwTYT9Kw

After looting and desecrating sacred lands, Aníbal must escape from one of the most dangerous Zars in the emerald trade, while holding onto a gem that could change his life. The gods of the Andes are dangerous forces to be reckoned with, Aníbal must present a sacrifice to compensate for his actions.

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🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Cacique del Monte with our exclusive interview with writer/director Mateo Martinez
directorsnotes.com/2025/08/18/mateo_martinez_cacique_del_monte

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// Credits //
Director: Mateo Martinez
Writers: Mateo Martinez, Juan David Cobos
Producers: Pablo Villalon, Mateo Martinez, Karime Rodriguez
Editor: Case Avron
Cinematographer: Cece Chan

Easy Sell // Official Trailer

Directors Notes 2025-08-14 | A frugal Baz gets more than he bargains for at a charity shop when he is cornered by Phil, an odd charity shop worker, who insists he buy a dusty old wedding dress or face explosive consequences.

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🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Easy Sell with our exclusive interview with writer/directors Ken Abalos & Ash Meshkati
directorsnotes.com/2025/08/14/ken-abalos-ash-meshkati-easy-sell

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// Credits //
Written and directed by: Ken Abalos & Ash Meshkati
Executive Producer: Katie Millington
Produced by: Amanda Davies
Phil: Divian Ladwa
Baz: Paul Casar
Next victim: Susan Lucas
Director of Photography: Harvir Gill
Editor: Becca Spaven
Production Designer: Delphine Fyrst
Art Department: Freja Wallin
1st AC: James Cockrell
2nd AC: Lottie Lunn
Gaffer: Laurence Mason-Guetta
Sound Recordist: Jordan Milliken
Original Score: Sean Fitzgerald
Music Supervisor: Tom Cathcart
Sound Mixer & Sound Design: Sam Robson
Post Production: Oliver Whitworth Renata Fabri
Colourist: Mackenzie Taylor
VFX lead: Bradley Cocksedge
Titles: Seamus Monaghan
Stills Photographer: Dean Rogers
BTS Photographer: Bimal Tailor
Business Affairs: Susan Cox
Production Assistants: Eleanor Hardy Panna Scheer Elliot Wright
Special Thanks: Shark Awards Marshall Street Editors ETC Heavy Duty Projects King Henry Studios No.8

#charityshop #comedy #shortfilm

The Breakdown of a Toxic Relationship as Told by Fluffmeister, a Poodle of Questionable Heritage

Directors Notes 2025-08-13 | The final gasping death throes of a broken relationship are seen through the eyes of an anxious pet dog. Told from Fluffmeister’s point of view, we meet “Mummy” and “Daddy”, a desperately unhappy pair of thirty-somethings who have reached a point of no return as their marriage spirals out of control. Unable to stand the loss of all he holds dear, Fluffmeister decides to get involved, with disastrous results.

A 13-minute dark comedy short about family, trauma and bereavement, The Breakdown of a Toxic Relationship as Told by Fluffmeister, a Poodle of Questionable Heritage is a funny, stylish, original take on the universal theme of love lost.

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The Breakdown of a Toxic Relationship as Told by Fluffmeister, a Poodle of Questionable Heritage by Peter Fellows
imdb.com/name/nm4397668

"I wanted isolation and loneliness to run through each of the three leads – Fluffmeister (the dog, voiced by Scroobius Pip), Mummy (Nikki Amuka-Bird) and Daddy (Amar Chadha-Patel). Each of them is grasping for something else, something unachievable, in the wake of their loss; Mummy seeks meaning in the instant-response endorphin race of social media, attempting to project a positive image online through her dog, her surrogate child. She’s lost her sense of self, of her identity, and needs affection and love. She’s even misidentified Fluffmeister as a poodle and is unable to accept that he’s clearly a completely different breed. Meanwhile, Daddy is lost in a haze of alcohol and self-pity. He’s brimming with affection but struggles to communicate unless he’s a few pints down. They’re both unable to process their trauma, which manifests as terse, frustrated bursts of confrontation, grief morphing into anger and resentment."

