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MarBelle has a strange compulsion to watch as many films as he can get his hands on and find jobs that give him a legitimate excuse to drill filmmakers about their work. Directors Notes is the multi-decade incarnation of this disorder and remains so much cheaper than film school.

Animation, Awards

Maciek Szczerbowski & Chris Lavis Weigh Love’s Value in Oscar-Winning Stop Motion ‘The Girl Who Cried Pearls’

Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski reflect on turning a wooden first cut into a fluid narrative by ripping apart the script of their Oscar animation in post.

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Article

Directors Notes Favourite Interviews of 2025

DN's writers have each selected their favourite interview of 2025—comprising a must read selection of conversations which transcended simple Q&As.

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Live Action

How Geoff Barrow & John Minton Made Invada Films’ Suspenseful Indie Thriller Debut ‘Game’

Geoff Barrow & John Minton champion the beyond your comfort zone filmmaking philosophy which saw them shoot their lead actor suspended upside down in a car.

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Article

After 27 Years, Shooting People’s Cath Le Couteur On Wrapping An Indie Film Institution With Grace

We sit down with Shooting People co-founder Cath Le Couteur to discuss the legendary network's 27-year run, its DIY spirit, and what comes next for indie film.

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Music Video

Jason Bock Exposes the Painful Process of a Contorted Metamorphosis in Movement Music Video ‘Lace’

A reimagining of vampiric transformation, Jason Bock speaks about rejecting clichés to find the raw emotional truth of undergoing a horrific visceral change.

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Article, Film Festival

Submitting to Film Festivals? FilmFreeway GM Matt Toigo Talks Scams, Fees, Marketing & the Platform’s Future

DN interviews FilmFreeway GM Matt Toigo about everything you ever wanted to know – from scam festivals to advice for maximising your success on the platform.

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Live Action

Choreographing Community Collapse: Athina Rachel Tsangari on the Ritualistic Filmmaking of ‘Harvest’

Athina Rachel Tsangari discusses the inimitable nature of 16mm & its essentiality in crafting her hallucinatory vision of a way of life crushed by capitalism.

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Live Action, Premiere

A Second-Hand Sale Gone Wrong Véras Fawaz’s ‘Warm’ Traps You in a Terrifying Game of Power and Control

Exploring the invisible grip of social and parental power, Véras Fawaz reveals how a news story inspired his tension fuelled psychological thriller.

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Live Action, Premiere

A Neglected Young Man Seeks Belonging in the Wrong Place in Jeroen Kooistra’s Desolate Debut ‘Triton’

Jeroen Kooistra recounts how a shared creative itch evolved into his stark short film exploring how our need for belonging can be manipulated to serve others.

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Live Action, Premiere

Gregory Shell Manifests the Destructive Nature of Violence and Trauma in His Emotionally Charged Short ‘Fire’

Gregory Shell explains why he was determined to work with non-actors for his film about a young man struggling with life after returning from military service.

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Animation, Awards

How Legendary Animator Daisuke Nishio Joined Toei Animation & Directed the Studio’s First Oscar Nominated Short

From 'Dragon Ball' to 'Magic Candies', Daisuke Nishio reflects on his storied career and the creative journey behind his Oscar-nominated animated short.

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Animation, Awards

The Art of Minimalism: Shirin Sohani & Hossein Molayemi on Oscar Winning Animation ‘In the Shadow of the Cypress’

We learn how Shirin Sohani & Hossein Molayemi battled against the headwinds of filmmaking in Iran all the way to the Academy Awards with their animated short.

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