Bond on Cinema

My guests today are award-winning film director Mark David and Emmy award-winning director and writer Daniel Blake Smith, here to discuss their feature film "Mr. Wonderful." The last feature film of the late Michael Madsen. This video is a discussion of the film, working with Michael Madsen and the other actors in the film. #michaelmadsen #film #independentfilm #filmmaker #interview #filmmaking #bondoncinema #cinema #filmdirector #cinematography

Specia guests James Dean, Max Marlow, Scottie Fotre, the producers of the Oscar nominated short film, A FRIEND OF DOROTHY.  Ladies and gentlemen, Lee Knight’s A FRIEND OF DOROTHY is one of the most beautiful films I’ve seen this past year. So many of us knew in our hearts that this film was going to be Oscar nominated. Now we wait for Oscar night to see if it captures the epitome of film, an Academy Award. You can feel the love coming off the screen when you see the wonderful Miriam Margolyes. A veteran of theater and the silver screen, her portrayal of Dorothy is so natural you want to adopt her right on the spot. She brings the element of love, acceptance, and a mentoring spirit. Attributes we need to receive and start giving to others. We all need to be Dorothys. Alistair Nwachukwu plays JJ, a somewhat footballer, but who’s hidden desire to act comes forward when Dorothy starts to feed the little seed inside him. She fertilizes it and sees the potential and I am not going to spoil the ending, so you’ have to see for yourself how one person can make a difference. A FRIEND OF DOROTHY is the type of short film that the the Academy loves. It’s heartwarming, endearing and most of all, leaves a lasting impression on the audience to be better people. #oscars #academyawards #shortfilm #film #cinema #bondoncinema #filmmaker #filmmaking #filmdirector #filmproducer #friendship #mentorship 

The animated short IN THE BEGINNING directed by Ala Nunu is about a space probe called Beresheet, legless birds of paradise, hamster cull and humanity trying to make the world make sense. This film I wonderfully tonally absurd and colorful, ‘In the Beginning’ features three true stories about humans shaping narratives on animals in their attempt to make sense of the absurdities of the world. One features the doomed space probe Beresheet that aimed to deposit a backup of human civilization on the moon but ended up releasing microscopic tardigrades; another explores how legless specimens of birds of paradise exported to Europe in the 16th Century were widely believed to be otherworldly beings that lived forever aloft; and the last depicts Covid-era Hong Kong, where many hamsters were abandoned after authorities announced a cull as a precaution against animal-to-human transmission.    For a brief two seconds, the film depicts public domain imagery of Jesus flying on a cross with multiple wings, bestowing stigmata upon a kneeling St. Francis. I loved this animated film and will be watching its journey this year on the film festival circuit. #animatedshort #shortfilm #sxsw #film #cinema #bondoncinema #filmmaking #filmmaker #filmdirector #poland #portugal #filmfestival #filmfestivalcircuit 

Yu-Han Tsai newest short film, DUA JI will screen at the 2026 SXSW Film Festival. The film is set in a rural Taiwan town during her mother’s funeral, DUA JI follows the eldest daughter, as she is forced to confront the patriarchal rituals and quiet weight of duty that has long defined her life. As the ceremonies unfold and tensions quietly surface, the story positions itself as both an intimate personal journey and a reflection of gender, cultural inheritance, and intergenerational tension. The inspiration of the story stems from Tsai’s family history in rural Taiwan, where grandmother gave birth to six daughters before finally having a son. Years later, witnessing her grandmother’s Taoist funeral where the rituals centered on the male figure, revealed to Tsai the challenges women face within traditional family structures. Yu-Han Tsai takes us inside a family’s grief while they prepare for their mother’s funeral and will life just move on after it’s over or does one hold onto the past? This is a very emotional film as we live it through the heart of A-Hsien, the eldest daughter. We feel her grief, her quiet resentment to her only brother and her struggle to truly say goodbye to her mother. This film will resonate with many people around the world as grief is universal, but how we handle grief is not. Again, grief is just love looking for a place to go. #SXSW #shortfilm #austin #filmmaker #interview #filmmaking #bondoncinema #cinema #film #filmdirector

Oscar nominated short film, BUTCHER’S STAIN is about an Arab Israeli working in a supermarket in Tel Aviv and is accused of tearing down hostage posters in the break room. He sets out to prove his innocence to keep this job that he desperately needs. BUTCHER’S STAIN should help you open your eyes and stop assuming that someone’s is guilty without knowing the truth. And this film shows what happens if we fall into judging stereotypes. I found this film to be very powerful in its messaging and has found its rightful place among the other Oscar nominated short films. #oscars #academyawards #shortfilm #film #cinema #bondoncinema #filmmaker #filmmaking #filmdirector #screenwriter

