For nearly two decades, Directors Notes has featured the work of the world’s best filmmakers, sharing the production stories behind their outstanding work with a worldwide audience of industry professionals, festival curators and dedicated film fans. If you would like to join them, please hit the submit button below and be sure to read the FAQ for details of our submission process and guidelines. If accepted, we’ll work with you to create a feature article for the film and also share it with the thousands of subscribers across our social media and YouTube channels.
Nina Gantz - Wander To Wonder
I love Directors Notes! Everything they do reflects their deep love for film. It’s also one of the few places where short films are treated with the same respect and attention as features, which I really appreciate.
They interviewed me about Wander To Wonder and I loved that they created the space to explore our filmmaking process in real depth. We even used some excerpts from that conversation for our Oscar campaign, which was a lovely way to share more background about the story.
Nina Gantz
Oscar, BAFTA & EFA Nominated Director | BIFA Winner
Sam & David Cutler-Kreutz - A Lien
Directors Notes is an incredible platform supporting filmmakers and showing off some of the coolest content available. It's one of the few places we trust to premiere and carry our work online, both because of their impeccable taste but also because of their in-depth interviews. It's one of the few sites that really makes you feel seen as a director and allows you to fully share the story and insight into your work.
Sam & David Cutler-Kreutz
Oscar Nominated Directors
Vincent René-lortie - Invincible
DN has been supporting my projects for several years now, from my early music videos to my latest short film, Invincible. Their support has provided greater visibility for my work worldwide, and the fact that they consistently write beautifully detailed reviews of my pieces demonstrates their passion for the craft and the love they have for short form content. Thank you, DN!
Vincent René-lortie
Oscar Nominated Director
Katie Bignel - Festival Formula
In a busy landscape where filmmakers are looking to have their creative voice heard, we always recommend Directors Notes. Their personal touch makes every filmmaker feel listened to, but also that they are eager to share their work. The whole team are in it for the right reasons - and that's something that is rare in this industry. If you're looking for an online premiere with a personal touch and to be included in a great roster of other films... Definitely look here.
Katie Bignel
Festival Formula Founder
Tal Kantor - Letter to a Pig
Platforms like Directors Notes, a welcoming home for independent cinema, have played a crucial role in my career, featuring my previous films such as In Other Words and Under the Little Sun. As a devoted reader, I am genuinely grateful for the opportunity to share and discuss the work behind Letter to a Pig.
Tal Kantor
Oscar Nominated Director
Stephanie Charmail - ShortsTV
I think online platforms are great because you can make a short film and tell your friends they can watch it here. So there’s something about doing it while it’s hot. Especially on Directors Notes where there’s amazing curation and interviews which really take a deep insight into the filmmaking aspect.
Stephanie Charmail
BAFTA Nominated Producer / ShortsTV Head of Production
Sam Baron - Tall Dark and Handsome
I loved being featured on Directors Notes. Their passion for digging into the process of filmmaking is stellar and you feel like you're part of a community of emerging filmmakers. The other articles on the site are great to browse, I've learned a lot from other interviews and discovered some brilliant short films!
Sam Baron
Writer/Director
Erin Murray - I Don't Need to Know
I'm always excited to share work with Directors Notes. They ask great questions and have an engaged community, which means your work gets an audience. Well worth the submission fee!
Erin Murray
Writer/Director
Submit a Short (< 40 Mins) – £47
Submit a Feature (40+ Mins) – £77
FAQ
What type of projects do you feature?
Directors Notes has always been eclectic in our tastes, featuring a broad spectrum of films across all genres, forms and lengths. For an idea of the kind of filmmaking we dig, take a look through our Animation, Documentary, Live Action, Music Video, Dance, Art & Fashion and Branded archives.
How long until I hear back?
No waiting months for a decision. Once submitted, the Directors Notes curation team will respond to your submission within 7 working days.
What if my film is already online?
Not a problem. Directors Notes doesn’t require exclusivity or premiere status to feature your film, although we do give priority to our premiere releases.
Can I submit my unreleased film?
Of course, be sure to include the password in the submission form so we can watch it.
My film is still on its festival run and not ready for an online release yet, do I have to wait until it is to submit?
Not at all. We regularly feature films still on the festival circuit and not yet available online — running the trailer alongside your interview now, then premiering the full film with us when you’re ready.
Can I get a refund?
The submission fee covers the process of the Directors Notes curation team assessing your film and is therefore non-refundable.
A DN writer selected my film for a Best of Fest list, another festival or platform will it automatically be selected for Directors Notes?
As all film festivals/platforms adhere to their own curation requirements, a selection elsewhere by a member of the DN team in no way guarantees your film will be featured on Directors Notes. Likewise, Best of Fest selections are made by individual DN writers and have therefore not been through our official curation process. It does however mean that your film already has a champion on the curation team.
Will you definitely feature my film?
Of the hundreds of films submitted to Directors Notes, only a small percentage make it to our pages. We’re very selective about the work we choose to feature – it’s what makes DN what it is – and so submission in no way guarantees coverage.
Are featured films eligible for any awards?
Yes — automatically and at no extra cost. Every film we feature on Directors Notes is entered into the annual WeAreDN Awards with no additional submission required. Celebrated during a live ceremony, recognising winners across nine DN categories:
Best British
Best New Talent
Best Music Video
Best Documentary
Best Comedy
Best Drama
Best Animation
Best Dance
Best Buckle Up
Winners receive bespoke physical awards, and the shortlist is competitive and growing year on year. For a film that makes it onto DN, the WeAreDN Awards offer an additional moment of recognition — and one that costs you nothing extra to be part of.
If selected, when will my film be featured?
Once selected, we will work with you to find the best date to feature your film on Directors Notes. We have a very busy editorial calendar here at DN so if you have a particular date in mind the more notice you can provide, the higher the likelihood of that publication date being available.
How will Directors Notes promote my work?
As well as being published on Directors Notes, selected films have the opportunity to be featured on our YouTube channel — a 2.6 million-strong monthly audience across 175+ countries — and are shared across our social media and featured in our weekly newsletter. We also suggest you do the same across your own accounts and get cast, crew, friends and family to help spread the word.
Will my film be on the Directors Notes YouTube channel?
Our YouTube channel is an optional extra we offer selected films at our discretion. It reaches a 2.6 million-strong monthly audience across 175+ countries, with our strongest shorts passing a million — reach that far outstrips traditional festival screenings.
Do filmmakers earn from their films on the DN YouTube channel?
Yes. DN operates a 50/50 AdSense revenue share for films on the channel — any advertising revenue your film generates is split equally between you and Directors Notes.
What copyright clearances do you require?
By submitting your film to Directors Notes you attest that the work in question is not in breach of any copyright and that all required intellectual property rights have been adhered to.
Can I get feedback?
Sorry, at this point in time Directors Notes does not offer a feedback service for submissions.
Do you grant fee waivers?
No we do not offer submission fee waivers. Really, we mean this, so any email/DM requests for waivers will be ignored.
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