AFI Archives - Directors Notes

AFI Tag Archive

A Young Woman’s Longing for Intimate Fellowship Reverberates Through Julia Ponce Díaz’s Evocative Debut ‘Soredia’

Julia Ponce Díaz shares how personal & observed experiences inspired her fish-out-of-water drama about a self-conscious girl's desperate need for belonging.

Live Action

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.

Live Action

Michael Lazovsky’s Historical Holocaust Horror ‘Magdalena’ Acutely Captures the Difficulty of Letting Go of Trauma

With terrifying transitions, a foreboding tone and a Soviet-era atmosphere, Michael Lazovsky discusses collapsing past trauma and present reality.

Live Action, Premiere

A Paramedic Is Forced to Confront the Inevitability of Heartbreaking Loss in Frank Donnangelo’s ‘The Motions’

An overworked paramedic struggles to maintain focus in her life when her terminally ill husband asks her to end his in Frank Donnangelo's 'The Motions'.

Live Action

Jeremy Merrifield Questions Our Outdated Modes of Masculinity in Coming of Age Superhero Origin Short ‘Balloon’

We sit down with Jeremy Merrifield to learn how he used the superhero mythos to explore the issue of toxic masculinity in his AFI thesis short 'Balloon'.