NFTS Archives - Directors Notes

Grief & Political Rage Converge in Musa Alderson-Clarke’s Searing Cannes Selected Thriller ‘Killing Boris Johnson’

Musa Alderson-Clarke takes DN through the challenge of baking white hot tension into the fabric of his Cannes premiering short about a young man in turmoil.

Film Festival

Ten Tantalising Picks from the National Film and Television School’s 2023 Graduate Showcase

As this year's graduate showcase kicks off, DN delivers a list of ten short films from the latest NFTS cohort that are definitely worth checking out.

Animation

A Young Artist Falls Into Nostalgic Pitfalls in Ewa Smyk’s Wistful Hand-Painted Animated Short ‘Homebird’

Ewa Smyk tells DN how she combined 3D modelling with hand-drawn 2D animation to speed up the lengthy creation process of her NFTS grad short.

Live Action, Premiere

The Ethics of Great Art Are Challenged in Lisa Clarkson’s Philosophical and Seductive Drama Featurette ‘Muse’

Lisa Clarkson breaks down the photographic aesthetic of her 16mm NFTS drama, about a talented art student and his teacher's questionable methods.

Animation

Antonin Niclass Forges a Magical Link Between Strangers in BAFTA Nominated Animation ‘Do Not Feed The Pigeons’

Antonin Niclass unpacks the challenge of blending drawn 2D characters into a fully-crafted stop motion set for his melancholic NFTS short.

Film Festival

10 Essential Shorts From the National Film and Television School’s 2022 Graduate Showcase

An impressive display from the future of filmmaking - DN offers a collection of recommended shorts from the NFTS 2022 Graduate Showcase.

Live Action, Premiere

Rachel Stubbings Directs an Explosively Funny Comedy About a Woman Who Gets Stuck in a Toilet in ‘The Bridesmaid’

DN chats to Rachel Stubbings about reality anchored humour and the professional joy of crafting the perfect fart noises for her new comedy short.

The Song of a Lost Boy Short Film Daniel Quirke

Animation

Daniel Quirke Explains How Wax, Religion & DIY Instruments Inspired NFTS Short ‘The Song of a Lost Boy’

NFTS graduate Daniel Quirke joins us to discuss his BAFTA-nominated stop-motion short 'The Song of a Lost Boy'.

Live Action

Lian Meng Rose Dramatises a Drastic Shift in British History for NFTS-produced Mining Tale ‘Stratum Deep’

Lian Meng Rose's reveals how he combined 16mm film grain and immersive sound design to bring the mines to life in historical fiction drama 'Stratum Deep'.

Film Festival

10 Must-Watch Shorts From the National Film and Television School’s 2021 Graduate Showcase

From colourful claymations to gothic dramas, DN recommends ten shorts to catch at the National Film and Television School's 2021 Graduate Showcase.

Animation

The Terror of Intrusive Thoughts Are Vividly Brought to Life in Suraya Raja’s ‘Don’t Think of a Pink Elephant’

We speak to Suraya Raja about using stop motion to convey the daily battle for self-control fought by OCD suffers in 'Don't Think of a Pink Elephant'

Article

Lewis Arnold on Creating Directors Now, An Essential Document for Filmmakers Breaking into the Industry

Lewis Arnold shares the impetus behind the Directors Now initiative, a 105-strong collection of filmmaker testimonies about breaking into the industry.

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