Author

About the Author /

James is DN’s resident horror fan and is inspired by all academic, formal and Ethan Hawke-related aspects of filmmaking. When he isn’t writing for DN you’ll most likely find him on Bluesky, reading a graphic novel or and being sat on by his cat Peanut.

Music Video

Kyryl Volovych Creates Intimacy Through the Amalgamation of Souls in Sensual Entely Music Video ‘Prosa’

Director Kyryl Volovych and DoP Borya Borysov break down how they technically achieved the stately cinematography of their 16mm dance music video.

Read more

Live Action, Premiere

A Young Man Struggles to Maintain His Sanity When His Sister Goes Missing in Nathan Ginter’s ‘Last Seen’

Nathan Ginter details how the use of heavy close ups in his intense short drama reflect his lead character's spiralling mental state.

Read more

Animation, Live Action

Humans Are the Houseplants in Benjamin Roberds’ Twisted Horror Comedy ‘Your Houseplants Are Screaming’

Benjamin Roberds tells DN how keeping his crew small allowed him to maximise his creativity during the pre-production of his role reversal horror comedy.

Read more

Live Action

A Karate Instructor Inspires His Shito Ryu Trainees to Excellence in Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah’s ‘The Knife Is Sharp’

Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah discusses her personal connection with Shito Ryu karate and the dojo at the heart of her latest exhilarating experimental spot.

Read more

Animation, Premiere

An Uninvited Guest Disrupts a Quiet Family Reunion in Joseph Brett’s Unnerving Stop Motion Folk Horror ‘Stones’

Joseph Brett expounds on his desire to challenge gaps of representation in British folk aesthetics with his eerie stop motion film about home and belonging.

Read more

Film Festival

10 Impressive Short Film Picks to Catch at the 2023 National Film Festival for Talented Youth

In anticipation of the 2023 edition of NFFTY, DN offers up a list of exciting shorts to catch from the breadth of talented young filmmakers on show.

Read more

Live Action, Premiere

Chloe Sarbib’s ‘Jensen’ Finds a Songwriter Struggling to Retain Her Sense of Self Before Taking Centre Stage

Chloe Sarbib explains why she deliberately engendered shifts in her directing style for her heartfelt music drama about identity and self-examination.

Read more

Animation

A Spiral of Self-Doubt Ensues When a Woman Finds a Grey Hair in Eilidh Nicoll’s Animated Short ‘Silvering’

Eilidh Nicoll discusses the practical and creative purpose behind the stark black, white, pink and green colour scheme of her short about ageing insecurity.

Read more

Live Action

Haunting Visions Seep Into the Mind of a Lonely Drifter in Eli Powers’ Psychological Horror ‘Skin & Bone’

Eli Powers tells DN how leaning into the genre elements of his concept enabled him to creatively flourish when mapping out the script of his tense horror.

Read more

Live Action

Samm Hodges Explores the Lasting Impact of Generational Male Violence in Immersive Drama Short ‘Tender’

Samm Hodges breaks down how he used the tension of a seemingly one-shot film to embed the audience in the chaotic world of his protagonist's turbulent life.

Read more

Live Action

Erik Odom Excavates the Enduring Effects of Shame in Thrilling Horror Drama ‘Box on the Hill’

Actor Erik Odom tells DN why rehearsal time with his scene partner was key to the success of his directorial debut about shame manifest in demon form.

Read more

Documentary

Visitor Share the Origin Story of a Remarkable Female Sumo Wrestler in Documentary Short ‘I am Tuvsho’

George Thomson and Lukas Schrank explain how their kit choices allowed them to gain a more intimate perspective for their short documentary.

Read more