myDylarama

Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2026

carrie — 2026-02-01T10:22:18Z

Europe's largest (and the world's second largest) film festival back, nestled in the heart of France's wild, volcanic region of the Massif Central. Its international competition, made up of 12 programmes of shorts, is one of the richest platforms for storytelling from around the world. The accessibility and relatively low cost of short filmmaking allow for breadth of voices that can't be matched by feature film festivals. The more experimental films are given a competition all to themselves - the Lab. On top of which are special programmes, thematic screenings, exhibitions... so much to fill the hefty catalogue the 200,000 festival attendees are lugging and anottating day in day out.

This year's geographical focus is South East Asia. Festival regular, Filipino director Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan is back. Festival moderator and writer Elise Loiseau has written this in-depth piece on his work - and this edition's masterclass will be with Vietnamese-French director Tran Anh Hung (The Taste of Things, The Smell of the Green Papaya).

There is so much going on, there's hardy any point trying to capture the highlights. But a few of the perks that sets Clermont apart include: a fairly exhaustive programme squarely aimed at children (from 4!), filmmaking and film craft workshops (free!), side exhibitions (all around the town!), and a massive film market (pitch your feature!). Every year, the festival team arranges for the Palestinian film delegation to come and present the consistently and astoundingly strong films made and produced by Palestinian filmmakers in the preceding 12 months.

We'll be back with a few choice Q&As... Watch this space.

REVISITED: Our River... Our Sky - Maysoon Pachachi's harrowing glimpse of daily life in 2006 Baghdad

Abla Kandalaft, carrie, Viewing Pleasure — 2023-07-12T13:07:00Z

Ahead of its UK release in the Autumn, here's our review of Our River…Our Sky (aka Kulshi Makoo in Arabic), Iraqi filmmaker Maysoon Pachachi's most recent feature film.

Enjoy your summer, everyone!

Set in Baghdad in 2006, specifically between Christmas and the Adha Eid, the film tells the stories of ordinary Iraqis going about their daily business against a backdrop of random bombings and kidnappings that plagued the country following the American-led invasion. The central character around whom other lives unfold is single mother and writer Sara, whose bread and butter is writing CVs. We follow her, unable to write her novel, doing the school run, increasingly losing hope of a better future. Abu Haider drowns his despair in alcohol, while his son is increasingly at risk of being co-opted by sectarian violence, Tamara escapes into music and fashion, Mona is pregnant but pines for her other children from a previous marriage, Yahya debates whether or not to stay in his job... 2006 was a particularly low point for Iraq, three years after the invasion, the US-imposed government had fostered sectarian divisions and violence was commonplace. The film was shot mostly in Baghdad, with Iraqi actors now mostly living in various European countries, and is a rare and much needed depiction of the impact of the invasion and its consequences on Iraqis.

Pachachi's patchwork of daily life in 2006 Baghdad gets the audience up close and personal with its ordinary citizens, living their lives, working, resigning, going to school, flirting online, bringing home like nothing else the sheer cataclysmic upheaval wreaked on their lives by the seismic repercussions and outcomes of the invasion. Sara, Djila, Ahmed and many others are trying to get on with their mundane routines amidst kidnappings and random slaughter. During a post-screening Q&A, Maysoon, who lives in London, brought up the way in which media reporting of the "war" back then would depict satellite images, wide shots of smoking buildings and tanks crawling through desert landscapes, at no point showing the nitty gritty of the reality on the ground. Exposing how people that are fundamentally so similar to UK audiences are made to cope with such a reality should stir the hearts of an international audience that's so often encouraged to dehumanise the victims of these endeavours.

The film also acts as a love letter to Baghdad and Iraq as a whole. Maysoon centres intellect, culture and literacy. Sara would love to exploit her PhD in English Literature, the kids play-act scenes from old plays... Reminding us that the country has a proud literary and artistic history, which, despite the essentials of daily life being torn apart, still has its place. Most importantly, the film champions those Iraqis who've stayed to rebuild their country, the young people who've shown so much resilience and ability to create something new. Let's not forget that the country was subjected to another wave of barbarism with Isis running wild a few years later. However, Maysoon injected much needed hope when she described her 2019 visit to Baghdad, when she shot the film. She'd arrived only to be met by huge creativity, hustle and bustle, busy cafes and wild wedding parties.

