Debut Short Archives - Directors Notes

A Lifetime of Mutual Resentment Derails a Birthday Celebration in Emily Munster’s ‘Norma’

Emily Munster talks about overcoming self-doubt on her deliciously dark comedy debut about an elderly couple who have a rather unusual birthday celebration.

Live Action, Premiere

Sarah Meital Benjamin’s Israeli Road Trip Short ‘Arava’ Eloquently Captures the Confusion of Youth

Sarah Meital Benjamin shares how she created a fresh look at Israel through non-professional casting and improvisation in her stirring road trip short.

Live Action

Shihan Fé Blanca Fahim’s ‘Influential’ Shatters the Carefully Crafted Façades Presented by Our Online Selves

Shihan Fé Blanca Fahim details her inventive use of creative lighting cues to mimic social media filters in her dark comedy questioning online personas vs

Live Action

Serkan Bayrak’s ‘Civil Servant’ Encourages Us to Better Understand Ourselves Through the Eyes of Others

Serkan Bayrak reveals how letting go of the meticulous script structure of his debut short allowed the unique dynamics of his characters to shine through.

Live Action

Jessica Morris’ Tragicomedy ‘Round Robin’ Depicts the Surreal Reality Beneath a Faltering Family Facade

Filmmaker Jessica Morris reveals how she crafted the intense, surreal and manic tone of her failing to keep up appearances familial dark comedy short.

Live Action, Premiere

Hilary Eden Immerses Us in the Fervently Charged World of a Y2K Teenager in Nostalgic Short ‘Bellybutton’

Hilary Eden speaks to DN about the power she found in the specificity of her storytelling for her evocative coming-of-age portrait of adolescent girlhood.

Live Action

BLOK Take Aim at the Warped Ideals of Honour in Darkly Comic Satirical Short ‘A Dishonourable Death’

BLOK chew over the technical decisions that manifested the heightened tone of their period short about bruised male pride escalating to fatal consequences.

Live Action, Premiere

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, Premiere

Masculinity Is a Toxic, Menacing Curse in Dima Barch’s Gripping Queer Russian Horror Short ‘Dead End’

Dima Barch walks us through his use of long takes, dynamic lighting set-ups and an ambiguous mode to create an ambitious and menacing queer horror film.

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.

Live Action

Reed Purvis Offers Us a Snapshot of the Culture Shock Experienced by Rural to Urban Migrants in ‘Barrio Frontera’

Reed Purvis explains how he captured the authentic sounds, scenarios and conversations of a Buenos Aires barrio as seen through the eyes of a recent arrival.

Live Action

A French Exchange Student Stumbles Into a Family Tragedy in Joe Weiland’s Upbeat Comedy Drama ‘Gorka’

Joe Weiland explains how the wide, vibrant frames of his seaside comedy drama are emblematic of the film's themes of connection and catharsis.

Debut Short Tag Archive