Debut Short Tag Archive

Awards, Live Action

A Dark Secret Threatens to Disrupt a Perfect Family Gathering in Simon Woods’ BAFTA Debut ‘Such a Lovely Day’

Simon Woods walks through the ways he played with dark and light in the telling of his shocking drama about a young boy navigating his parents' marriage.

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Live Action, Premiere

An Imbalanced Friendship Plays Out Through a Series of Bizarre Flashbacks in Nathan de Paz Habib’s ‘La Bicicletta’

Nathan De Paz Habib discusses experimenting with the form of the distinctive scenes representing a series of emotive flashbacks in his surreal debut short.

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Live Action, Premiere

A Forgetful Spouse Sparks Marital Disharmony in Arne Gjelten’s ‘The Best Day of Our Lives’

Arne Gjelten breaks down how he and his team achieved the tense atmosphere that permeates throughout his Bergman-esque marriage anniversary drama.

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Live Action

A Mother and Son Embark on a Surreal Day Out in Tom Stuart’s Emotive Comedy Short Debut ‘Good Boy’

Tom Stuart details the awkward practicalities of shooting in the vintage VW van which sits at the heart of his touching surreal personification of grief.

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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.

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Live Action, Premiere

Tamsin Topolski Lays Bare the Dire Consequences of Toxic Positivity in Satirical Short ‘I’m a Good Person’

Tamsin Topolski details how she represented her protagonist's mental and physical demise through all aspects of her darkly comic satire's colour palette.

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Live Action, Premiere

A Difficult Decision Causes a Looping Infinite Reality in Tom Moran’s Pastel-Coloured Fantasy ‘Romanesco’

Tom Moran reveals how he adapted his mind-boggling metanarrative concept into a self-referential spiral of a film about a woman trapped in an infinite dream.

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Live Action, Premiere

Elizabeth Acevedo’s Dramatic Debut ‘Mirage’ Is a Heady Examination of the Role of Memory in Relationships

Director Elizabeth Acevedo details how her actors became the keepers of their characters in her intoxicating examination of memory's role within love.

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Live Action, Premiere

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.

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Arava

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.

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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

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Live Action, Premiere

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.

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