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of The Breakdown of a Toxic Relationship as Told by Fluffmeister, a Poodle of Questionable Heritage with our exclusive interview with writer/director Peter Fellows
directorsnotes.com/2025/08/13/peter-fellows-the-breakdown-of-a-toxic-relationship-as-told-by-fluffmeister

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// Credits //
Writer / Director: Peter Fellows
Mummy: Nikki Amuka-Bird
Daddy: Amar Chadha-Patel
Tall Lady: Rebecca Root
Fluffmeister: Scroobius Pip
Mama: Felicity Montagu
Celeste: Madison Clare
Brooke: Haley Bishop
Produced By: Daniel Sharp
Executive Producer: Sam Cryer
Executive Producer: Daniel Sharp
Associate Producer: Haley Bishop
1st Assistant Director: Jahn Ramis
2nd Assistant Director: Adam Watts
Runner: Ella Donaldson
Production Designer: Rana Fadavi
Assistant Art Director: Austeja Gokaite
Director of Photography: Thomas English
Focus Puller: Rob Hawkins
Loader: M. Bulman Arshehi
Gaffer: Ryan Delahunty
Spark: Will Stuetz
Costume: Natalie Wilkins
Hair & Makeup: Karen Hartley-Thomas
Hair & Makeup Assistant: Charlie Butler
Sound: Simon Hornett
Camera Equipment: Focus Canning
Lightening Equipment: Prolight
BTS Photographer: Alex Boundy
Animation Studio: No Quarter
Animator: James Boyd
Post Production Audio: Mahoney Audio
Colourist: Mark Slobodian
Editor: Anthony Boys
Editor: Nathan Coetzee
Finishing Editor: Thomas Richard
Composer: Steven Hickling
Violin performed by: Julia Mantell

ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.

#toxicrelationship #breakup #poodle #comedy #shortfilm

Victoria Mapplebeck Motherboard Interview: 20 Years of Solo Parenting—Filmed on iPhones

Directors Notes 2025-08-11 | 🔔 Love indie films? SUBSCRIBE to Directors Notes for more interviews & short films: youtube.com/c/directorsnotes

At 38, BAFTA award-winning director Victoria Mapplebeck @victoriamapplebeck5589 found herself single, pregnant, and broke. In this in-depth interview, she shares the two-decade journey behind 'Motherboard' — an intimate documentary of motherhood, resilience, and the power of telling your own story - captured on five generations of smartphones, from the iPhone 6 to the iPhone 15 - resulting in a unique self-portrait charting the real-life pain, joy and comedy that is the roller coaster of solo parenting.

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** VIDEO CHAPTERS **
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:23 What compelled Victoria to make Motherboard
00:09:01 Being told the subject matter was "too small" by Netflix
00:11:27 Portraying the messy, unromantic reality of motherhood
00:16:08 The ethics & duty of care underpinning Motherboard
00:19:03 Navigating Jim's growing awareness of being filmed
00:23:39 The practical considerations of Motherboard's cinematography
00:30:42 Editing the film
00:35:18 How it feels to have the film out there
00:38:10 What's next?

#motherhood #singleparenting #iphonefilmmaking #documentary

A Noble Lie Ruined Their Lives | Unjustified (Iranian Short Film Drama)

Directors Notes 2025-08-10 | In an attempt to support his pregnant classmate, a young man falsely declares himself as her husband in the midst of a heated confrontation with their professor. Meanwhile her actual Husband has been waiting to speak with this same professor, and upon confronting him after class, a serious misunderstanding arises, ultimately victimizing the young pregnant woman.

