Author

About the Author /

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.

Film Festival

Reading & Leeds 2021 Cinema Tent Shorts…It’s Good to be Back

A time honoured tradition DN re-emerges into the world for our Cinema Tent shorts programme, screening live at the Reading & Leeds festivals this weekend.

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News

A Statement on Adam Ellis’ Plagiarism Accusation & Backbone Films’ Short Film ‘Keratin’

In light of Adam Ellis' plagiarism accusation about the short film Keratin we would like to share this statement from our editor about the film's removal.

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Live Action

Directors Notes Top 20 Filmmaker Conversations of 2020

Throughout 2020 DN was fortunate enough to speak to some of the most talented filmmakers across the globe. Here are 20 of our favourite conversations.

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The Painter and The Thief

Article

MarBelle Top Ten Feature Films of 2020

"2020 is a year which has highlighted the deep importance of the moving image." MarBelle runs through the films that helped make a terrible year bearable.

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Live Action, Premiere

Inherited Conflict Puts the Breaks on an Impromptu Hookup in Mattis Ohana Goksøyr’s ‘Safiyyah’

What should be a carefree hookup becomes mired in the inherited resentments of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in Mattis Ohana Goksøyr's 'Safiyyah'.

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Documentary, Music Video

How James Kicklighter Captured Trans Opera Singer Lucia Lucas’ Historic Tulsa Performance in ‘The Sound of Identity’

We speak to James Kicklighter about documenting the boundary breaking performance of transgender opera singer Lucia Lucas in 'The Sound of Identity'.

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Live Action

How Lenny Abrahamson Transformed Sally Rooney’s Best Selling Novel Into the Record-Breaking TV Event of the Year

Lenny Abrahamson digs deep into TV series 'Normal People', from working with an Intimacy Coordinator for the first time to making subtle stories resonate.

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Live Action

How an Ambitious Fish Became a Girl in Thessa Meijer’s Celebrated Tragicomedy ‘The Walking Fish’

Thessa Meijer discusses overcoming language barriers for her Japan-set short about an ambitious sea-creature who becomes a woman striving for perfection.

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Animation, Premiere

Serafima Serafimova Celebrates the Beauty of Movement & Human Connection in Dance Short ‘Still Life’

Serafima Serafimova reveals how lockdown inspired her to fuse dance, animation and stylised design for a joyful celebration of movement and connection.

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Art & Fashion

Diana Antunes Unlocks the Past Through the Memory Infused Spaces We Inhabit in Dance Short ‘Desabitar’

Her first production in a socially distanced world Diana Antunes reveals how she overcame the challenge of creating dance film 'Desabitar' at arm's length.

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Animation, Film Festival, Live Action

WeAreDN // Lockdown: Eye for an Eye

Embrace the siren call to vengeance with a WeAreDN // Lockdown collection which leans into our primal desire to even the score & claim an 'Eye for an Eye'.

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Music Video

Mack Neaton Takes Down a Troublesome Ex With a Fantastical Feast in Neon-Infused Music Video ‘Spare Me’

Mack Neaton explains how live-action, animation, VFX and painstaking art direction came together for her neon-infused music video debut 'Spare Me'.

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