Directors Notes

Directors Notes

@directorsnotes.bsky.social

Delivering the What, How & Why of the world's best independent filmmaking. https://directorsnotes.com BIFA qualifying film platform - Submit your film ⏯️

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Directors Notes reposted

#TheBirdwatcherFilm will have its online world premiere through @directorsnotes.bsky.social on June 17th. Watch this space for an interview with director @ryancrashburn.bsky.social and collaborators! #cosmichorror #folkhorror #indiefilm

Directors Notes reposted

@glamrou.bsky.social

Very honoured and moved that ORIGINAL SIN has been featured on @directorsnotes.bsky.social - I am so deeply proud of this short film, and I loved doing this interview. You can read about the film and watch it on the link here. directorsnotes.com/2026/04/28/a...

directorsnotes.comOriginal Sin by Amrou Al-Kadhi // Drama // Directors NotesA Muslim mother and her drag queen son go to war for cinematic immortality in Amrou Al-Kadhi's WePresent commissioned chamber piece.

Directors Notes reposted

@lauracarreira.bsky.social speaks to @directorsnotes.bsky.social about ON FALLING's @bifa-film.bsky.social nominations 🏆 directorsnotes.com/2025/11/15/l...

directorsnotes.comOn Falling by Laura Carreira // BIFA Debut Feature // Directors NotesLaura Carreira explains why removing antagonists sharpened her film's critique of the gig economy and its deleterious effect on an isolated Portuguese migrant.

Directors Notes

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This is one of the most asked questions we get from filmmakers. Thanks for sharing the actual stats with us all @stephenfollows.com 🙏🏾

Stephen Follows@stephenfollows.com

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.

Directors Notes reposted

Bolton International Film Festival

@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...

directorsnotes.com10 Outstanding Shorts From Bolton Film Festival 2025 - Directors NotesWith 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.

Directors Notes

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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

directorsnotes.comPremiere: Amigo by The Newman Brothers // Comedy // Directors NotesThe Newman Brothers reveal how their rent-a-friend satire evolved from TV pilot to a sharp social commentary comedy about convenient, predatory tech platforms.

Directors Notes

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Ten Essential Short Films to Watch From Tribeca’s 2025 Lineup directorsnotes.com/2025/06/15/t... #TribecaFestival #Tribeca2025 #BestofFest

directorsnotes.comTen Essential Short Film Discoveries From Tribeca 2025 - Directors NotesAs 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.

Directors Notes

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Gerardo Coello Escalante Transforms Childhood Status Symbols Into Devastating Class Commentary in ‘Business Trip’ directorsnotes.com/2025/06/12/g...

directorsnotes.comPremiere: Business Trip by Gerardo Coello Escalante // Directors NotesGerardo Coello Escalante dissects how he confronted cultural malinchismo through his story of a sneaker revelation that unravels a Mexican boy's worldview.

Directors Notes

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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...

directorsnotes.comBeth by Uzo Oleh // Sci-Fi Drama // Directors NotesDirector Uzo Oleh & producer Yaw Basoah discuss the impact of subtext in their emotionally charged short made as Channel 4's first digital original drama.

Directors Notes

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Daisy-May Hudson’s ‘Lollipop’ Is a Heartbreaking Portrait of Maternal Resilience and Devastating Systemic Failure directorsnotes.com/2025/06/06/d...

directorsnotes.comLollipop by Daisy-May Hudson // Family Drama // Directors NotesDaisy-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.

Directors Notes

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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

directorsnotes.comPremiere: Warm by Véras Fawaz // Thriller // Directors NotesExploring the invisible grip of social and parental power, Véras Fawaz reveals how a news story inspired his tension fuelled psychological thriller.

Directors Notes

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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

directorsnotes.comPremiere: Triton by Jeroen Kooistra // Drama // Directors NotesJeroen Kooistra recounts how a shared creative itch evolved into his stark short exploring how our need for belonging can be manipulated to serve others.

Directors Notes

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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

directorsnotes.comRocket Fuel by Jordon Scott Kennedy // Comedy // Directors NotesJordon 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.

