More Q&As! As Coco Green gets stuck in the final chapters of her PhD, we take a break from our usual format to publish Q&As and whatever audio output we fancy. To mark our partnership with the Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival and celebrate short films, we had a chat with Philip Ilson, founder and director of the London Short Film Festival, and film programmer (for the BFI London Film Festival, amongst others) . We talk about film clubs in the 1990s, the festival’s early (...) Continue Reading »

Moments in the lives of Austin teenagers in the heat of Texas summer. How was Birds born? I wanted to make this film, in part, to explore my creative process. My last short film involved a local community of young people whom I spent time with and worked with to make a film about their world. Birds expands on that approach more deeply. This film is more improvised, more off-the-cuff and observational, blurring the lines of doc and narrative in a way that was new for me. It was also my way (...) Continue Reading »

Parents often push their children to follow their steps. In this case, the father’s obsession with the rally turns the kid into a car tire. Loosely inspired by the director’s childhood, Sierra takes us into the surreal car racing world. What inspired you to make Sierra, an animation film that deals with the pressures parents can put on their children? After talking to my friends and acquaintances I found that the pressure from their parents to choose the “right career” is quite common. (...) Continue Reading »

Phondupe is the musical outfit of Sydney artist Rich Lucano. His ambient tunes and evocative soundscapes found quite a following amongst restless, locked-in listeners during Covid. His masterful sampling of everyday sounds picked up during his many travels lends itself particularly well to visual art. In fact, as a bit of a film buff, he is looking into pivoting towards film soundtracks. You’ve travelled extensively and have drawn on the places you’ve been to to create and shape your music. (...) Continue Reading »

We sent a bunch of questions to ambient music maestro Phondupe, who kindly recorded his answers. We thought we’d upload the audio as part of our podcast while we’re on a short break from our usual format! The written article is here. Continue Reading »

Following a spate of successful shorts - the excellent Magic Alps caught our attention at Clermont-Ferrand - Italian filmmaking duo Andrea Brusa and Marco Scotuzzi, and regular collaborator producer Andrea Italia, are back, this time with their first feature film, which is currently touring festivals. We talk to Andrea Brusa about Le Voci Sole (Lonely Voices): One family’s life goes haywire at the start of the pandemic as the matriarch-now without her steady housekeeper income-encounters a (...) Continue Reading »

The internet giant Wikipedia just turned 20. We take a look at its background and the future of the online encyclopaedia. Louis Christie reviews Maria Teresa Curzio 2021’s documentary. Now in its third decade, Wikipedia faces some complex questions. What role can robots play in writing and regulating articles? Can automated translation help save indigenous languages? What are the implications for an online encyclopaedia when nine in ten contributors are men? In a world where data is the (...) Continue Reading »

What motivated you to tell the story of these two characters? What did you want to explore through their relationship? I was interested in telling a story about understanding. I wanted to bring two characters together who might see each other in a unique and forgiving way, even though they have been pitted against each other by a situation they didn’t create. It’s an exploration of human connection despite circumstance and the vulnerabilities we all have. I’m also really interested in the (...) Continue Reading »

We’re back!! We took a couple of months’ break for me to get over the chaos of the first few weeks of having a newborn (my second - still chaotic!). We’re delighted to have Akua Gyamfi join us this week to discuss her work and her top picks. Akua is the founder of The British Blacklist, as well as co-creator of The Circle, which is relevant to our discussion. 🎙️ mydy.link/podcast Support us: 💷 ko-fi.com/mydy Subscribe for offers at: mydy.link/subscribe 🎧 (...) Continue Reading »

Upon his arrival at a prestigious military high school, Woyzeck, an officer’s son, meets Bakary, a student from a modest background with whom he will share a room. During a night of integration, the two boys will try to find their place in the Family, a group of influential students. Why did you choose a military school as the setting for your story? Is it an environment that you know well? In my previous short films, I have already explored exclusively male environments. In choosing a (...) Continue Reading »