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.

Animation

Naaman Azhari Explores the Gulf Between a Mother’s Expectations and Her Son’s Reality in Rotoscoped Film ‘Threaded’

Naaman Azhari champions the creative flexibility of the bare bones live action footage underpinning the rotoscoped animation of his mother/son drama.

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Awards, Live Action

Sam & David Cutler-Kreutz’s Oscar Nominated ‘A Lien’ Finds a Young Family Crushed by a Vicious Immigration Process

Sam & David Cutler-Kreutz explain how problem solving during pre-production led to a fruitful creative journey for their heartrending immigration short.

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Music Video

Vincent Catel Manifests a Free-Spirited Eternal Island Party in Hedonistic Music Video ‘She’s Gone, Dance On’

Vincent Catel deconstructs the production technicalities behind the hyper-saturated, early 00s screensaver aesthetic of his Disclosure music video.

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Film Festival, Sponsored

Ten Cutting-Edge Short Films Screening at Bolton Film Festival 2024

After exploring the bounty of excellent films on show at Bolton Film Festival 2024, DN highlights our list of ten must-watch shorts screening next month.

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Music Video

Warring Neighbours Engage in an Arduous Territorial Battle in Lado Kvataniya’s Symbolic Manizha Music Video ‘GUN’

Lado Kvataniya walks us through the thematic importance and physical practicalities of the central moveable wall in his anti-conflict focused music video.

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Live Action, Premiere

A Father Faces a Burden He Can’t Quite Grasp in Jesse Lewis-Reece’s Moving Drama Short ‘Mother of Mine’

Jesse Lewis-Reece unpacks the different facets of grief he wanted to explore with his personal bereavement drama.

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Live Action, Premiere

Robert Higgins & Patrick McGivney Explore the Tenderness of Lifelong Male Friendships in Drama Short ‘Drifting’

Robert Higgins & Patrick McGivney reveal how their Paul Mescal & Dafhyd Flynn starring Irish short allowed them to cultivate ideas for their debut feature.

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Art & Fashion, Premiere

Folu Odimayo’s Woodland Dance Film ‘On The Cut of Three’ Is a Dreamlike Exploration of Myth and Archetype

Folu Odimayo deconstructs his use of narration during the choreographic prep of his film telling the tale of a stag whose fate is controlled by three birds.

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Live Action, Premiere

A Reluctant Witch Comes to Realise Her Own Potential in Lauren Pringle’s Atmospheric Movement Film ‘Witch-Hunt’

Lauren Pringle explains how she drew from the rich history of witches and environmental uncertainty for her dance short about a lonely outcast coming of age.

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Live Action, Premiere

A Homeless Ballet Dancer Prepares for a Life-Altering Audition in Jason Hogan’s Tense Drama ‘Twenty’

Jason Hogan breaks down the script work, journalling and improvisations on the street of London that comprised the rigorous rehearsals of his ballet drama.

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Live Action

Peter Franklyn Banks’ Drama ‘Nearly Never’ Finds an Injured Footballer Isolated in a Strained Healthcare System

Peter Franklyn Banks discusses translating a chilling real world experience into his fraught drama short about the danger of overburdened hospital workers.

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Live Action, Premiere

The Honeymoon Is Over Before It Begins in Brendan Beachman’s Darkly Comic Marriage Drama ‘A Wedding Day’

Brendan Beachman delves into why California's vistas were the perfect backdrop for his marriage dramedy about newlyweds discovering a life altering clarity.

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