Directors Notes

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Jack King Traverses the Moral Wilderness of Childhood Cruelty in His Unsettling Drama-Thriller ‘Predators’ directorsnotes.com/2025/05/20/j... #shortfilm

directorsnotes.comPredators by Jack King // Drama Short Film // Directors NotesFrom abandoned snakes to abandoned morals: Jack King discusses crafting a dark, child-led world of ethical ambiguity in his BFI-backed suburban short.

Directors Notes

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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

directorsnotes.comPremiere: Mush by Olivier Richomme // Short Film // Directors NotesDrawn to the faded heyday glamour of Blackpool, Olivier Richomme explains how he transformed seaside banality into a surrealist meditation on monstrosity.

Directors Notes

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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

directorsnotes.comOleum by VERSUS // Short Film // Directors NotesVERSUS breakdown the collaborations at the heart of their love letter reframing of Opera in Sydney's underground which pays homage to its iconic institution.

Directors Notes

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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

directorsnotes.comThe Consecration of a Perpetual Virgin by Alexander Jeremy // Directors NotesAlexander Jeremy trumpets the lofi manifesto which has enabled him to continually develop his filmmaking creativity free from gatekeeping financial barriers.

Directors Notes

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Picket Fence Perfection Unravels in Julia Godfrey & Will Abbott’s Unsettlingly Suburban Nightmare ‘Flattened’ directorsnotes.com/2025/05/06/j... #premiere #shortfilm #hitandrun

directorsnotes.comPremiere: Flattened by Julia Godfrey & Will Abbott // Directors NotesJulia Godfrey & Will Abbott talk about creating a disorientatingly cohesive world where two friends manically unravel in the 24 hours after a hit and run.

Directors Notes

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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...

directorsnotes.comThe WeAreDN Awards 2025 Winners - Directors NotesJoin 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.

Directors Notes reposted

National Film & Television School

@nftsfilmtv.bsky.social

Replying to @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! 🤞🎉

bit.lyDirectors Notes Presents: The WeAreDN Awards 2025After the resounding success of last year’s launch, Directors Notes is thrilled to present our 2025 edition of the WeAreDN Awards.

Directors Notes

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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

directorsnotes.comPremiere: Park Benches by Dan Braga Ulvestad // Directors NotesDan Braga Ulvestad takes us inside the stripped-back approach, actor trust and delicate existential dialogue which were central to his grounded breakup short.

Directors Notes

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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

directorsnotes.comTo Call Home Always the Same Place by Giada Bossi // Directors NotesGiada Bossi reveals how she and musician Arssalendo built a visual/sonic journey capturing the vibrant euphoria and profound introspection of adolescence.

Directors Notes

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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

directorsnotes.comPremiere: The Ceiling by Louisa Connolly-Burnham // Drama // Directors NotesLouisa 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.

Directors Notes

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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

directorsnotes.comEveryone Does It by Craig Ainsley // Comedy // Directors NotesCraig Ainsley reveals how a sleep-deprived 4am idea evolved into a sci-fi comedy short grounded in painfully relatable human awkwardness.

Directors Notes

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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

directorsnotes.comPremiere: Crease by Demitri Zujew // Drama Short Film // Directors NotesDemetri 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.

Directors Notes

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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

directorsnotes.comPremiere: At Sea by Martin Marko // Documentary // Directors NotesMartin Marko talks about the multi-year journey across sea, editing, sound and image to create his enveloping, unpredictable epic maritime adventure short.

Directors Notes

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Riccardo Fusetti Gives the Carefree Lifestyle Fashion Film a Subversive Twist in Multiformat Short ‘Editorial’ directorsnotes.com/2025/04/08/r... #premiere #fashion #aifilmmaking

directorsnotes.comPremiere: Editorial by Riccardo Fusetti // Fashion // Directors NotesRiccardo 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.

Directors Notes

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Johannes Moe Blurs the Psychiatrist-Patient Dynamic With Devastating Consequences in ‘Lighting Up the Darkness’ directorsnotes.com/2025/04/07/j... #premiere #shortfilm #psychologicalthriller

directorsnotes.comLighting up the Darkness by Johannes Moe // Thriller // Directors NotesJohannes Moe talks about balancing the line between clinical detachment and dangerous emotional investment in his tragic short.