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Unjustified by Mohammad R. Khavari
instagram.com/mohammad.r.khavari

"It was important to me that no character be entirely good or bad because the film is about systems and structures, not individuals. In this system, everyone—regardless of their position or mindset—must either stay silent or play a complex game. Even those who seem powerful, like the professor who appears to dominate others, are trapped, constantly fearing that their voice might be recorded or that people are talking about them behind their back. By maintaining a certain distance in the storytelling, both in staging and directing, I aimed to shift the film from a character-driven drama to a piece about social structures."

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Mohammad R. Khavari with our exclusive interview with director Unjustified
directorsnotes.com/2025/08/05/mohammad-r-khavari-unjustified

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// Credits //
Writer/Director - Mohammad R. Khavari
Producers - Emma Sofia Fazzuoli & Adrian R. Mani
Editing - Mohammad R. Khavari
Sound mix - Erfan Ebrahimi
DOP - Keyvan Shabani
Color - Farbod Jalali

Cast:
Nassim Adabi
Faranak Kalantar
Amin Mazaheri
Mohammad Movahednia
Shahrouz Aghaei
Houra Kian

ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.

#oppression #university #Iran #drama #shortfilm

Motherboard // Official Trailer

Directors Notes 2025-08-08 | 🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Motherboard with our exclusive interview with director Victoria Mapplebeck
youtu.be/QndSXhSEZHI

At 38, BAFTA award-winning director Victoria Mapplebeck found herself single, pregnant, and broke. Shot over 20 years, MOTHERBOARD is a celebration of messy lives, capturing the pain, joy and comedy of raising her son Jim alone.

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#motherhood #singlemother #parenting #documentary #motherson

Circumstantial Forgiveness

Directors Notes 2025-08-08 | A friend does something at game night and everyone loves it.

Watch the full short film ⏯️ youtu.be/iZ3ziKNsXpU

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Circumstantial Forgiveness with our exclusive interview with writer/director Alex Sovoda
directorsnotes.com/2025/08/07/alex-sovoda-circumstantial-forgiveness

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#gamenight #cringe #friendship #betrayal #comedy #shortfilm

Accusations Fly as a Game Night Gets Heated | Circumstantial Forgiveness (Comedy)

Directors Notes 2025-08-07 | A friend does something at game night and everyone loves it.

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Circumstantial Forgiveness by Alex Sovoda
enzothemagazine.com

"I love grounding absurd things in reality. We can have our fun and laugh and get big performances, but we also all have to deal with the weight of these things. Forcing the characters, and I guess the audience to do that is what I really enjoy. Also, with the nature of these characters, this was never going to end in a real resolution. Will is this chaos machine who’s just kind of deflecting and stealing and getting entertainment out of all of it. And Wes feels like he’s a good person because he admits to who he is and what he does and just makes everybody accept the darkness of it instead of himself. And both of them are too loud and dominating and obnoxious to let anyone talk. And they’re against this ticking clock of Maria arriving that we don’t even know about. If they just let Haley talk and actually moderate, maybe this would’ve been okay (it wouldn’t have, how do you fix this sort of thing?)"

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Circumstantial Forgiveness with our exclusive interview with writer/director Alex Sovoda
directorsnotes.com/2025/08/07/alex-sovoda-circumstantial-forgiveness

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// Credits //
Written and Directed by Alex Sovoda

Based on an idea by Alex Sovoda, Will Duncan, Michael Rees

Starring
Will Duncan
Wes Dunlap
Haley Stiel
Maria Smal
Leo Reilly

Production Companies: Enzo & Analoga
EP: Jessica DiMento
Producer: Chet Oshima

ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.

#gamenight #cringe #friendship #betrayal #comedy #shortfilm

Circumstantial Forgiveness // Official Trailer

Directors Notes 2025-08-07 | Watch the full short film ⏯️ youtu.be/iZ3ziKNsXpU

A friend does something at game night and everyone loves it.

