Benji

"I love riding that line between serious and absurd, and I think injecting a bit of absurdity into a project can disarm an audience enough to let the more serious themes slip through.”

Retro-futuristic absurdist sci-fi short Benji writer/director Oscar Garth talks to us about creating the infomercial style of the film to pitch a garbage disposal system of the future, all the while mixing its dark humour with deep existential dread. He also discusses working with his actors to bring their dialogue-free characters to life, the design and manufacture of the titular Benji units, and the VFX employed to create a spectacular haunting final sequence.

10 Short Films that Capture the Spirit of Cardiff Animation Festival 2026

The UK is home to several strong animation-focused events, but the BAFTA-qualified Cardiff Animation Festival continues to be one of the most anticipated on the calendar. Across four days of talks, workshops, and screenings, there’s something for everyone - whether you’re an animator looking to connect or a fan eager to discover standout work.

DN’s Rob Munday picks out ten films from this year’s festival that felt genuinely fresh to us. Each one signals an exciting voice in animation, and filmmakers we’ll be watching closely from here on out.

1 Week to the WeAreDN Awards

The jury has made their selections, the official Leuchtturm1917 awards are being finalised, and we can’t wait to see you all in London next week for our 20th anniversary bash, where we’ll be celebrating our award-winning filmmakers and you, the DN community who’ve supported Directors Notes for the last two decades!

As part of the evening’s celebrations, we have prepared a fun, punchy film focussed Bingo with some fabulous prizes provided by our industry partners.

🗓️ Thursday, 7th May | ⏰ 7PM | 📍 Lanzarote Works

Navigating the Seas of Film Form with Mark Jenkin

"I rely on my short filmmaking even more than I used to… by making the short films it means I’m constantly making films."

Two decades after his first conversation with Directors Notes, Mark Jenkin sits down with Neil Fox to discuss his lastest feature film Rose of Nevada and explore how his shorts, such as I Saw the Face of God in the Jet Wash, have become essential to his creative practice—a laboratory where he stays sharp between features, providing a space where he can experiment without the need for studio backing.

Carve

"We were lucky to get the opportunity to shoot it on 35mm, 4-perf. I felt it was important for the process as the world of our main character is very tactile, mouldable and raw and that was the experience I wanted me and my crew to go through as well."

Director and debut screenwriter Femke Huurdeman talks to us about creating her darkly comic short Carve, where a struggling artist crosses paths with a self-aggrandising couple who commission her to create a sculpture depicting their perfect pairing. Femke explains how an ad for a cutesy couples keepsake provided inspiration, building trust with her actors to capture intimate, horrific scenes and developing the film's retro look and soundscape.