Directors Notes

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Directors Notes is proud to announce the 2025 edition of the WeAreDN Awards, celebrating exceptional filmmaking from our official submissions. Join us at 7pm 1st of May at FOMO House, London Full details & 🎟️ directorsnotes.com/2025/04/03/w...

Directors Notes

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Transactional Intimacy Morphs Into a Surreal Meditation on Consumption in Talia Shea Levin’s ‘Make Me a Pizza’ directorsnotes.com/2025/04/02/t... #pizza #shortfilm #comedy

directorsnotes.comMake Me a Pizza by Talia Shea Levin // Comedy // Directors NotesMarxism, melting cheese, and mayhem: Talia Shea Levin takes us inside the saucy structural logic of her deliciously absurdist pizza porno parody.

Directors Notes

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Leah Loftin Adapts Frontline Victim Testimony of Putin’s Invasion In ‘Dictionary of Emotions in a Time of War' directorsnotes.com/2025/03/31/l... #premiere #mixedmedia #documentary #ukraine

directorsnotes.comPremiere: Dictionary of Emotions in a Time of War by Leah Loftin - Directors NotesLeah Lofitn unpacks the rapid, bare-bones process used to create her expressionistic non-fiction short portraying first-person Ukrainian wartime experiences.

Directors Notes reposted

@debbiehoward.bsky.social

Delighted that our award winning short film #Safe will screen at #EssexInternationalFilmFestival today. Safe tackles violence against women and stars #JamesNelsonJoyce and #LauraBayston. You can also watch it on @directorsnotes.bsky.social #EndVAWG

Directors Notes

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Sam Baron’s ‘Office Royale’ Is a Scathing Corporate Satire That Will Keep You Guessing Until the Final Bang directorsnotes.com/2025/03/25/s... #darkcomedy #shortfilm #premiere #filmsky

directorsnotes.comPremiere: Office Royale by Sam Baron // Dark Comedy // Directors NotesSam Baron reveals how camerawork, coordinated stunts and top-notch performances combined to enhance the dark comedy of his bloody office survival short.

Directors Notes

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Stuck in Rut a Couple Make a Risky Move To Save Their Marriage in Colin O’Toole’s 80s Set Comedy ‘Cul-de-sac’ directorsnotes.com/2025/03/24/c... #premiere #comedy #shortfilm

directorsnotes.comPremiere: Cul-de-sac by Colin O'Toole // Comedy // Directors NotesColin O'Toole talks about using tension as the narrative fuel of his comedy where a couple in a waning marriage try an unconventional method of reconnection.

Directors Notes

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Politeness Becomes Horror in @daveraige.bsky.social's Socially Anxious Dark Comedy ‘Deep Tish’ directorsnotes.com/2025/03/20/d... #premiere #darkcomedy #massage

directorsnotes.comPremiere: Deep Tish by Dave Paige // Comedy // Directors NotesDave Paige shares the inciting awkward massage which triggered his amusement, sparking the idea for his darkly comedic tale of socially anxious politeness.

Directors Notes

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Banned in India, Beloved at BFI Flare: Onir’s ‘We Are Faheem & Karun’ Tells Kashmir’s First Queer Love Story directorsnotes.com/2025/03/19/o... #BFIFlare #filmsky #QueerCinema #Kashmir #LGBTQIA #Romance

directorsnotes.comWe Are Faheem & Karun by Onir // Romance Drama // Directors NotesLove, hope and apples on the Kashmiri border, DN speaks to Onir about surmounting censorship for his tale of forbidden romance amid the chaos of conflict.

Directors Notes

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The 9 Short Films Deserving of Top Billing on Your BFI Flare 2025 Watchlist directorsnotes.com/2025/03/18/f... #BFIFlare #LGBTQIA #filmfestival #BestOfFest

directorsnotes.com9 BFI Flare 2025 Short Films for Your Watchlist // Directors NotesAs BFI Flare the UK's largest queer film festival gets underway we share our top 9 short films and tease some of the most exciting world premieres screening.

