The Lap

“My background in cinematography naturally makes me think in images, but I don’t want the visual language to dictate the story. Ideally, the two should develop together.”

Set in the autumn of 1913, Robert Piel’s 'The Lap' (Der Schoß) follows a young alienated farmhand caught between the uncertainty of leaving and the desire to hold on to what he knows. Against an almost dreamlike Lithuanian landscape, the film explores the turbulence of youth through subtle sound design and richly textured 35mm cinematography.

Dark Skin Bruises Differently

"Be it at home, at school, in a newsagents or Woolworths at the weekend, presumed misbehaviour was something we constantly faced, innocence was rarely assumed and protection (at worst) was never offered."

Drawing on her own experiences growing up and the adultification of Black children, Susan Wokoma's 'Dark Skin Bruises Differently' puts a staffroom of teachers blind to their own biases in a moral crucible over the fate of a young Black girl. Susan talks to us about producing and directing while also taking on the lead acting role for her purposefully uncomfortable drama short.

Dummy

"I've always been a fan of Christopher Guest films and really wanted to make something that was heavily improvised. For my other projects, I usually have every shot and line planned out in my head, so the idea of keeping things loose and unexpected was both freeing and terrifying."

Max Clendaniell tells DN about his first experience shooting improvised comedy for short film 'Dummy', in which a maligned actor is sent into an existential crisis when his hilariously odd-looking prop body-double looks insultingly nothing like him. Clendaniel discusses how the improvisation between his three actors came together, creating the world of the film through production design on a shoestring budget, and why the titular Dummy required "an insane amount of pubes".

Man Eating Pussy

"The idea of her as 'the literal personification of pussy' starts to break down the moment you imagine her doing normal human things."

Described by director Lee Lawson as a blend of Lost in Translation and Alien, SXSW award-winning short 'Man Eating Pussy' may have a catchy elevator pitch, but it’s a film that defies easy categorisation. We caught up with Lawson to explore the origins of its unusual premise, a “birth in reverse”, the practical effects that bring its central character to life and the “spiritual valence” of exploring the connection between birth and death.

10 Short Films Capturing the Essence of
Riga International Film Festival 2026

Every October, RIGA IFF brings together a diverse selection of films that shine a spotlight on the Baltic region. With its 2026 programme spanning international shorts and Latvian discoveries, the festival embraces experimentation, distinctive animation and documentary-inspired approaches that challenge conventional filmmaking.

Directors Notes picked out 10 standout shorts that showcase the creativity and diversity of this year’s selection, with a particular eye on the local gems that should be on your radar.