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🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Circumstantial Forgiveness with our exclusive interview with writer/director Alex Sovoda
directorsnotes.com/2025/08/07/alex-sovoda-circumstantial-forgiveness

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#gamenight #cringe #friendship #betrayal #comedy #shortfilm

And the Cranes Kept Dancing

Directors Notes 2025-07-31 | When the Cranes appear on the shore and introduce the Man to the world of beauty and dance, he needs to decide what priorities in his life are.

Watch the full short film ⏯️ youtu.be/VhKmP5INlM4

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of And The Cranes Kept Dancing with our exclusive interview with writer/director Natasza Cetner
directorsnotes.com/2025/07/31/natasza-cetner-and-the-cranes-kept-dancing

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#animation #cranes #dance #shortfilm

And the Cranes Kept Dancing | A Man Loses Himself in a Hypnotic World (Animation)

Directors Notes 2025-07-31 | When the Cranes appear on the shore and introduce the Man to the world of beauty and dance, he needs to decide what priorities in his life are.

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And the Cranes Kept Dancing by Natasza Cetner
nataszacetner.co.uk

"The film portrays just one of the many possible fates of a person who loses himself in beauty and creativity, while also leaving so much suffering behind him. My main priority in making this film was for the audience to be lost with the dancing cranes and feel the appeal of the escape from monotony. The man’s life at home is not a paradise, as there is clearly some tension between him and his wife, but he is not trying to make things better either. I wish I had more time to spend on clarifying certain aspects of the plot and the relationships between characters, but it was a mad rush to get everything done in time."

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of And The Cranes Kept Dancing with our exclusive interview with writer/director Natasza Cetner
directorsnotes.com/2025/07/31/natasza-cetner-and-the-cranes-kept-dancing

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// Credits //
Written & Directed by Natasza Cetner
Sound & Music by Phil Brookes
Produced by Mikołaj Błoński
Creative Producer: Mateusz Kowalczyk
Executive Producers: Błażej Pieczonka, Maha Alabbad, Majed Z. Samman, Tariq Alkhawaji
Distribution Specialist Anna Waszczuk
This film was created as part of the production of the animation anthology commissioned by Ithra.

ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.

#animation #cranes #dance #shortfilm

Anna Smith Girls on Film Interview

Directors Notes 2025-07-30 | Anna Smith joins DN for a wide-ranging conversation about building the Girls on Film Podcast & Awards into an important force in the cinematic landscape, the need for representation within the screen industries, and the shifting dynamics of film criticism in the online era.

#AnnaSmith #GirlsOnFilm #filmcritic #filmpodcast #filmawards

Girls on Films Anna Smith on the Power of Female Perspectives in Cinema

Directors Notes 2025-07-30 | 🔔 Love indie films? SUBSCRIBE to Directors Notes for more interviews & short films: youtube.com/c/directorsnotes

Veteran film critic and broadcaster Anna Smith joins DN for a wide-ranging conversation about building the Girls on Film Podcast & Awards into an important force in the cinematic landscape, the need for representation within the screen industries, and the shifting dynamics of film criticism in the online era.

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** VIDEO CHAPTERS **
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:38 Anna's background
00:01:38 Working from a feminist perspective
00:02:51 Maintaining an authorial voice as a journalist
00:09:46 Creating the Girls on Film podcast
00:14:46 The Girls on Film awards
00:17:56 Finding sponsorship
00:20:32 Girls on Film at Cannes
00:21:51 Reaching an international audience
00:24:22 The effect of Letterboxd & audience reviews on professional critics
00:26:09 Maintaining honest objectivity when working with large sponsors
00:30:30 Positive representation changes in the industry
00:36:54 What's coming up for the Girls on Film podcast

#AnnaSmith #GirlsOnFilm #filmcritic #filmpodcast #filmawards

And The Cranes Kept Dancing // Official Trailer

Directors Notes 2025-07-29 | Watch the full short film ⏯️ youtu.be/VhKmP5INlM4

When the Cranes appear on the shore and introduce the Man to the world of beauty and dance, he needs to decide what priorities in his life are.

