Live Action Category

Live Action, Premiere

A Comedian Attempts to Come to Terms With a Recent Traumatic Event in April Moreau’s AFI Short ‘Hysterical’

April Moreau discusses depicting the emotional disorientation of her protagonist's recent trauma under the bright harsh stage lights of a stand-up show.

Read more

Live Action, Premiere

The Prime Minister’s Untimely Death Leads to an Acerbic Battle of Self-Interest in Isher Sahota’s ‘Goodnight Henry’

Isher Sahota explains how he struck the right tonal balance of comedy and skulduggery for his darkly comic period drama about self-interested backstabbing.

Read more

Live Action

Moral Corruption Leads to the Dissolution of a Family in Duván Duque Vargas’ Colombian Drama ‘Todo Incluido’

Duván Duque Vargas discusses his nuanced portrayal of the questionable actions used by Colombia's upper class to maintain their positions of privilege.

Read more

Gwendoline

Live Action

Joaquim Bayle’s ‘Gwendoline’ is a Delightfully Deadpan Tribute to Being Struggling Musicians on the Road

Joaquim Bayle shares how black and white Super 16mm images, a deadpan style and a balance of sincerity and absurdity perfectly suited his band film.

Read more

Art & Fashion, Live Action

Josh Leong’s ‘Sorry You Have to See This’ Empathetically Portrays Both Sides of a Mental Health Crisis

Mixing experimental dance with realist movements and non-diegetic with diegetic cues Josh Leong explains how he immersed us in a moving mental health story.

Read more

Nick Roney The Flute

Live Action

How “Being Trapped in a Perpetual Dick Joke” Inspired Nick Roney’s SXSW Award Winning Short ‘The Flute’

Dir. Nick Roney returns to DN to discuss prosthetic skin flutes and taking inspiration from the classic monster movie for his unforgettable dark comedy.

Read more

Live Action

Pavel Kling’s Evocative Short ‘Bad Timing’ Acutely Captures the Cost of Leaving Everything Behind

Pavel Kling explains his use of immersive sound design, innovative lighting techniques and trick shots to depict a woman's decision to leave Russia.

Read more

Film Festival, Live Action

Vathana Suga Suppiah’s ‘Ratthum’ Breaks Free of the Pervasive Shame and Silence Around Infertility

Suga Suppiah discusses using her background in editing to plan the intimate, emotionally charged shots of her poignant Tribeca premiering short.

Read more

Fár

Film Festival, Live Action

Gunnur Martinsdóttir Schlüter’s Cannes Special Mention Short ‘FÁR’ Pits the Law of Business Against Nature

Gunnur Martinsdóttir Schlüter shares how she imbued an everyday scenario with a deep moral dilemma through the use of tight frames and an ambiguous tone.

Read more

Live Action

The Sole Survivor of a Climbing Accident Recalls His Supernatural Encounter in Giles Buchanan’s Horror ‘Terror’

Giles Buchanan recounts the practical trials and tribulations of shooting on the Ben Nevis mountain face for his ambitious Lovecraftian horror short.

Read more

Live Action, Premiere

A Man in Turmoil Searches for Meaning in Sergey Spirin & Andrei Beresnev’s Visually Stunning Short ‘IYOV’

Co-Directors Sergey Spirin and Andrei Beresnev open up on how they captured the staggering environments of Georgia for their spiritual drama.

Read more

Live Action, Premiere

A Surprise Package Leads a Heartbroken Recluse to Embrace His Inner Pervert in Greg Fox’s ‘Monkey-Love, Please Hold’

Director Greg Fox talks to DN about finding inspiration in one's fears of rejection for his unconventional comedy romance short about self-acceptance.

Read more