USA Archives - Directors Notes

An Immigrant Battles Loss and Her Legal Status in Tsvetelina Zdraveva & Jerred North’s Drama ‘Yellowbird’

Co-Directors Tsvetelina Zdraveva & Jerred North break down the production roles they each occupied in order to craft their animated immigrant drama.

Live Action, Premiere

A Young Man Struggles to Maintain His Sanity When His Sister Goes Missing in Nathan Ginter’s ‘Last Seen’

Nathan Ginter details how the use of heavy close ups in his intense short drama reflect his lead character's spiralling mental state.

Live Action

A Karate Instructor Inspires His Shito Ryu Trainees to Excellence in Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah’s ‘The Knife Is Sharp’

Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah discusses her personal connection with Shito Ryu karate and the dojo at the heart of her latest exhilarating experimental spot.

Live Action, Premiere

A Birthday Girl’s Wiener-Dog Gets Annihilated by Her Hapless Father’s Car in McKinley Carlin’s Comedy ‘Noodles Forever’

Writer/Director McKinley Carlin speaks to DN about using extreme close ups to heighten the hilarity of his uncomfortable comedy about a sausage dog's demise.

Live Action, Premiere

Chloe Sarbib’s ‘Jensen’ Finds a Songwriter Struggling to Retain Her Sense of Self Before Taking Centre Stage

Chloe Sarbib explains why she deliberately engendered shifts in her directing style for her heartfelt music drama about identity and self-examination.

Live Action

Ryan Schnackenberg Confronts Filmmaker Rejection Head on in His Excruciating Short ‘The Screener’

Ryan Schnackenberg opens up about needing to confront his own experiences of rejection when making his uncomfortable short about challenging gatekeepers.

Live Action, Premiere

The Toxicity of a Strained Father-Son Relationship Comes to a Shocking Head in Ben Tricklebank’s ‘Champ’

Ben Tricklebank breaks down how he built narrative tension that speaks volumes from what isn't said in his exploration of a toxic parental relationship.

Live Action

Haunting Visions Seep Into the Mind of a Lonely Drifter in Eli Powers’ Psychological Horror ‘Skin & Bone’

Eli Powers tells DN how leaning into the genre elements of his concept enabled him to creatively flourish when mapping out the script of his tense horror.

Live Action

Sachin Dheeraj’s ‘Men in Blue’ Viscerally Exposes the Modern Slave Labour Inflicted on Immigrant Guest Workers

Sachin Dheeraj discusses the visual language he used to depict the deplorable true story of men stripped of their dignity for profit by modern day slavery.

Live Action

Samm Hodges Explores the Lasting Impact of Generational Male Violence in Immersive Drama Short ‘Tender’

Samm Hodges breaks down how he used the tension of a seemingly one-shot film to embed the audience in the chaotic world of his protagonist's turbulent life.

Live Action

Abi Damaris Corbin Honours Marine Veteran Brian Easley’s Tragic Story in Gripping Heist Thriller ‘Breaking’

Abi Damaris Corbin discusses the careful blocking, Demme-inspired close-ups and deep collaboration which underpin her portrayal of a larger-than-life heist.

Live Action

Erik Odom Excavates the Enduring Effects of Shame in Thrilling Horror Drama ‘Box on the Hill’

Actor Erik Odom tells DN why rehearsal time with his scene partner was key to the success of his directorial debut about shame manifest in demon form.

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