Shorts

A mother with a substance misuse issue, has to prove herself on her path to recovery, to prevent her child from being taken away from her and placed into care. We chat here with director Annette Westwood. Where did the idea come from? Can you tell us a bit about your relationship or collaboration with Trevi? THIS LITTLE GIRL was inspired by the amazing work of Trevi, a women’s & children’s charity & their unique residential rehabilitation centre. Their centre is one of the last of (...)

With dozens of translations of Sappho’s words recorded by queer women from all over the world, we celebrate the fragment’s poignant reflection on memory and legacy. With animation reflecting the evolution of art movements, we pay tribute to queer woman through the ages—though we may never know their names, we celebrate their lives. The Sappho Project won the Audience Award at the latest edition of Emerging Filmmakers Night. We caught up with director Sari Katharyn. Who is Sappho? What was it (...)

A short documentary following a young couple as they prepare to make their first action film in El Alto, Bolivia. Films Of Fury won the Critics’ Choice Prize at the latest edition of Emerging Filmmakers Night. We chatted to Mila about her work. Well done for your win for Films Of Fury. What an original, offbeat and truly moving short film. Could you tell us more about its inception? How did you meet our protagonists? Why Bolivia? I am half Bolivian, so I spend a lot of time in the (...)

Investigative journalism website Declassified UK) is back with this short doc. At only 26 minutes, it lays bare Britain’s complicity in the atrocities committed in Yemen, while the people on the ground in Warton are kept in the dark. Presenter Matt Kennard elicits a range of reactions. Some residents are just happy with the job creation that comes with the industry but others express sad and shock and remark that money is better spent dealing with the current misery and poverty plaguing the (...)

Every now and then we highlight a quality short that’s caught our attention. This one’s available to view online and is reviewed by writer Nia Jones. Floppy Toast with Drippy Butter A short film by Lone Pine Pictures Written by Simon Jefferson and Paul Stainthorpe A troubled, bullied teen, Chloe (Ellie Bindman) is struggling to cope with the situation at her new school. Finding her way in desperation to a bridge, she encounters a mysterious stranger who could offer her some hope, the (...)

Animator Tiffany Tong won the Critics’ Choice Award at the last edition of Emerging Filmmakers Night for her short Moth. She tells us a bit more about the film and her background in animation. Moth is available to view online. There is so much to unpack in the 3 minute run-time of Moth. First of all, can you explain the choice of title? Moths are attracted to light, drawn to bright lights. It represents Hong Kong residents, seeking the light in the dark, like chasing hope in the dark. (...)

Zillah Bowes is a Welsh/English writer, director and photographer. She trained at the NFTS and has made films as a director and cinematographer, which have been shown worldwide. She won a John Brabourne Award from the Film and TV Charity in 2020. Her debut SMALL PROTESTS was nominated for a Grierson Award and won the Current Short Cuts Vimeo Award and Best Short Documentary at the London Independent Film Festival. As a cinematographer, her feature films include ENEMIES OF HAPPINESS, which (...)

This week, we thought we’d highlight this wonderfully engaging zero-budget short by Palestinian director Mo’min Swaitat free to watch on Youtube. Stones In Hand is an experimental docu-fiction based on the director’s experiences and memories of growing up in Jenin City in the West Bank. It’s an interesting and rough collage of archive footage, uprisings, scenes in London, music, and lengthier recollections based on the cast’s own memories of the homes they left behind, all combined to (...)

Johnny drives home late one evening to spend time with his wife. He runs her a bath and goes to the kitchen to pour them both a glass of wine. We hear the disembodied voice of the wife shouting from the bathroom about a call from a producer whilst Johnny’s mobile is being constantly called by a woman driving and begging to speak to him. Thus begins the film’s opening sequence before things start to get confusing... Damian Draven is a production designer and director, beginning his career on (...)

Denis is the director of short film Savage, a dramatised account of the abhorrent but sadly little-known concept of human zoos, a practice that was part and parcel of Britain’s colonial empire. With great attention to detail and historical accuracy, Savage is an original, moving take on a phenomenon that plays an integral part in the development of modern institutionalised racism. Lead Florence Nzenwefi gives a touching and dignified performance as man cruelly uprooted from his home and (...)