Backstage

"The most interesting and eye-opening part was trying to understand both perspectives – that of the victim as well as that of the predator. Putting myself in Cosima’s shoes helped me process some things from my own past."

Director Émile V. Schlesser explores his own past experiences with abuse of power dynamics to create absorbing drama ‘Backstage’, which seamlessly blends the story playing out on-stage and the far more insidious one playing out behind the curtain. Schlesser returns to Directors Notes to discuss making the most of a low budget to shoot in one of Luxembourg's prestigious theatres, the trust he built with his actors to capture scenes of intimacy and abuse, and the advice he has for anyone facing a similar situation.

Mean Ends

"Not only does this body take up most of the space in our tiny Montreal apartment, but more importantly, it serves as a constant reminder of my failure, literally lying dead on my couch, just like my directing career."

Émile Lavoie talks to DN about the real-life prop corpse from a failed film production that would inspire his incredibly successful follow up 'Mean Ends' (Mourir en silence). We also learn how his composer came to the rescue when it was discovered that a key piece of music had been used elsewhere, and the devilish joy he gets from playing every horror expectation you’ve got against you.

11 Gems From Conero Film + ADV 2026

Conero Film + ADV returned to Ancona for its fourth edition, bringing together a diverse selection of short films across branded and unbranded filmmaking. A festival very close to our hearts here at DN, which continues to champion exciting cinematic voices, we are excited to share some brilliant titles from this year’s Pianeta Fresco programme.

Dogbite

“I just wanted to go make something. With no expectation of what it would be or how it would serve my career or anything like that. Just creating with my friends as some sort of salve for the frustration I was feeling.”

Filmmaker Jared Hogan speaks to DN about channelling the frustrations of trying to get his debut feature off the ground into the creativity and production behind his latest short, 'Dogbite'. He also discusses how that experience shaped his approach to making 'Jackrabbit', his debut feature, using the same DIY spirit.

Are You Fucking Kidding Me?!

"Horror that laces in comedy allows for humor that irks you, that gets under your skin. It’s the uncanny, the familiar made strange."

In Zen Pace’s 'Are You Fucking Kidding Me?!', a children’s party clown finds himself caught between the indignity of his job and the growing pressures of making ends meet. Blending horror and comedy with a distinctly queer perspective, the film turns the familiar trope of the terrifying clown into a sharp commentary on the precarity of the gig economy and the absurdities of the entertainment industry at large.