The film will be released on 22 September 2023.

Genre, warehouse shoots & the "alternative" cinema of Bangladesh with Moshari's Nuhash Humayun

Abla Kandalaft, carrie — 2022-10-20T10:22:09Z

The end of the world forces two sisters together, inside a mosquito net, just to survive—but first they must survive each other. Moshari is a deeply atmospheric and haunting short, whose horror tropes and sense of dread only serve to amplify the human drama at its heart.

We chat to Bangali filmmaker Nuhash Humayun whose Oscar-qualified short horror premiered at South By Southwest. He tells us about his foray into filmmaking, the ways in which genre films can breakdown language and cultural barriers, and how the Bangladeshi film industry has emerged as a more experimental alternative to mainstream Bollywood.

More about the film HERE.

Interview with Annette Westwood, director of This Little Girl

Alma, carrie — 2022-06-21T13:16:27Z

A mother with a substance misuse issue, has to prove herself on her path to recovery,
to prevent her child from being taken away from her and placed into care. We chat here with director Annette Westwood.

Where did the idea come from? Can you tell us a bit about your relationship or collaboration with Trevi?

THIS LITTLE GIRL was inspired by the amazing work of Trevi, a women's & children's charity & their unique residential rehabilitation centre. Their centre is one of the last of its kind in the UK where children can stay and accompany their mother whilst they undergo detox and therapeutic rehabilitation for substance misuse and related issues.

I was deeply moved and inspired by their work, having seen a documentary - I think with myself being a woman, from a working-class background having battled to overcome adversity and hardship in my own life, I felt compelled and passionate about telling a story inspired by the charity's work.

With the charity's support and co-operation, I was granted access to Trevi's Jasmine Mother's Recovery Centre, and had the opportunity of spending time speaking to resident mums & staff and to see first-hand the extraordinary work taking place. This gave an invaluable insight and understanding to help in the development of the film and to ensure the narrative was authentic and representative. The wonderful collaboration and generosity of spirit of Trevi continued throughout production, including some of the artwork seen in the film being created by the mums and children of Trevi's rehabilitation services.

How did you choose to tell this story? What did you specifically want to highlight?

THIS LITTLE GIRL follows Jessika, a single mother, on her journey in recovery with her daughter Zia and Jessika's relationship with Ruby, a fellow mother in recovery at the rehabilitation centre, through which the film looks to explore the complexities of parental substance misuse and drug addiction recovery.

The film offers us the opportunity to question ‘can a mother struggling with drug addiction change?' Whilst also exploring female relationships and challenging stereotypes of women, people with substance misuse issues and portrayals of British working-class people.

The vision of the film I'd best describe as British social realism with a poetic lens. As the story delves into the depths of exploring addiction, the film's style evolves to a luridly heightened sense of realism, with surrealist elements, looking to create a thought-provoking and compelling drama.

How did you get your crew together and select your cast?

For This Little Girl I worked alongside my sister Emma as our film's producer - we both decided very early in development that the film should be shot in our home region of the West Midlands - not only is the location an ideal fit for the film's narrative but the region also offers a fantastic array of talent. A large number of our crew were from the Midlands and local region, with other team members joining us who we'd collaborated with previously. The team were absolutely amazing, going above and beyond, especially as filming took place during the pandemic.

We were also incredibly lucky to have superb casting director Nikki Meadows on board, who did an outstanding job in helping us find our fantastic cast, including our sensational leading ladies - Shireenah Ingram (Black Girl Magic, Doctors, Amistat: Listen to the Silence), Debra Baker (It's a Sin, Body of Water, London Road), Madeleine MacMahon (Bruised Sky, Higher Ground, EastEnders) and Lowi Mushonga (Lowi began her acting career by playing Princess Lena's baby in THE SPANISH PRINCESS Series, she has also been involved in commercial and stills work and all of this at only 23 months old!)

Also, I'd a very clear idea in regards to the music for the film, and we were delighted to welcome on board Composer Falk Wünsch who provided the original score and to feature the music of Michael Clark and Gareth Owen.

