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Directors Notes
@directorsnotes.bsky.social
250 followers 190 following 110 posts
Delivering the What, How & Why of the world's best independent filmmaking. https://directorsnotes.com
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directorsnotes.bsky.social
This is one of the most asked questions we get from filmmakers. Thanks for sharing the actual stats with us all @stephenfollows.com 🙏🏾
stephenfollows.com Stephen Follows @stephenfollows.com · 23d
Do most film festivals require premiere status? A question from MarBelle, the Editor-in-Chief of @directorsnotes.bsky.social, made me curious to find out.

I studied the rules of 10,549 film festivals to see how many still insist on a premiere and how many don’t.
October 20, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Reposted by Directors Notes
boltonfilmfestival.com
Thanks to @directorsnotes.bsky.social for picking out their 10 Outstanding Shorts from this years edition of Bolton Film Festival (Wed 1st - Sun 5th October) - tickets and passes are now on sale.

directorsnotes.com/2025/09/11/b...
10 Outstanding Shorts From Bolton Film Festival 2025 - Directors Notes
With a varied, engrossing programme sure to delight one and all playing at Bolton Film Festival next month, DN compiles our list of 10 choice, riveting shorts.
directorsnotes.com
September 12, 2025 at 7:51 AM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
The Newman Brothers reveal how their rent-a-friend satire 'Amigo' starring seannwalsh.bsky.social evolved from TV pilot to a sharp social commentary comedy short about overly convenient, predatory gig work tech platforms.

directorsnotes.com/2025/07/02/n...

#premiere #comedy #shortfilm
Premiere: Amigo by The Newman Brothers // Comedy // Directors Notes
The Newman Brothers reveal how their rent-a-friend satire evolved from TV pilot to a sharp social commentary comedy about convenient, predatory tech platforms.
directorsnotes.com
July 2, 2025 at 12:57 PM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
Ten Essential Short Films to Watch From Tribeca’s 2025 Lineup

directorsnotes.com/2025/06/15/t...

#TribecaFestival #Tribeca2025 #BestofFest
Ten Essential Short Film Discoveries From Tribeca 2025 - Directors Notes
As the 24th edition of Tribeca draws to a close, DN shares a choice selection of 10 of our favourites from the festival's biggest ever showcase of short films.
directorsnotes.com
June 15, 2025 at 4:43 PM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
Gerardo Coello Escalante Transforms Childhood Status Symbols Into Devastating Class Commentary in ‘Business Trip’

directorsnotes.com/2025/06/12/g...
Premiere: Business Trip by Gerardo Coello Escalante // Directors Notes
Gerardo Coello Escalante dissects how he confronted cultural malinchismo through his story of a sneaker revelation that unravels a Mexican boy's worldview.
directorsnotes.com
June 12, 2025 at 10:19 AM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
Sci-Fi IVF Mystery Meets YouTube Storytelling in Uzo Oleh’s ‘Beth’, Channel 4’s First Digital Original Drama

directorsnotes.com/2025/06/09/u...
Beth by Uzo Oleh // Sci-Fi Drama // Directors Notes
Director Uzo Oleh & producer Yaw Basoah discuss the impact of subtext in their emotionally charged short made as Channel 4's first digital original drama.
directorsnotes.com
June 12, 2025 at 10:19 AM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
Daisy-May Hudson’s ‘Lollipop’ Is a Heartbreaking Portrait of Maternal Resilience and Devastating Systemic Failure
directorsnotes.com/2025/06/06/d...
Lollipop by Daisy-May Hudson // Family Drama // Directors Notes
Daisy-May Hudson opens up about turning pain into power in her feature where a young woman struggles against a broken system to regain custody of her kids.
directorsnotes.com
June 7, 2025 at 9:21 AM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
A Second-Hand Sale Gone Wrong Véras Fawaz’s ‘Warm’ Traps You in a Terrifying Game of Power and Control

directorsnotes.com/2025/05/28/v...

#premiere #shortfilm #psychologicalthriller
Premiere: Warm by Véras Fawaz // Thriller // Directors Notes
Exploring the invisible grip of social and parental power, Véras Fawaz reveals how a news story inspired his tension fuelled psychological thriller.
directorsnotes.com
May 28, 2025 at 12:05 PM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
A Neglected Young Man Seeks Belonging in the Wrong Place in Jeroen Kooistra’s Desolate Debut ‘Triton’

directorsnotes.com/2025/05/27/j...

