Oscar Spotlight: Daniel Audritt and Kat Butterfield on bringing joy and reality to end of life
The time-loop has become a familiar cinematic device, from Groundhog Day to more existential variations on the form. What made you feel it was the right structure for a story about a man in a hospice, and how did you set about making repetition feel like a revelation rather than a gimmick? Well at first we were drawn to it because the concept felt quite … Continue reading Oscar Spotlight: Daniel Audritt and Kat Butterfield on bringing joy and reality to end of life
Female Directors to Watch in the 2027 Oscar Race
A new wave of female filmmakers is making a major impact on the 2027 Oscar race, with Oscar-qualified live-action shorts tackling family trauma, gun violence, school distress, mortality, identity and the political legacy of pop culture through bold, deeply personal storytelling. Among this year’s standouts are Saoirse Ronan’s PAPER PLANE, Kathryn Ferguson’s NOSTALGIE, Nora Arnezeder’s AGNÈS, Georgia Parris and Natalie Lauren’s UNAUTHORISED ABSENCE, and Kat … Continue reading Female Directors to Watch in the 2027 Oscar Race
Oscar Spotlight: Aaron Chalke on Turning Death, Grief and Irish Humour Into The Death Notice of Eamonn McCarty
The writer-director of The Death Notice of Eamonn McCarty talks Michael McElhatton, finding humour in mortality, learning from the Oscar-winning filmmakers behind An Irish Goodbye, and why qualifying for the 99th Academy Awards still feels like a dream. For Irish filmmaker Aaron Chalke, an idea rooted in one of the most familiar traditions of his childhood has taken him somewhere he never quite imagined: into … Continue reading Oscar Spotlight: Aaron Chalke on Turning Death, Grief and Irish Humour Into The Death Notice of Eamonn McCarty
OSCAR SPOTLIGHT: APART TURNS A TRUE APARTHEID-ERA FRIENDSHIP INTO A POWERFUL STORY OF HUMAN CONNECTION
Directed by South African artist Pola Maneli, with music supervision by Grammy winner Black Coffee, the animated short draws on the real childhood friendship of writers Tim Jones and Lubabalo Mtati, two boys whose bond crossed the racial divisions of apartheid. At the heart of APART is a deceptively simple idea: children are not born knowing who they are supposed to fear. Set against the … Continue reading OSCAR SPOTLIGHT: APART TURNS A TRUE APARTHEID-ERA FRIENDSHIP INTO A POWERFUL STORY OF HUMAN CONNECTION
MOTHER WOLF: A WOODSTOCK STANDOUT WITH MELISSA LEO AT ITS HEART
Suzi Yoonessi’s deeply personal feature brings a compelling portrait of motherhood, responsibility and reinvention to the festival where it made its world premiere. With its richly complicated central character, impressive ensemble and deeply personal roots, Mother Wolf stands out in Woodstock’s 2026 programme as a film with something meaningful to say about the women who hold families together. Starring Academy Award winner Melissa Leo, Suzi … Continue reading MOTHER WOLF: A WOODSTOCK STANDOUT WITH MELISSA LEO AT ITS HEART
