Shorts

Shana is looking for a job, she needs cash to leave France and her wrong crowd. But the past she’s looking to forget is never far. Besides, does she really want to put it behind her? What gave you the urge to tell Shana’s story? Are some of the characters drawn from examples or experiences you have had in real life? I’ve wanted to tell Shana’s story since meeting the actress who plays her, Eva Huaut. I’ve known her since childhood and I’d lost touch with her for 7 years. When we met (…)

In Natal, on the Brazilian coast, the country is preparing to launch its first manned space rocket into space. A couple lives with children near the space center, she is a cleaner and he is a mechanic, but she dreams of other horizons. Have you ever dreamt of flying or going into space? I’ve personally never wanted to go to space. Perhaps I’m a bit curious. What attracts me to space is its immensity and infiniteness. In Sidéral, space appears as the real possibility of a spatio-temporal (…)

After a bus accident in the middle of nowhere, Lupa decides to tag along with another passenger, Alban, who is determined to reach the nearest village on foot. Crossing through fields and rivers, they slowly go off-course in a strange forest. Where did you get the idea for this rather supernatural adventure? This project has been in development for a very long time. It arose from life experience and my feminist and ecological convictions. A few years ago, I found myself stuck in a train (…)

Khadiga, a young mother of 18 lives alone with her baby after her husband left for work in a remote city; in an ordinary day she makes her way through the hustle of Cairo streets to do some visits where she feels uncomfortable with the surroundings. Is Khadiga based on someone you know? What motivated you to tell her story? Khadiga is a character we all know, and she exists in all societies in different forms and ways. What prompted me to tell this story is that it is a story that I’d (…)

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 (…)

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 (…)