#premiere #shortfilm
Premiere: Triton by Jeroen Kooistra // Drama // Directors Notes
Jeroen Kooistra recounts how a shared creative itch evolved into his stark short exploring how our need for belonging can be manipulated to serve others.
directorsnotes.com
May 27, 2025 at 12:29 PM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
Jordon Scott Kennedy Reignites the Joy of Working Class Childhoods in His BBC Comedy Short ‘Rocket Fuel’

directorsnotes.com/2025/05/22/j...

#shortfilm #comedy #bradford #bbcthree
Rocket Fuel by Jordon Scott Kennedy // Comedy // Directors Notes
Jordon Scott Kennedy shares his frustration with typical social realist films and his desire to tell joyful working class stories which embrace a child's POV.
directorsnotes.com
May 22, 2025 at 4:35 PM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
Jack King Traverses the Moral Wilderness of Childhood Cruelty in His Unsettling Drama-Thriller ‘Predators’

directorsnotes.com/2025/05/20/j...

#shortfilm
Predators by Jack King // Drama Short Film // Directors Notes
From abandoned snakes to abandoned morals: Jack King discusses crafting a dark, child-led world of ethical ambiguity in his BFI-backed suburban short.
directorsnotes.com
May 20, 2025 at 4:09 PM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
A Confused Monster Finds Herself Adrift in a Surreal Seaside Town in Olivier Richomme’s Disorienting Short ‘Mush’

directorsnotes.com/2025/05/12/o...

#premiere #shortfilm #blackpool
Premiere: Mush by Olivier Richomme // Short Film // Directors Notes
Drawn to the faded heyday glamour of Blackpool, Olivier Richomme explains how he transformed seaside banality into a surrealist meditation on monstrosity.
directorsnotes.com
May 12, 2025 at 10:33 AM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
VERSUS Reimagine Operatic Tradition Through the Contemporary Lens of Sydney’s Melting Pot in Triptych Short ‘Oleum’
directorsnotes.com/2025/05/08/v...

#opera #sydneyoperahouse #shortfilm
Oleum by VERSUS // Short Film // Directors Notes
VERSUS breakdown the collaborations at the heart of their love letter reframing of Opera in Sydney's underground which pays homage to its iconic institution.
directorsnotes.com
May 8, 2025 at 12:28 PM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
Sacred Vows Collapse Under Carnal Desire in Alexander Jeremy’s Psychodrama ‘The Consecration of a Perpetual Virgin'
directorsnotes.com/2025/05/07/a...
#psychodrama #shortfilm
The Consecration of a Perpetual Virgin by Alexander Jeremy // Directors Notes
Alexander Jeremy trumpets the lofi manifesto which has enabled him to continually develop his filmmaking creativity free from gatekeeping financial barriers.
directorsnotes.com
May 7, 2025 at 1:07 PM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
Picket Fence Perfection Unravels in Julia Godfrey & Will Abbott’s Unsettlingly Suburban Nightmare ‘Flattened’

directorsnotes.com/2025/05/06/j...

#premiere #shortfilm #hitandrun
Premiere: Flattened by Julia Godfrey & Will Abbott // Directors Notes
Julia Godfrey & Will Abbott talk about creating a disorientatingly cohesive world where two friends manically unravel in the 24 hours after a hit and run.
directorsnotes.com
May 6, 2025 at 1:07 PM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
A huge thank you to everyone who came to the WeAreDN Awards 2025 🏆

You can watch them & learn how these award winning films were made over on DN directorsnotes.com/2025/05/02/w...
The WeAreDN Awards 2025 Winners - Directors Notes
Join us in reflecting on the WeAreDN Awards 2025 winning shorts and learn how all the films went from ideation to completion in the our making of interviews.
directorsnotes.com
May 3, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Reposted by Directors Notes
nftsfilmtv.bsky.social
🏆 Join @directorsnotes.bsky.social to celebrate with a screening of the winning shorts followed by celebratory drinks, networking and a live DJ set 💃

1 May @ 7pm | FOMO House, London
Tickets available at: bit.ly/WeAreDNAward... 🎟️

Good luck to our alumni! 🤞🎉
Directors Notes Presents: The WeAreDN Awards 2025
After the resounding success of last year’s launch, Directors Notes is thrilled to present our 2025 edition of the WeAreDN Awards.
bit.ly
April 29, 2025 at 2:06 PM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
Dan Braga Ulvestad Confronts the Unspoken Weight of Shared History in His Emotionally Raw Two-Hander ‘Park Benches’

directorsnotes.com/2025/04/29/d...