What were the main hurdles for the production and shoot?

Certainly the main hurdles for the production and shoot were linked to the impact of Covid-19. There were many obstacles during the pandemic, including a change in filming location, budget adjustments and the extra steps to adhere to Covid-19 guidelines. Luckily, due to the rural location of the shoot and the fantastic efforts of the team and support of BFI NETWORK we were able to navigate our way around the issues as they presented themselves.

How did the BFI Network get involved?

I participated in both the BFI NETWORK Midlands Short Film Writers Lab and Talent Camp whilst in the development stage of the script. I found the BFI NETWORK workshops incredibly insightful, informative and inspiring. When the script was complete, we submitted a funding application for the film to the BFI NETWORK Short Film funding programme.

We were truly honoured to be successful and to receive awarding funds from The National Lottery to make This Little Girl. The support & guidance throughout production given by Midlands BFI NETWORK Talent Executive Alexzandra Jackson and the BFI NETWORK team were truly wonderful!

What is your background in film?

I graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, then worked as a professional actor for a number of years across film, television and theatre, in productions for the BBC, ITV & SMG.

Following my passion for filmmaking, I formed Midlands based film production company Hawkwood Productions, working alongside my sister Emma, and together as the Westwood Sisters we produced our debut short film Whoever You Are… The film won several awards on its festival run, including wins for Best Short, Best Indie Film and Best Inspirational Film at UK & International Film Festivals. The film went on to receive worldwide distribution with American entertainment company IndieFlix, through its global streaming service.

What are your hopes for this short?

I hope, as well being a compelling drama, this film invites opportunity for conversation, greater understanding and change in perception around parental substance misuse and drug addiction.

The sad reality is that in the UK a child is taken into care every 16 minutes, with two thirds of cases linked to parental substance misuse. Research shows that there are clear links between an individual's own experience of abuse and trauma and drugs and alcohol addiction.

The context of the the Covid-19 pandemic during shooting further highlighted the importance of shining a light on the issues the film explores. The global pandemic greatly contributed to a well-documented rise in addiction issues, and specifically for Trevi's services, they were running at capacity throughout this time.

Any highlights from the festival circuit?

We were honoured for This Little Girl to have its World Premiere in March at BAFTA Qualifying Underwire Festival 2022, which saw the film nominated in the Best Producing category. Another recent highlight was the film screening at BAFTA Qualifying Flatpack Festival 2022, as part of the BFI NETWORK Talent Camp in BFI NETWORK short films programme.

We are also thrilled that This Little Girl has been officially selected for the inaugural Kingston International Film Festival supported by Patrons BAFTA award-winning director Mike Newell & Academy award-winning actress Dame Vanessa Redgrave with the festival taking place in a few days' time.

What are your plans for the near future?

Having participated in BFI NETWORK Treatment Lab, being one of the writers to take part, gaining an oversight of the development process of writing a feature film treatment, and having participated in the BFI NETWORK Film Hub Midlands Directors Series, I'm working towards progressing from the short film format to make a feature.

You can find out more about the film on its official website and by checking out @LittleGirlFilm on Twitter.

Q&A with Tiffany Tong, director of MOTH - EFN CRITICS' AWARD WINNER

carrie — 2021-08-28T09:40:59Z

Animator Tiffany Tong won the Critics' Choice Award at the last edition of Emerging Filmmakers Night for her short Moth. She tells us a bit more about the film and her background in animation. Moth is available to view online.

There is so much to unpack in the 3 minute run-time of Moth. First of all, can you explain the choice of title?

Moths are attracted to light, drawn to bright lights. It represents Hong Kong residents, seeking the light in the dark, like chasing hope in the dark.

Also the pronunciation of moth in Cantonese is the same pronunciation of one of the surnames of the Hong Kong Chief Executive. So, ‘Moth' has a double meaning in my film.

What are you hoping to communicate to your audience?

I would like to share my feelings and the truth with my audience. As there's a lot of news media that have their own angles, I would like to record the truth and communicate it to the world.

Can you tell us more about your choice of colour palette (black and white with very specific injections of colour) and soundtrack?