Directors Notes

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A Refugee Flees Her War-Torn Home in Leve Kühl’s Empathetic @unhcr.org Short ‘Through My Eyes’ directorsnotes.com/2025/03/17/l...

directorsnotes.comThrough My Eyes by Leve Kühl // Campaign Film // Directors NotesLeve Kühl explains the power that POV had to place viewers within the perspective of someone seeking safety and stability for his refugee's journey short.

Directors Notes

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‘Sister Midnight’: Exploring Misanthropy and Marriage with Karan Kandhari Subscribe to the DN podcast for the full interview 👇🏾 pod.link/192507317 #filmsky #directorinterview

Directors Notes

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A Bold Young Boy Embarks on a Daring Heist in Leo McGuigan’s Nostalgic Coming-of-Age Tale ‘The Invention’ directorsnotes.com/2025/03/14/l... #filmsky #shortfilm #comingofage

directorsnotes.comThe Invention by Leo McGuigan // Comedy // Drama //Directors NotesLeo McGuigan discusses blending nostalgia with realism in his short which captures the complexities of childhood as 3 boys attempt a daring cigarette heist.

Directors Notes

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Alex Bush Explores the Dynamic Nature of Gender Expression and the Transgender Experience in Intimate Fable ‘Thaw’ directorsnotes.com/2025/03/11/a... #filmsky #shortfilm

directorsnotes.comPremiere: Thaw by Alex Bush // Romance Drama // Directors NotesAlex Bush talks about reappropriating tropes of classic melodramas for their proof-of-concept short where two friends begin exploring their gender variance.

Directors Notes

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An important watch for #InternationalWomensDay

Debbie Howard@debbiehoward.bsky.social

It's #InternationalWomensDay. Watch our multi award winning short film #Safe on @directorsnotes.bsky.social. Safe deals with harassment & violence against women in public spaces. Made by predominantly female crew. Starring #JamesNelsonJoyce & #LauraBayston. directorsnotes.com/2025/01/15/d...

directorsnotes.comSafe by Debbie Howard // Drama Short Film // Directors NotesDebbie Howard explains why handheld was the ideal aesthetic to fully immerse the audience in her disquietingly familiar short about unwanted male attention.

Directors Notes

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A Rancorous Soul Refuses a Last Chance for Redemption in David Leon’s Cautionary Tale ‘Converse Blues’ directorsnotes.com/2025/03/07/d... #filmsky #premiere #fate #hatred #toxicmasculinity

directorsnotes.comPremiere: Converse Blues by David Leon // Drama // Directors NotesDavid Leon reveals how he tonally distinguished the three worlds of his allegorical tale cautioning against making the same mistakes as those who came before.

Directors Notes

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A Darkly Obsessed Woman Contemplates the End of Everything in Matthew B.C.’s Comedy Short ‘Death!’ directorsnotes.com/2025/03/06/m... #filmsky #darkcomedy #shortfilm

directorsnotes.comDeath! by Matthew B.C. // Comedy Short Film // Directors NotesMatthew B.C. tells DN how he and his crew maximised their minimal budget to create a high-quality short that's both funny and unsettling.

Directors Notes

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The 13 Must-Watch Short Films at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival directorsnotes.com/2025/03/05/s... #filmsky #sxsw2025 #bestoffest #shortfilm #sxsw

directorsnotes.comThe 13 Must-Watch Short Films at SXSW 2025 // Directors NotesIf 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.

Directors Notes

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A Well Intentioned Street Preacher’s Premonition of Ruin Ultimately Comes to Pass in Lucas Vilicich’s ‘Luddite’ directorsnotes.com/2025/03/04/l... #filmsky #luddite #technology

directorsnotes.comLuddite by Lucas Vilicich // Comedy Short Film // Directors NotesLucas Vilicich unravels how his short evolved from screaming frustrations at the world to engaging audiences with a comedic forewarning against technology.

Directors Notes

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11 Outstanding Short Films From the 18th BFI Future Film Festival directorsnotes.com/2025/02/27/b... #filmsky #bestoffest #BFIFutureFilmFestival #FFF2025

directorsnotes.com11 Outstanding Shorts From BFI Future Film Festival 2025 - Directors NotesHaving explored the inspiring programme of diverse films at the 18th BFI Future Film Festival here is DN's selection of 11 stand-out shorts you have to see.