In the 10+ years that I've worked at Short of the Week our filmmaker community has grown exponentially and keeping a track of our alums has almost become a full-time job itself. It's now got to the point where trying to collect a couple of months of updates in one easily digestible post feels impossible without leaving some important news out. To try and make things a lot more accessible and provide our previously featured filmmakers with the attention they deserve, we've decided to separate our quarterly Filmmaker updates post into two new articles – one to focus on the projects you can watch now and another highlighting all the projects in development.
With that in mind, below are the projects – features and series – from our alums that we recommend you add to your 'watchlist'. Some are available to watch with your subscriptions to the major streaming giants, others are available to rent at a cost, while some are still in cinemas.
If you're an alum and have a project we've missed, feel free to drop it into the comments section and we'll update the article as soon as possible. If you're interested in that In Development post, keep an eye out for it on our site very soon.
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Cusp
Dir. Parker Hill and Isabel Bethencourt
Featured on S/W in many different roles – as writer/producer on Bandito, assistant director on Lavender and as director on the unsettling Homing In – it was evident from early on we'd be seeing a lot more from Parker Hill. Teaming up with Isabel Bethencourt to direct her debut feature Cusp, the story of three teenage girls making the transition to adulthood, the film picked up a U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award at Sundance 2021 and is now available to watch (US only) on Showtime.
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Encounter
Dir. Michael Pearce
With his second feature – after the BAFTA-winning Beast – Pearce has teamed up with writer Joe Barton to tell the tale of a father (Riz Ahmed) protecting his children from an alien threat. Described by UK-based film critic Mark Kermode as a "genre-hopping affair", Encounter toured festivals, before hitting cinema screens and Amazon prime.
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Forever Rich
Dir. Shady El-Hamus
First coming to our attention back at Sundance 2013, as the writer of impressive short Magnesium, El-Hamus has gone on to forge a successful career as a director, with a string of shorts and now a second feature. With his debut feature About That Life picking up a couple of Golden Calf awards at the 2019 Nederlands Film Festival, his latest Forever Rich – the tale of a rapper looking to repair his damaged reputation after a video of a violent robbery goes viral – is available to view on Netflix.
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King Richard
Dir. Reinaldo Marcus Green
Since featuring Green on our site back in 2015 with his short film STOP, he went on to direct his debut feature Monsters and Men in 2018, three episodes of Netflix series Top Boy in 2019 and his second feature Good Joe Bell in 2020. His third and most high-profile feature sees him tackle the story of how tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams rose to prominence thanks to the determination of their father Richard and is available to rent on major streaming platforms now.
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Jockey
Dir. Clint Bentley
First diving into the world of horse racing with his 2017 short 9 Races, Bentley returns to the track for his feature debut Jockey. Starring Clifton Collins Jr. (whose performance won him an award at Sundance 2021) and Molly Parker the feature focuses on similar themes as that aforementioned short, as it focuses on a jockey at the end of his career.
CURRENTLY IN CINEMAS
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Listening to Kenny G
Dir. Penny Lane
Love him or loathe him, there's no denying Kenny G's dominance in the world of instrumental music has seen him become one of the best-selling artists of all time. Taking a humorous and insightful look into his career so far, Penny Lane's (Just Add Water) examination of the smooth jazz man is available on HBO (US only) now.
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Robin Robin
Dir. Dan Ojari & Mikey Please
Having already featured on our site in our Best Short Films on Netflix article and in our recent Voter's Guide for the 2022 Oscars piece, our love for Ojari (Slow Derek) and Please's (The Eagleman Stag, Marilyn Myller) stop-motion special Robin Robin should already be evident for those frequent visitors to our site. Despite being a festive film, this 30-minute Aardman animation should be enjoyed any time of the year, so if you're yet to experience the charm of this orphaned avian and its surrogate rodent family, this is essential viewing for all the family.
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She Paradise
Dir. Maya Cosier
An expansion of her 2019 short of the same name, Cosier's debut feature returns to the world of the soca dance scene in Trinidad to create what critic Robert Daniels calls "a love letter not only to the autonomy of a young Black woman but the culture of a proud island nation, too". Available to rent or buy on Amazon (US only).
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Sophie Jones
Dir. Jessie Barr
As the co-writer/director/star of dark comedy short Too Long at the Fair, Barr was another of those filmmakers you instantly knew you'd be hearing more from. Her debut feature Sophie Jones, follows its 16yr-old titular character as she struggles to make sense of life after her mother's death and is available on Showtime (US only).
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Tina
Dir. Dan Lindsay & T.J. Martin
The second documentary about a music legend on this list, Lindsay and Martin's latest feature promises an 'unvarnished and dynamic account of the life and career of music icon Tina Turner'. Featured on our site back in 2013 with their short tearjerker My Favorite Picture of You, the pair have gone on to direct and produce a series of documentaries, winning a slew of accolades along the way. Tina is available to watch on HBO (US only) and available to rent from various outlets.
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The Beta Test
Dir. Jim Cummings & PJ McCabe
The rise of Jim Cummings has been an inspirational story in the world of independent filmmaking. To think it's only been six years since his short Thunder Road wowed audiences and juries at festivals worldwide and he's now onto his third feature as director. His latest story, which he wrote and directed with co-star PJ McCabe, follows a Hollywood agent ensnared in a sinister world of lying, infidelity, and digital data. Having played Berlin, Tribeca and more, the film is now available to rent from a host of streaming platforms
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The Curse of Von Dutch
Dir. Andrew Renzi
Helmed by Andrew Renzi (Karaoke!), this three-part series aims to chronicle the rise and fall of the 2000's most iconic fashion trend. Promising a tale of 'backstabbing, greed, and bloodshed' the series premiered on Hulu in late 2021.
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The House
Dir. Emma de Swaef & Marc Roels, Niki Lindroth von Bahr and Paloma Baeza
With all four of the directors in this Netflix anthology having made their name in the world of stop-motion short films, it's exciting to see their talent get to shine on the streaming giant's platform. Having featured De Swaef and Roels on S/W with the unforgettable Oh Willy… and having seen the work of Lindroth Van Bahr and Baeza on the festival circuit (we would have certainly featured their films if they were available online) we expected some stunning craft and surreal storyline and we certainly weren't disappointed.
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La nuée (The Swarm)
Dir. Just Philippot
Having made what I consider one of the best genre short films for years, Acide (Acid), Philippot debut feature centres on a skin-crawling plot focused on a locus farmer and her discovery that blood makes them thrive. Screened at Cannes and Sitges and nominated for a César Award, The Swarm was snapped up by Netflix, where it's now available for your viewing pleasure.
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