Author

About the Author /

Co-Founder & Managing Editor at Directors Notes, Rob's 20+ year obsession with short film has led him to develop a unique perspective on the medium. Driven by his curiosity and excitement for emerging filmmaking talent, he's motivated by sharing these exciting new voices with the world.

Live Action

Memories of a Hunting Trip Lead Lucas Parra to Explore the “Nuances of Masculinity” in Thriller ‘Ser un Hombre’

Rooted in real world hunting culture, Lucas Parra explores the tensions of masculinity and tradition in his unflinching Spanish coming of age thriller.

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Live Action, Premiere

“No script. No money. No locations” – How Industry Frustrations Shaped Jared Hogan’s Latest Short ‘Dogbite’

Shot over 4 days with no script, director Jared Hogan joins us to discuss the instinctual process behind creating short film, 'Dogbite'.

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Live Action

From “Back Alley Head Job” to SXSW Award-Winner: Lee Lawson on the Evolution of ‘Man Eating Pussy’

Lee Lawson discusses the practical effects and unexpected tenderness behind the provocative premise of her SXSW award-winning short, 'Man Eating Pussy'.

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Live Action, Premiere

Craig Bingham Demonstrates How “Restraint Breeds Creativity” with His Mythic Fantasy Sci-Fi Short ‘FARANOOKA’

Real sparks from an angle grinder, weeks of unnerving sonic experiments and a lead laid bare; Craig Bingham on forging a raw, rusty-bladed mythology.

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Film Festival, Live Action

Five Shoots, One Year and Zero Fundraising Shape Bertil Nilsson’s Intimate Identity-Shifting Feature Debut ‘Masc’

Ahead of its LFF 2026 European premiere, Bertil Nilsson returns to discuss the instinct-led process which enabled the creation of his debut feature, 'Masc'.

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Live Action, Premiere

Subverting Stereotypes and Capturing the Authentic Drunken Perspective in Daniel Chisholm’s Dizzying ‘Don’t Puke’

Daniel Chisholm distils the disorientating, woozy sensation of being smashed into a comic odyssey that lets audiences experience the drunkest night ever.

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Animation

Animator Kate Renshaw-Lewis Peels Back the Repetition, Rhythm and Absurdity of Mass Production in ‘Busy Bodies’

Kate Renshaw-Lewis explores the hidden complexities of consumerism driven mass production in a surreal, tactile world of Rube Goldberg systems of production.

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Article, Documentary, Sponsored

Creating Space to Breathe in the Film Industry: Inside the No Man’s Land Creative Retreat

An antidote to constant hustle, the team behind the No Man's Land Creative Retreat in Italy discuss why spaces like this are so important to creativity.

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Film Festival, Sponsored

From Cosmic Head Explosions to Awkward Third Wheels: 11 Short Films to Discover at Encounters Film Festival 2026

From experimental documentaries to animated dance, DN selects 11 short films to discover at Encounters 2026.

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Live Action

When Friendship Becomes a Nightmare: Hugo De Sousa on His SXSW Short ‘Best Friends with the Devil’

Hugo De Sousa digs into the guilt of letting old friends go and takes that to the absolute extreme in the tonal tightrope of his SXSW comedy thriller short.

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Animation

The Seven Year Intergalactic Journey of Shahaf Ram and His Independent Animated Space Opera ‘Orange Story’

Shahaf Ram reflects on the seven years in the making solo journey of his animated DIY space opera — an intimate story of heartbreak told on a cosmic scale.

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Live Action, Premiere

Jasper Martin Finds Comedy in the Sisyphean Horror of AI Customer Service in ‘Listen Then Repeat’

Jasper Martin maps out using live off-stage cueing and intentional dialogue mistakes to build tension in his satirical AI customer service nightmare.

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