How Glitter Kiss finds the humanity in hate
Director Augustė Gerikaitė, who won a YDA Gold in the Short Film category for her tender study of homophobia and redemption shares how she set out to prompt empathy and reevaluation of prejudices.
Yuan Yuan embraces uncertainty in When Winter Comes
The two-time YDA Gold winner tells Jamie Madge why her short turns away from solving a disappearance and instead focuses on the complicated emotional life of the person left behind.
Ziga Ciber lifts the veil on his YDA win
Director Ziga Ciber shares the deeply personal inspiration behind his haunting documentary, White Veil, which won a YDA Gold in the Film School - up to 10 mins category.
Willy Hajli builds on Castles & Ruins
After receiving the Video Art Gold at this year's YDA, director Willy Hajli tells Jamie Madge about the memory, meaning and monochrome imagery behind his winning film created to mark ten years since Brazilian rapper BK’s debut album.
Jean Chapiro finds the message beyond La Mar
After picking up Documentary Gold at this year’s YDA, director behind La Mar tells Jamie Madge how she found the human story inside a climate crisis.
Štefánia Lovasová's intimate glimpse at abuse
Director Štefánia Lovasová won a Gold Screen in the Film School -10 Mins and over category at this years YDA. Here she tells us about how her sister got her into film, shooting on 16mm, and the magic of good casting.
How Sooyeon Shin found beauty in a bad dream
After picking up Animation Gold at this year’s YDA, South Korean director Sooyeon Shin tells Jamie Madge how a recurring dream, an unresolved childhood memory and hand-drawn textures shaped her deeply personal film, To My Old Nightmare.
The modern horrors of INKUBUS’s medieval tale
Director Reza Sam Mosadegh, who won the YDA Special Jury Prize for his powerful film, explains why a shocking story of 17th century sexual abuse remains relevant today and how his experience as a refugee led her to filmmaking.
Jasper De Maeseneer is focussed on film
HAMLET director Jasper De Maeseneer's short, Shutterspeed, which won gold at this year's YDA in the Film School [Over 10 minutes] category, is an affecting story of vulnerability, power dynamics and infatuation. Here, he talks about ambiguity, emotion and staying focussed.
On the rise with Jessie J. Rowlands
Director Jessie J. Rowlands talks about her YDA winning film RISE which scooped a Gold Screen in the Short Film - 10 mins and over category. She gives us the scoop on the inspiration behind the film, the shoot in Zimbabwe, and how conviction is contagious.
How Jesper Ei Karlsson set up shop
Swedish comedy series Kiosken deservedly won a YDA Gold in the First Series category. Here, co-creator Jesper Ei Karlsson shares the importance of characters you care about and how to make authentic quirkiness.
A bird's eye view of Tobias Eckerlin's YDA win
Director Tobias Eckerlin's affecting short film, A Sparrow's Song, won a YDA Gold in the Film School category. Here, he talks to us about building trust with his team, the symbolism of birds, and the real-life figures behind the film.