#premiere #breakup #shortfilm
Premiere: Park Benches by Dan Braga Ulvestad // Directors Notes
Dan Braga Ulvestad takes us inside the stripped-back approach, actor trust and delicate existential dialogue which were central to his grounded breakup short.
directorsnotes.com
April 29, 2025 at 11:17 AM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
Giada Bossi Blurs the Space Between Film and Music Video in ‘To Call Home Always The Same Place'

directorsnotes.com/2025/04/23/g...

#musicvideo #shortfilm
To Call Home Always the Same Place by Giada Bossi // Directors Notes
Giada Bossi reveals how she and musician Arssalendo built a visual/sonic journey capturing the vibrant euphoria and profound introspection of adolescence.
directorsnotes.com
April 23, 2025 at 12:03 PM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
Time Stretches and Fractures in @louisacb.bsky.social’s Unflinching Exploration of Consent ‘The Ceiling’
directorsnotes.com/2025/04/21/l...

#premiere #consent #arousalnonconcordance #shortfilm
Premiere: The Ceiling by Louisa Connolly-Burnham // Drama // Directors Notes
Louisa Connolly-Burnham discusses using long takes to place us in the visceral tension of her depiction of a woman's lack of consent being repeatedly ignored.
directorsnotes.com
April 21, 2025 at 11:56 AM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
Craig Ainsley Blends Sci-Fi and Morning-After Awkwardness in One Night Stand Comedy ‘Everyone Does It’

directorsnotes.com/2025/04/18/c...

#scifi #shortfilm
Everyone Does It by Craig Ainsley // Comedy // Directors Notes
Craig Ainsley reveals how a sleep-deprived 4am idea evolved into a sci-fi comedy short grounded in painfully relatable human awkwardness.
directorsnotes.com
April 18, 2025 at 11:59 AM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
Demitri Zujew Crafts an Emblematic Tale Denouncing the Cult of Strength and Power in His Debut Short ‘Crease’

directorsnotes.com/2025/04/16/d...

#premiere #shortfilm #victimization #debutshort
Premiere: Crease by Demitri Zujew // Drama Short Film // Directors Notes
Demetri Zujew delves into the importance of representing "strong eat the weak" culture for what it is and his use of origami as a potent narrative symbol.
directorsnotes.com
April 16, 2025 at 9:50 AM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
Martin Marko talks to DN about his multi-year journey across sea, editing, sound, and image to create the enveloping, unpredictable mood and atmosphere of his epic maritime adventure short 'At Sea'
directorsnotes.com/2025/04/14/m...

#premiere #sailing #adventure #shortfilm
Premiere: At Sea by Martin Marko // Documentary // Directors Notes
Martin Marko talks about the multi-year journey across sea, editing, sound and image to create his enveloping, unpredictable epic maritime adventure short.
directorsnotes.com
April 14, 2025 at 2:54 PM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
Riccardo Fusetti Gives the Carefree Lifestyle Fashion Film a Subversive Twist in Multiformat Short ‘Editorial’
directorsnotes.com/2025/04/08/r...
#premiere #fashion #aifilmmaking
Premiere: Editorial by Riccardo Fusetti // Fashion // Directors Notes
Riccardo Fusetti walks through the construction of his lifestyle short which uses 80 AI VFX shots to subvert our expectations of a model's carefree existence.
directorsnotes.com
April 8, 2025 at 4:53 PM
directorsnotes.bsky.social
Johannes Moe Blurs the Psychiatrist-Patient Dynamic With Devastating Consequences in ‘Lighting Up the Darkness’

directorsnotes.com/2025/04/07/j...

#premiere #shortfilm #psychologicalthriller
Lighting up the Darkness by Johannes Moe // Thriller // Directors Notes
Johannes Moe talks about balancing the line between clinical detachment and dangerous emotional investment in his tragic short.
directorsnotes.com
April 7, 2025 at 6:40 PM