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🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of And The Cranes Kept Dancing
with our exclusive interview with writer/director Natasza Cetner
directorsnotes.com/2025/07/31/natasza-cetner-and-the-cranes-kept-dancing

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// Credits //
Written & Directed by Natasza Cetner
Sound & Music by Phil Brookes
Produced by Mikołaj Błoński
Creative Producer: Mateusz Kowalczyk
Executive Producers: Błażej Pieczonka, Maha Alabbad, Majed Z. Samman, Tariq Alkhawaji
Distribution Specialist Anna Waszczuk
This film was created as part of the production of the animation anthology commissioned by Ithra.

#animation #cranes #dance #shortfilm

GOOSECAM

Just How Weird Is This Livestream Gonna Get? | Goosecam

Directors Notes 2025-07-29 | A static webcam stream set in a Soviet-era apartment slowly unravels as symbolic figures emerge, revealing fragments of the woman’s cultural background. What begins as a performance becomes a surreal exposure of inherited roles, ambient memory, and subconscious codes — offered to an audience that sees only her body.

As Tarkovsky once said, “Cinema is like a dream. That’s why it can be true.” GOOSECAM exists within that dream — quiet, absurd, and saturated with the strange tenderness of what lingers beneath the surface.

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Goosecam by Ira Groza
https://girlsscout.studio/

"This film is deeply personal. There are no metaphors here—only facts. Every detail is part of the world I grew up in, a world shared by millions of others. That’s why it reflects such a range of emotions—and still manages to connect us all. This film doesn’t offer answers—it only presents themes. Is she a sex worker, or a sublimation of the male gaze? Are the babushkas simply grandmothers, or a symbol of outdated morality? Are the cop and the gopnik literal characters, or archetypes of masculinity? I present the elements, and from there, the viewer is invited to explore and conclude for themselves."

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Goosecam with our exclusive interview with writer/director Ira Groza
directorsnotes.com/2025/07/29/ira-groza-goosecam

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// Credits //
Director: Ira Groza
Starring: Oksi Belkasemi
Style: Svetlana Pashaeva
Videography: Anzhelika Maksimova
Producer: Girls Scout Studio Oksana Belkasemi
Editing: Ira Groza
CGI: lustra.fx Klim Malinovskyi

Cast:
Grandma twins: Lubov & Vera
Gopnik: Loidi
Policeman: Alexander Silkin
Goose: Olga Vladimirovna

ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.

#camgirl #surreal #identity #shortfilm

Goosecam // Official Teaser

Directors Notes 2025-07-25 | Watch the full short film ⏯️ youtu.be/lhyqx_j00uc

A static webcam stream set in a Soviet-era apartment slowly unravels as symbolic figures emerge, revealing fragments of the woman’s cultural background. What begins as a performance becomes a surreal exposure of inherited roles, ambient memory, and subconscious codes — offered to an audience that sees only her body.

As Tarkovsky once said, “Cinema is like a dream. That’s why it can be true.” GOOSECAM exists within that dream — quiet, absurd, and saturated with the strange tenderness of what lingers beneath the surface.

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🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Goosecam with our exclusive interview with writer/director Ira Groza
directorsnotes.com/2025/07/29/ira-groza-goosecam

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#camgirl #surreal #identity #shortfilm

Good Luck F*** Face

The Perfect Revenge for Cheating | Good Luck F*ck Face (Comedy Short Film)

Directors Notes 2025-07-23 | Two friends brainstorm the worst possible sentence to tweet from one of their famous husband's accounts as revenge for cheating. It's an assassination attempt done with words rather than bullets. But things don’t quite go as expected.

