Douglas Hickox Award Tag Archive

Awards, Live Action

Harry Lighton Navigates the Intersection of Kink and Suburban Mundanity In His Subversive Queer BIFA Feature ‘Pillion

DN alum Harry Lighton discusses crafting a visual language that finds the tenderness within the transgressive intimacy of his tender tale of queer first love.

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Awards, Live Action

Cal McMau Directs Balletic Violence and Claustrophobic Tension in His BIFA Winning Prison Thriller ‘Wasteman’

Cal McMau reveals how he embraced tight confines when choreographing the violence in his BIFA-nominated debut feature portrait of a merciless prison ecosystem.

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Awards, Live Action

Personal Grief and Political Upheaval Intertwine in Akinola Davies Jr.’s BIFA Winning ‘My Father’s Shadow’

Akinola Davies Jr. discusses the making of his semi-autobiographical feature 'My Father's Shadow', a debut leading this year's BIFAs with 12 nominations.

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Awards, Live Action

Laura Carreira Crafts a Sensory Portrait of Gig Worker Loneliness in Her Multi BIFA Nominated Debut ‘On Falling’

Laura Carreira explains why removing antagonists sharpened her film's critique of the gig economy and its deleterious effect on he isolated Portuguese migrant.

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Awards

Exclusive First Look at the BIFA 2025 Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) Longlist

In partnership with BIFA, Directors Notes brings you a first look at the 2025 longlist for The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director).

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Podcasts

‘Sister Midnight’: Exploring Misanthropy and Marriage with Karan Kandhari

Karan Kandhari on directing his debut feature, protecting his vision, capturing the nuances of marriage & why laughing audiences are the ultimate drug.

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Awards, Live Action

As Trust Is Broken Toxic Masculinity & Violence Take Hold in Christopher Andrews’ BIFA Thriller ‘Bring Them Down’

BIFA winning director Christopher Andrews speaks to us about his use of a shifting visual language to ratchet up the tension in his bold feature debut.

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Awards, Live Action

A Misanthropic Newlywed Stumbles Through the Chaos of Adulting in Karan Kandhari’s Feature Debut ‘Sister Midnight’

A film for all the misfits who've misplaced their manuals for life, DN sits down with Karan Kandhari to dig into the making of his genre-bending debut feature.

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Awards, Live Action

A Belfast Hip-Hop Trio Mount Their Own Form of Protest to Protect Their Heritage in Rich Peppiatt’s ‘Kneecap’

Rich Peppiatt discusses throwing comedic Molotov cocktails to ignite crucial but difficult conversations in his multi-BIFA winning feature debut.

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Awards, Live Action

James Krishna Floyd on Moving Into the Director’s Chair for His Multi-BIFA Nominated Debut ‘Unicorns’

With his debut feature up for 7 BIFAs James Krishna Floyd discusses the rich complexity of characters who wear masks and the beauty of realism drag on screen.

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Awards

Announcing the BIFA Best Debut Director 2024 Longlist

Directors Notes is thrilled to partner with BIFA for the announcement of the 2024 longlist for The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director).

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