I want to create a serious and neutral perspective, but not too much. So I add those touches of colours. For example, at 01:10, the stand opposite the disordered line, green and black is the uniform of the police, pink is the colour of respirators, black is the clothing of protesters, yellow is the colour of the ribbon. The music is created by a talented local music composer, Joyce Chung. I also use foley.

Is your background in animation? Can you explain your particular animation style?

Yes, I completed my Animation MA in the United Kingdom and Animation degree in Hong Kong. My particular animation style is a mixture of rotoscope and motion graphics. I think it's the perfect way to present documentary animation, it combines realism and creativity.

What sort of filmmaking and subject matter are you keen to focus on in the near future?

I am working on another project, a documentary animation about Covid-19. Stay Tuned.

How has the pandemic affected your work thus far?

Affected by the pandemic, I had to go back to Hong Kong and get used to another animation environment. The animation industry in Hong Kong is very different from that in the UK. But on the other hand, this pandemic also gave me inspiration to start making another documentary animation.

What would be your top tips for someone starting out in animation?

A strong spirit. Creating animation is a very long process, so we need to have faith, passion and love towards both animation and the topic. Also, a stylish animation style will be very helpful as well. These can support you to complete your journey.

Short of the Week: Carnal Orient by Mila Zuo

carrie — 2019-08-09T15:32:09Z

A cook serves exotic dishes to his hungry, impatient guests. Suddenly the arrival of a mysterious Asian woman re-ignites their insatiable appetite.

Mila Zuo's atmospheric short is incredibly rich in symbolism and references, conscious or not - from Lynch to Fruit Chan's dumplings.

This short is brought to us by the fab horror film platform @WatchALTER. There's a whole treasure trove on their Youtube page.

Short of the Week: The Boy and The Sea by Samer Ajouri

carrie — 2019-06-17T11:52:14Z

This entrancing, hypnotising and moving animation is now available to watch online!

Once upon a time there was a boy who had joy in drawing the sea. One day, into the bottom of the sea he dove, in hope of escaping war and misery.
The story did not begin with the worldwide TV snatched image of the Syrian child Elan, thrown on the Turkish shores by the waves, and it definitely did not end with it.

Once upon a time there was a boy who had joy in drawing the sea.

One day, into the bottom of the sea he dove, in hope of escaping war and misery.

Alas, he found himself trapped amongst swarms of screens that distorted his image and stole his story.

No, the story did not end, images are still flowing and the world is still watching...

Find out more about Samer Ajouri's work on his website.

iShorts programmer Petr Horak

carrie — 2011-03-07T02:00:00Z

Petr Horak, present at the film market at this year's Clermont Ferrand Short Film Festival, represented iShorts, an ambitious and growing structure promoting Czech films. We caught up with him at the market.

Tell us a bit more about iShorts.

iShorts is a nonprofit organization. We have been trying to promote short films, especially Czech short films, for the past 6 years. Our main project is iShorts screening. A project that screening a variety of short films from around the world at the Bio Oko Art Cinema in Prague, Czech Republic. A project that has been highly successful and has drawn audiences from around the world.

Are you presenting any films at the festival?

None this year. We are seeking short films from around the World to screen at iShorts.

What are the backgrounds of the various members of the team?

We are students. iShorts is a student project. I established this project 6 years ago when I studied at Film college in Pisek. I shot my final short film and I wanted to show it to an audience but I realized that I didn't have a place where I could to screen it.

Did you benefit from any funding, public or private?

It is difficult to fund our project because iShorts is not a film festival. Fortunately we were successful and we got a grant from our capital city Prague. There are some private companies that they help us run our project for example with graphic design and printing our posters.

What do you think of the evolution of the short film industry in your country?

I think it is growing. If we are talking about short films. Our big TV channels are helping young filmmakers and students to produce their short films. You can see some short films on our TV nowadays. And we have more short film festivals in the Czech Republic.

Where do you plan to show the films?

We screen short films at the Bio Oko Art Cinema in Prague.

What other plans do you have for the company?

Try to carry on promoting short films. Plan more screenings. Plan screenings of short films not just in Prague but in other cities in the Czech Republic.

More info on http://www.ishorts.eu/. If you wish to contact Petr, drop us a line at abla@mydylarama.org.uk