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Good Luck F*ck Face by Oli Beale
olibeale.com

"The funny bit of that idea for me is the brainstorm about what to write. What’s the worst sentence? I basically had to have the same brainstorm the characters had inside my own head. I wrote the brainstorm first, thinking that would be enough of an idea. But it lacked a beginning, a middle and an end. Also the characters had nowhere to go. Who were they? Why are they doing this? So I added the backstory and the final twist presented itself to me.

I basically covered all the topics I could think of that are charged enough to destroy somebody. I think the examples are pretty predictable. I added some unpredictable names in like Buzz Aldrin and Prince George to make them feel a bit more specific. I come from an advertising background so the idea of writing some of that stuff is so wild. I’ve spent years toning everything down and making sure nobody could possibly complain about anything and this was the complete opposite. Maybe that’s why I was drawn to it as a subject."

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Good Luck F*ck Face with our exclusive interview with writer/director Oli Beale
directorsnotes.com/2025/07/23/oli-beale-good-luck-fuck-face

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// Credits //
Production Company: DROOL
Writer & Director: Oli Beale
EP: Genevieve Sheppard
EP: Freddie Powell
Production Manager: Michelle Cheung
Director of Photography: Joel Delvin
Production Design: Ayesha Linton-Whittle
Wardrobe: Emma Lipop
Wardrobe:Tom Lipop
Casting: Anna Kennedy
Editor: Owen Oppenheimer
Zara: Leila Farzad
Aimee: Fiona Button
1st AD: George Cassavetti
Focus Puller: Sim Bala
2nd AC: Pete Nance
DIT: Phil Humphries
Grip: George Ambrose
Camera Trainee: Iman Ahmed
Gaffer: Michael Fennelly
Electrician: Alfie Nolan
Sound Recordist: Matt Senuik
Art Department: Anouska Sokolow
Hair and Makeup Artist: Tabitha Li
Runner: Jacob Akman
Offline Edit: The Quarry
Post Producer: Tor Adams
Assistant Editor: Henry Thackray
Audio Post Production: The Factory
Supervising Sound Editor: Anthony Moore
Sound Design & Mix: Michael Haines
Audio Producer: Olivia Endersby
Music Supervision: Siren
Music Supervisors: Jen Moss & Sîan Rogers
Post Production: Untold Studios

ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.

#revenge #cheating #comedy #shortfilm

Word of Mouth

Directors Notes 2025-07-21 | A lonely woman, Ana, becomes addicted to an AI-driven mobile app that monetizes word-of-mouth recommendations. She meets and bonds with a fellow leaderboarder, Jess, over their natural talent for slyly promoting sponsored products. When Ana starts to question the ethics of her new obsession, she descends into a disorienting reality where the lines between authentic conversation and paid marketing start to blur.

🎙️ Watch Word of Mouth and read our exclusive making of interview with director Danny Jelinek
directorsnotes.com/2025/07/21/danny-jelinek-word-of-mouth

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#gigwork #aiapp #scifi #comedy #shortfilm

Athina Rachel Tsangari ‘Harvest’ Interview – A Hallucinatory Tale of a Community’s Collapse

Directors Notes 2025-07-20 | 🔔 Love indie films? SUBSCRIBE to Directors Notes for more interviews & short films: youtube.com/c/directorsnotes

Athina Rachel Tsangari talks to Directors Notes about her new 16mm shot feature starring Caleb Landry Jones where community, tradition and certainty all unravel for the inhabitants of an idyllic rural Scottish village over the course of seven hallucinatory days in the face of relentless economic forces.

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** VIDEO CHAPTERS **
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:18 What is Harvest about?
00:02:28 Shifting the location from England to Scotland
00:04:25 Integrating real people from the land into the cast
00:06:56 Working with Cinematographer Sean Price Williams
00:09:10 Shooting the film
00:17:30 Working with choreographer Holly Blakey
00:20:55 Why Caleb Landry Jones was crucial to Harvest
00:22:45 Composing the music for Harvest
00:25:12 What's next?

