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.

Documentary

Andree Ljutica Chronicles a Day in a Life on Parole in Non-Conventional Doc ‘Seven Hundred Fifty-Six’

Andree Ljutica unpacks the blend of reenactment and narrativised planning that form the non-traditional style of his empathic parole documentary short.

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Live Action

A Teenage Girl With Autism and Her Sister Tackle Life After a Bereavement in Rosie Westhoff’s ‘Our Sister’

DN talks to Rosie Westhoff about crafting a fresh perspective on familial grief, sisterhood and neurodiversity in her affecting drama short.

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Live Action

Anthony Oberbeck’s Darkly Comedic ‘Book’ Tracks a Stoic Man Who Finds Solace in an Unusual Literary Tome

Anthony Oberbeck explains how he achieved the off-kilter tone of his comedic deadpan short through an uncanny use of creeping cinematography.

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Live Action, Premiere

James Price Explores the Lure of Gang Culture in ‘Infectious Nihilism and Small Metallic Pieces of Hope’

James Price describes the process of collaborating with author Graeme Armstrong and returning to an environment with deep personal history.

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Live Action

Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah Celebrates Black Power in Academic Spaces in Rousing Commercial Spot ‘We Are’

Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah talks about bringing her own cinematic sensibilities and desire to uplift the Black community to her first commercial spot.

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Animation, Music Video

Matt Genesis Executes Pulse-Pounding Action in His John Wick-Esque Promo for Xavier Goodman’s ‘Tanjiro’

Matt Genesis reveals how he blended stylised animation with live-action stunts in his ambitious music video for Xavier Goodman.

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Music Video

Christian Goue Combines Burning Desire With Mythic Iconography in Julez Lorenzo Music Video ‘Static Signal’

Christian Goue tells DN how he melded his cinematic style with Julez Lorenzo's musical sensibility for their secret desire-laden music video.

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Live Action

Amber Schaefer Showcases the Absurdity of Influencer Culture With Dark Comedy ‘NYC Tips and Tricks’

Amber Schaefer talks through the cinematic tricks she utilised to expose the oblivious comedic nature of influencer culture in her cringe-inducing short.

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Music Video

A Stranger Arises Out of the Ocean to Feast in Federico Urdaneta’s Mystical Video for Pigeon’s ‘It’s You’

Filmmaker Federico Urdaneta describes the otherworldly sensibility he wanted his protagonist to evoke in his visceral Margate-set music video.

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Animation

Les Mills & Joanna Quinn Return to Their Working Class Heroine for Oscar-Nominated ‘Affairs of the Art’

Les Mills describes the 35 year evolution of his creative partnership with Animator Joanna Quinn which led to their Oscar and BAFTA nominated short film.

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Music Video

Ian Pons Jewell Recreates a Heated Congressional Hearing in His Music Video for Coldxman’s ‘Blasphemy’

Ian Pons Jewell explains how he brought the world of a tense congressional hearing to life for Coldxman's pointed music video.

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Animation

Antonin Niclass Forges a Magical Link Between Strangers in BAFTA Nominated Animation ‘Do Not Feed The Pigeons’

Antonin Niclass unpacks the challenge of blending drawn 2D characters into a fully-crafted stop motion set for his melancholic NFTS short.

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