After ten hours of searching online without a single, much-needed belly laugh, Jess wades into the world of comedy shorts: Where are online and IRL? Why aren’t they nominated for Oscars and high-level festivals? And where are they hiding online?

After a fruitless search for comedy, Jess chased down a bunch of in-the-know people to recommend their favourite comedy and comedy-horror shorts. Enjoy!

As more and more stories emerge about burnout, injuries, and cult-like dynamics being inflicted upon creators, how come being a Youtuber seems to lead filmmakers to such extremes? And is there a safer way to make a living in the creation economy?

What is propaganda and what does it look like in our current society? Jess explores this question by seeing if any contemporary propaganda films will be able to brainwash her: From Mormon musicals to juice cleanses, will she succumb?

Exhausted cynic Jess Sweetman explores what the short film world has to offer, and discovers a universe of short films celebrating all kinds of love… 

To wrap up 2024, we reached out to some of our friends across the industry to find out about their most memorable short films and we’re excited to present the official list here for you today.

A starter’s playlist of all of the obscure animated films - both shorts and features - recommended by people who actually know what they’re talking about.

We are living in tumultuous times. Sometimes it feels almost normal to find out that another filmmaker is in hiding, or facing arrest for making a film that has upset a regime. And while this is not a new phenomenon, according to experts, there has been an increase in crackdowns globally on freedom of speech, affecting filmmakers alongside activists, journalists, and anyone else with a platform.

And just to be clear, this isn’t a far-away thing that can be ignored with the casual ennui that comes from living in the West. From Iran to the UK, filmmakers are threatened for speaking truth to power. This article summarises just a few of the places and filmmakers who have been silenced in recent years and it ends with a few glimmers of hope.

In a world where human rights are being violated, hope feels scarce – but that’s not entirely the case. With film festivals and organisations across the globe highlighting these issues, the flicker of hope is growing. I’m exploring these platforms and talking to filmmakers to find out what we, as an audience, can take away from human rights films.

While the film industry still isn’t equal for women, I’m looking at the positive changes that have been made in the industry — and I found a wonderful connection.

Are programmes specifically screening the work of female filmmakers antiquated or important? And do we need dedicated programmes to focus on women’s stories? I reached out to a mix of female filmmakers, festival organisers, and others in the industry to see what they think.

Sometime last year the news broke that the celebrated short film festival held annually in the French town of Clermont-Ferrand was in trouble. One of the major funders of the festival announced a surprise 50% cut in their subsidy for the 2023 edition - that had already taken place.

So why exactly are short films important? We asked our new friends attending the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival to find out their points of view.

To wrap up 2023, we reached out to some of our friends across the industry to find out about their most memorable short films and we’re excited to present the official list here for you today.

In the realm of filmmaking, the advent of mobile technology has revolutionized the way stories are told and visual narratives are crafted.

Smartphones have changed how we make and consume media in our daily lives. But how have they impacted areas of the film industry?

Elke Sasse is a filmmaker whose titles include THE CORONA DIARIES, THE WAR ON MY PHONE, and #MYESCAPE - all three documentaries focus on footage shot by real people, taken on their mobile phones.

If you’re as old as I am, you’ll remember the advent of the digital democratisation of filmmaking. That was when, up to that point, only the Gods on Mount Olympus could possibly make films as they were the only ones with access to the filmmaking equipment required to do so. Now, we have all been bestowed the power of the Gods.

With a good story, science fiction, much like horror and fantasy, is a genre that has the capacity to transcend film festival programmes and find multiple homes online when the festival run is over.

You don’t need a budget when you’ve got a beach ball with legs - and other lessons from bargain science fiction films from history.