This DAILIESESSIONS will interrogate short-form filmmaking. Award-winning directors, Dumas Haddad, Mitch Kalisa, Femi Ladi & Tomisin Adepeju will each lead a 60min workshop that interrogates the process of directing commercials, music videos and short films.

The directors will comprehensively take you through each step of the film-making process from developing an idea, storyboarding, creating a mood board, script writing, directing actors/artists and finally post production. This session aims to demystify the process of creating compelling short-form work.

Commercials & the Art of Visual Storytelling by Dumas Haddad

Award-winning director Dumas Haddad will lead a session that dissects the craft of storytelling through the creative lens of commercials. Revered for his visually resplendent and lyrical narrative shorts and for his work for brands such as Samsung and WhatsApp, Dumas will break down the process of translating creative ideas to fully developed visuals that translates a clear tone and identity.

In this session, Dumas will take us on a journey from pitching, prep, production, post and final delivery. How do you encapsulate your ideas in a compelling mood mood? How does storyboards aid and enhance the creative process? How do you serve a client’s brief but also evoke your artistic voice and vision?

Crafting Distinct & Innovative Music Videos by Femi Ladi

In the past two years, Femi Ladi’s dynamic and visually dazzling music videos has announced him as one of the most exciting directors working in the medium. An award winning director, his groundbreaking visuals for Stormzy, Ghetts, Jorja Smith and Pa Salieu have been praised for their bold aesthetic, subversion of form and fierce originality. Femi has been nominated for 5 UKMVA’s, winning one for best UK International Newcomer for Pa Salieu “My Family” in 2021.

In this session, Femi will delve into the process of crafting unique and compelling music videos. Femi will break down his approach to interpreting a piece of music and creating a pitch and visual treatment that acutely articulates his vision. Femi will also talk through creating storyboards, collaborating with different heads of departments and finally, forming and navigating creative partnerships with artists and labels.

Narrative Shorts & Honing your Cinematic Voice by Mitch Kalisa

A double winner (Jury & Audience award) at Oscar-Qualifying SXSW for his BIFA-nominated and BAFTA longlisted short PLAY IT SAFE, director Mitch Kalisa has announced himself as a singular film-maker with a bold and important cinematic voice.

In this session, Mitch will break down the medium of narrative short film-making from inception to execution. Mitch will explore the process of building and developing an idea, encapsulating it in a script and then forming the vision through focused research and a visual treatment. How do you find and collaborate with your actors, cinematographer & editor? How do you translate a great idea into a great film? How do you find a producer to bring it to life? How do you imbue your film with your own unique cinematic identity?

The Art of Economical & DIY Film-making by Tomisin Adepeju

Tomisin shot his short The Good Son when he was in film school for £500 in his living room; it went on to screen at over 65 film festivals, winning awards and getting him recognised within the film industry. Tomisin's short film The Right Choice, another low budget short, premiered at Sundance film festival in 2018 and screened at over 45 film festivals. This DIY approach has been employed for his most recent work Appreciation & Journey Mercies.

In this session, Tomisin will break down the process of making a successful low budget short film. How do you craft illuminating stories on limited resources? How do you translate bold, textured and ambitious narratives in one single location? Tomisin will also explore the process of building creative collaborations with a like-minded network of actors and crew.