At Directors Notes, we thrive on the excitement of attending film festivals and sharing our discoveries with our readers. There’s nothing quite like the experience of sitting in a dark cinema, surrounded by an audience, watching films together. Yet one of our greatest pleasures lies in discovering short films before they ever reach the festival circuit and one of the best opportunities to experience this is at graduate showcases – where the next generation of storytellers unveils their work to the world. Because our team is largely based in the UK, we mostly attend screenings close to home (though, to any international schools reading this – if you’d like to send us screeners, our inbox is always open) and alongside the NFTS, the RCA showcase is one of the highlights of the calendar.
This year, I had the added honour of being invited to speak on a Professional Feedback Panel (thanks to Carla MacKinnon and DN alum Samantha Moore for the invite), joining a group of industry representatives tasked with offering graduating students insights into their films and how they might shape their careers moving forward. It was a privilege to speak with the filmmakers directly, to hear about their inspirations and challenges, and to see their work projected on a big screen. As always, the RCA showcase proved fertile ground for animation lovers, with several standouts that deserve the attention of distributors, festival programmers, and fellow cinephiles alike.
Below are six animated films from this year’s graduating class that we believe are well worth seeking out. Each filmmaker is now managing their own distribution, so if a film catches your eye, we encourage you to get in touch directly – we’ve included their contact details for easy reference.
ima wa ima – Chun Yam Keung
One of the first films from this year’s graduating class to immediately signal festival potential was ima wa ima – Japanese for Now is Now. Showcasing Keung’s delicate linework and minimalist design, the short blends illustration and animation into a striking visual language. Its experimental narrative, tinged with the rhythm and style of a music video, explores themes of nostalgia, time, and longing, resulting in an emotive and memorable watch.
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @bigbreadpedlar
How to Build a Sand Castle – Nour Khamis
Exploring Queer identity through animation is nothing new, yet Khamis’ How to Build a Sandcastle feels entirely its own. Using the unexpected metaphor of a sandcastle and a bold, ink-streaked visual style, the film is impossible to ignore. Its storytelling may be abstract, but there’s an undeniable sense of freedom in watching it – a liberating, resonant feeling that lingers long after the final frame.
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @knouvy
Website: nour-khamis.com
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You Are Not Part of the Cake – Ting-Jui Chen
With its intriguing title, Ting-Jui’s You Are Not Part of the Cake draws you in before the first frame, and once its stark, distinctive animation begins, it grips you completely. Focused on a homophobic father and his threats toward his daughter’s girlfriend, the film unfolds into a twisted revenge story, punctuated by striking, unforgettable imagery. With its rhythmic energy and pulsating style, this is a short we can easily imagine making waves on the festival circuit.
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @die_fart_kid
Ball Face – Laurence Thérien
Holy shit! I’ve only seen the trailer for this one, but it completely floored me. Its warped claymation style and eccentric character design make it instantly captivating, while the school sports hall setting gives it a universal touch. Thérien is no stranger to the festival circuit—her previous short Rabies screened at Ottawa – and I wouldn’t be surprised if Ball Face goes even further.
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @loupie__
Vimeo: vimeo.com/loupie
Doug & Me – Cecile Fountain-Jardim
Having seen countless student films over the years, one of the biggest pitfalls is tackling subjects and emotions beyond their experience—death and grief being the most common. In Doug & Me, Fountain-Jardim navigates this territory with remarkable sensitivity, exploring the legacy of her uncle, who died of AIDS in 1997, and the ways their lives intersected. Rather than the introspective, mournful piece you might expect from a young filmmaker, the short emerges as a celebration of life – a heartfelt tribute to a man she never met, yet who profoundly shaped her world.
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @konocostudio
Website: konoco.co
Change Her – Zixuan Jin
An animator who describes her work as “Capturing everyday moments that feel light and heartwarming,” Jin stays true to her ethos in Change Her, a charming tale of a daughter discovering that her mother isn’t as set in her ways as she once thought. Blending a playful, inventive visual style with a universally relatable story, this four-minute short is as humorous as it is heartfelt.
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @zixuanjin_
Very cool to see Ball Face and You Are Not Part of the Cake picking up awards at Annecy ’26