Author

About the Author /

Obsessed with film, the internet and WordPress, Directors Notes is the place Rob gets to brings all his interests together and really geek out. When not writing for DN he can be found on Short of the Week or Vimeo.

Animation, Film Festival

10 Short Films that Capture the Spirit of Cardiff Animation Festival 2026

Here are the 10 standout shorts from Cardiff Animation Festival - each one showcasing a distinct and exciting voice in animation.

Read more

Animation, Premiere

Inside Mine! – How Louis Morton’s Short Film Explores Capitalism and its Environmental Impacts

Louis Morton on befriending rats underground, adapting a great-grandpa's tale and the hand-drawn process of unearthing a climate parable in his SXSW animation.

Read more

Film Festival

SXSW 2026 Guide: 14 Emerging Filmmakers You Need to Know

With the SXSW Film Festival here again Directors Notes took a deep dive into this year's line-up and selected 14-filmmakers with bright futures ahead of them.

Read more

Article, Live Action

How the BBC Enabled New Voices to Take Creative Risks with Their Long Story Short Initiative

Jess Loveland, Head of New Writing at BBC Writers, and filmmakers Theo James Krekis & Annabel Vine join us to discuss the Long Story Short Initiative.

Read more

forevergreen_short_film

Animation, Awards

How Nathan Engelhardt & Jeremy Spears Turned a “Love-Letter to Stop-Motion” into Oscar-Contender ‘Forevergreen’

Challenged by truth to materials, Nathan Engelhardt & Jeremy Spears developed a unique replacement animation system to give digital assets a physical weight.

Read more

Animation, Awards

How “Lowering the Stakes” Led John Kelly to Strike Creative Gold with Oscar-Nominated Short ‘Retirement Plan’

John Kelly shares how a realisation he needed “to do more with less” guided him in creating the multi-award-winning animated short film 'Retirement Plan'.

Read more

Animation, Awards

From Independent Production to Award Recognition: Luke Angus’s ‘Solstice’ and the Path to a BAFTA Nomination

Luke Angus reflects on staying motivated on his four-year solo animation and mimicking human camera errors to breathe life into his digital Arctic world.

Read more

Film Festival

13 Standout Short Films from Sundance 2026

From familiar names to emerging voices, we dive into the 2026 Sundance lineup to spotlight thirteen must-watch short films.

Read more

Cartoon Saloon's Eiru is one of the short film highlights at Manchester animation Festival

Animation, Film Festival

Our Top 12 Short Film Picks from Manchester Animation Festival 2025

From bold debuts to innovative festival favourites, MAF’s eclectic short film selection is bursting with creativity — here are 12 unmissable picks.

Read more

shapes_tsz_wing_ho

Animation

Inside the Hypnotic World of ‘Shapes’: How Tsz-wing Ho Let Music Lead the Way

Animator Tsz-wing Ho returns to DN to share how mastering time management and connecting deeply with music inspired the creation of mesmerising film 'Shapes'.

Read more

Animation, Premiere

Feelings of Tenderness and Dread Collide in Amanda Bonaiuto’s Surreal Animation ‘Confetti’

Animator Amanda Bonaiuto joins us to discuss how tone and direction has guided her distinct approach to filmmaking and why she's wary of the trap of 'style'.

Read more

Animation

Cassie Shao Transforms Repetitive Explosive Moments into Narrative Inspiration in ‘This is a Story Without a Plan’

How the repetitive feeling of "watching an explosion slowly unfolding" led animator Cassie Shao to create her experimental mixed media relationship short film.

Read more