BIFA Archives - Directors Notes

A Filipino Immigrant Worker Battles the Horrors of Assimilation in Paris Zarcilla’s Acerbic Debut ‘Raging Grace’

DN alum Paris Zarcilla dissects the claustrophobic tone and character-driven visual language of his chilling gothic SXSW winning feature debut.

Live Action

A Primeval Outpouring of Emotions Overwhelms a New Mother in Phoebe Arnstein’s ‘If You’re Happy’

Phoebe Arnstein explains the mix of narrative and documentary techniques she used to capture the authentic performances of her visceral motherhood short.

Live Action

Beru Tessema’s BIFA Nominated ‘Lions’ Shines a Light on the Disparate Experiences of Poverty in Modern Day Britain

Beru Tessema walks us through giving his actors room to embody the meaning of scenes through improvisation for his short about Britain's dysfunctional systems.

Live Action

Ng Choon Ping & Sam H. Freeman’s ‘Femme’ Exposes the Various Disguises We Use to Protect Our True Selves

Ng Choon Ping & Sam H. Freeman reveal how intimate handheld camera work enhanced the tense dynamism of their neo-noir seduction as revenge thriller.

Live Action

Reality & Fantasy Blur for a Delusional Production Assistant in Thomas May Bailey’s BIFA Nominated Debut ‘The Talent’

Thomas May Bailey speaks to DN about harnessing the metaphorical potential of a VP stage as the setting for his debut short exploring ambition and desire.

Is There Anybody Out There? director Ella Glendining is a disabled white woman in her twenties with long blonde hair, short, unusual looking legs, and a few tattoos on her arm. Ella sunbathes on a sandy beach. She looks blissful, basking in the sunshine. A sliver of sparkling blue ocean can be seen in distance.

Documentary

Ella Glendining’s Debut ‘Is There Anybody Out There?’ Is a Captivating Battle Cry for the Disabled Community

Ella Glendining speaks about bringing together the patchwork elements of her empowering documentary about her search for someone else with the same disability.

Live Action

Savanah Leaf’s Blistering ‘Earth Mama’ Lays Bare the Struggles of Marginalized Motherhood in a Flawed Care System

Savanah Leaf details how shooting 16mm benefited her gritty, surreal debut feature which shines a unique authorial lens on motherhood, race and class.

Animation

Tom C J Brown’s Painterly BIFA Animation ‘Christopher at Sea’ Portrays a Nautical Journey of Self-Discovery

Tom C J Brown tells DN why animation was the perfect artistic conduit to convey the melodramatic realism of his BIFA nominated short film.

Live Action

Abdou Cissé Examines the Inter-Generational Dynamics of a Nigerian Family in Hilarious Comedy ‘Festival of Slaps’

Abdou Cissé reveals his intentions of making a superhero film with his mum as the hero in his kinetic exploration of the misconceptions of African parenting.

Animation

How Joseph Wallace Created a Modern Folktale with a Timeless Message in new Short ‘Salvation Has No Name’

Joseph Wallace returns to DN with his most ambitious work yet, a 17-minute stop-motion folktale exploring the refugee crisis and xenophobia.

Live Action

A Teenager Is Coerced by Her Boyfriend in Seemab Gul’s Tense Contemporary Social Commentary Short ‘Sandstorm’

Seemab Gul reveals how reality mirrored fiction during the audition process of her drama short challenging contemporary societal restrictions in Pakistan.

Live Action

Roxy Rezvany Explores the Skewed Power Dynamics of a Domestic Abuse Police Interview in ‘Honesty’

Roxy Rezvany details the subtle aesthetic decisions that inform and propel the quietly intensifying narrative of her BIFA-nominated dramatic short.

BIFA Tag Archive