SXSW Tag Archive

Brief Somebodies - a short film by Andy Reid

Live Action

Andy Reid Calibrates the Cost of Making Something Honest in His Meta SXSW Short ‘Brief Somebodies’

Andy Reid confronts his own experience of sexual assault by staging a film rehearsal where two actors negotiate the ethical boundaries of depicting trauma.

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Live Action

A Late-Night Senior Prank Curdles Into a Tense Class Standoff in Sam & David Cutler-Kreutz’s ‘Trapped’

Sam & David Cutler-Kreutz pit a high school janitor against privileged graduating students in their high-stakes drama that proves money can't buy class.

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Animation, Premiere

Inside Mine! – How Louis Morton’s Short Film Explores Capitalism and its Environmental Impacts

Louis Morton on befriending rats underground, adapting a great-grandpa's tale and the hand-drawn process of unearthing a climate parable in his SXSW animation.

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Film Festival

SXSW 2026 Guide: 14 Emerging Filmmakers You Need to Know

With the SXSW Film Festival here again Directors Notes took a deep dive into this year's line-up and selected 14-filmmakers with bright futures ahead of them.

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Film Festival

The 13 Must-Watch Short Films at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival

If you’re attending SXSW 2025 in person or beaming in virtually via the online platform, these are the 13 short films you won’t want to miss.

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Awards, Live Action

A Father’s Loneliness Erupts Corporeally In Matty Crawford’s SXSW Winning BAFTA Body Horror ‘Stomach Bug’

Matty Crawford chats to DN about building the horror fuelled landscape of his psychological drama about a lonely parent suffering from empty nest syndrome.

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Animation, Awards

How Nina Gantz Found the Perfect Balance Between Sadness and Humour in Award Winning Short ‘Wander to Wonder’

Nina Gantz takes DN inside the extraordinary craftsmanship of her stop motion short which offers a poignant exploration of loss for its diminutive stars.

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Awards, Live Action

Talking Practical FX and the Power of a Great Title With Eros V Director of BIFA Short ‘Meat Puppet’

Eros V reveals the lo-fi techniques used to bring a possessed puppet to life for his BIFA nominated short about a man-child who desperately need to grow up.

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Live Action

A Seasoned Veteran Tries to Adapt to Japan’s Modern Entertainment Industry in Anna J. Takayama’s ‘The Voice Actress’

Anna J. Takayama talks shooting in Tokyo and colour as a narrative tool whilst dissecting the creation of her multi-award winning film about an ageing actress.

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Film Festival

The Best Short Films at SXSW 2024

A highlight of the annual festival circuit, we take a look at the 2024 line-up of SXSW and champion 10 short films you absolutely have to see.

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Live Action

A Filipino Immigrant Worker Battles the Horrors of Assimilation in Paris Zarcilla’s Acerbic Debut ‘Raging Grace’

DN alum Paris Zarcilla dissects the claustrophobic tone and character-driven visual language of his chilling gothic SXSW winning feature debut.

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Nick Roney The Flute

Live Action

How “Being Trapped in a Perpetual Dick Joke” Inspired Nick Roney’s SXSW Award Winning Short ‘The Flute’

Dir. Nick Roney returns to DN to discuss prosthetic skin flutes and taking inspiration from the classic monster movie for his unforgettable dark comedy.

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