#HarvestFilm #AthinaRachelTsangari #CalebLandryJones

She Stole Her Friend’s Life for Her Book | Goose (Drama Short Film)

Directors Notes 2025-07-18 | A young author is confronted by a friend from college who feels that they have been copy-and-pasted into the writer's soon to be published debut.

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Goose by Ethan Edwards
imdb.com/name/nm11345048

"Ken Burns did this really great documentary on Hemingway, and while watching it I learned that we know all the real people Hemingway based his characters off of in The Sun Also Rises. The characters in the novel (all of whom were his friends) are oblivious to the emptiness of their lives, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that these people who would’ve otherwise been forgotten to history were now immortalized in a very unflattering way.

My mind went to thinking about what the modern day equivalent of that would be, and how it would go down. At a certain point the two characters emerged and the fictitious novel also took shape. There was dramatic weight and clarity to the soon-to-be published novel having revealed this big dark secret about Mara, played by Tess Goldwyn. It took a while to figure it out, but the secret we ultimately landed on struck (I think) the right balance of psychologically damning but really strange and funny in a way you can’t exactly put your finger on."

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Goose with our exclusive interview with writer/director Ethan Edwards
directorsnotes.com/2025/07/18/ethan-edwards-goose

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// Credits //
Written and Directed by Ethan Edwards
Mara - Tess Goldwyn
Camille - Melanie Brook
Bill - Zach Blair
DP - Jacob Mallin
AD - Zack Watson
Editor - Phil Flack
First AC - Sarah Alexander
Gaffer - Jonathan Tang
Key Grip - Jesus Sanchez
Sound Mixer - Zach Travis
Sound Designer - Jack Straton
Color - Emily Bailey

ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.

#exploitation #betrayal #author #drama #shortfilm

Harvest // Official Trailer

Directors Notes 2025-07-17 | A folk horror-inflected tale about a rural Scottish village on the brink of irrevocable change, Athina Rachel Tsangari’s Harvest is a spellbinding, atmospheric and thrillingly distinctive period piece like no other. Caleb Landry Jones leads an ensemble cast in this beautifully textured and deeply immersive cinematic experience.

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Harvest with our exclusive interview with writer/director Athina Rachel Tsangari
youtu.be/IKdKrfpkqXo

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#athinaracheltsangari #caleblandryjones

Moncalvo

Directors Notes 2025-07-16 | Moncalvo is created by an award-winning team of global artists. Directed by Tanu Muiño—whose work has earned accolades including Video of the Year at the MTV VMAs and a Grammy Nomination for Best Music Video—and Nikita Kuzmenko, who also served as the film’s cinematographer. Kuzmenko is a Ukrainian visual artist known for his striking work on campaigns for Dior, PUMA, and Oakley, as well as music videos for The Weeknd, Harry Styles, and Foals. Choreographed by Jacob Jonas and featuring 9 Performing Artists of Jacob Jonas The Company, the film was created on location at Orsolina28, an international art center in Italy. The work is set to an original score composed by Steve Hackman, Moses Sumney, and Jacob Jonas.

Watch the full short film ⏯️ youtu.be/sCJFt1h3R00

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Moncalvo with our exclusive interview with co-director Nikita Kuzmenko
directorsnotes.com/2025/07/16/tanu-muino-nikita-kuzmenko-moncalvo

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#dance #dancefilm #danceshort #shortfilm

Dirty Towel

Directors Notes 2025-07-16 | A teenage girl grapples with feelings of shame and guilt after having sex for the first time, leading to a thoughtful exploration of generational shame, societal expectations, and self-worth.

Watch the full short film ⏯️ youtu.be/cr5gbnP5c0k

🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Dirty Towel with our exclusive interview with writer/director Callie Carpinteri
directorsnotes.com/2025/07/14/callie-carpinteri-dirty-towel

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#comingofage #comedy #shame #guilt #shortfilm