THE GIRL WHO CRIED PEARLS is simply a stunning story and with its own unique animation, making it stand out among the other Oscar contenders.  The story is told from two locations. In Montreal, at the dawn of the 20th century, a poor boy falls in love with a girl whose sorrow turns into pearls. He sells them to a ruthless pawnbroker, who hungers for more. Tempted by greed, the boy must choose between love and fortune. The choice could damn his soul. In modern-day Paris, an elegant grandfather recounts the story of a poor boy in turn-of-the-20th-century Montreal. Desperate for food and shelter, a ragged street urchin finds an abandoned apartment to sleep. But life is full of surprises. Unaware that an extraordinary person lives behind the wooden kitchen wall, the young squatter soon discovers the marvelous gift of a sad girl, and profound feelings of first love begin to fill his soul. However, pure intentions go hand-in-hand with choice and regret. As a shady pawnbroker ruins everything with this greed, the burden of consequence demands an answer. What happened to the girl who cried pearls? #animation #animatedshort #shortfilm #film #cinema #filmmaking #filmmaker #filmdirector #storytelling #fable #oscars #academyawards   

Two Black Boys in Paradise, a lovingly-crafted stop motion animation made by Manchester-based film-makers One6th who have been on an extraordinary journey from a chance poetry reading in Berlin, via a freezing warehouse in Manchester to a BAFTA British Short Animation nomination. Based on a poem by award-winning writer Dean Atta and narrated by Rizzle Kicks star Jordan Stephens, Two Black Boys in Paradise follows Edan and Dula - two young Black men on a journey toward self-acceptance. Their love for each other, and their refusal to conceal it, transports them to a paradise free from shame and judgement. Inspired by Dean Atta’s poem from his acclaimed collection There is (still) Love Here, the film takes audiences on a poetic journey that echoes the emotional highs and lows of coming into oneself and out to the world. This animated short film has such poetic emotion, thanks to both actor Jordan Stephens wonderful narration and the music score by composers Jasper Dent and Adam Grigg.  #animation #animatedshort #shortfilm #bafta #film #cinema #gender #LGBTQ #filmmaker #filmmaking #filmdirector #screenwriter 

Ladies and gentleman, Kyle Kauwika Harris’ THE HUNTSMANS centers on a repressed ICU nurse played by actor Shawn Ashmore who volunteers as a reader for a recovering coma patient played by Garret Dillahunt as Lincoln, the prime suspect in the savage murders of six young women in a small southwestern town. The suspect's wife played by the amazing Elizabeth Mitchell, refuses to believe that her husband is the killer, struggles with the mounting complexities of the investigation. With a dedicated detective trying to solve the mystery before more bodies turn up, numerous other suspects take the case on a spiraling journey. THE HUNTSMAN gives all of us armchair detectives an amazing film to watch, dissect and choose who the killer is. Will you be right or will you be wrong? There are clues, so pay close attention. Forget about Knives Out, you want to see THE HUNTSMAN. Kyle Kauwika Harris is of Hawaiian heritage and an enrolled Choctaw Nation citizen of Oklahoma. Kyle previously served in the United States Navy and is best known for his Emmy-award winning feature documentary, I Stand: The Guardians of the Water and crime thriller narrative, Out of Exile. He is here today to talk about his new suspense thriller THE HUNTSMAN. Actor Shawn Ashmore has done many made-for-television movies and series,, but it was his brief appearance in X-Men in 2000 that landed him a role in X2: X-Men United in 20030) and got him on the road to stardom. As an added bonus, he even got his own personal action figure modeled after him. Currently, Shawn plays Wesley Evers the assistant DA on the hit series THE ROOKIE and today it’s all about their new feature film THE HUNTSMAN. #indiefilm #independentfilm #suspensethriller #thriller #serialkiller #film #cinema #bondoncinema #filmmaker #filmmaking #filmdirector #filmproduction #actor #acting #whodunit 

Ladies and gentlemen, the Avatar film franchise is the most successful in the history of film. James Cameron does not get enough credit for what he has done for the film industry. He is an innovator, a dreamer, but he’s a doer. But to bring all the emotional magic to the Avatar films, one has to have a composer who is just as much as an innovator, a dreamer and a doer who can keep up with James Cameron. That man is Simon Franglen and what an incredible talent, but he brings emotion to each scene of Avatar: Fire and Ash. When you sit in the theater, he is responsible for that very emotion that touches you and draws you into the characters, the action and wraps you in the surreal fantasy that James Cameron created. Every filmmaker I have ever interviewed says their films do not come alive until the music score is applied to their visual storytelling. In essence, it is music that makes the world go around and again, and makes film come alive. Award-winning composer and GRAMMY-winning producer Simon Franglen who scored James Cameron’s newest installment of Avatar, Avatar: Fire and Ash. Simon composed the celebrated score for James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water, for which he received a 2023 World Soundtrack Award. His score was praised for expanding the sonic world of Pandora with both epic scale and profound intimacy, and was a global hit with the soundtrack album surpassing 750 million global streams.  In 2018, Simon Franglen started writing the first cues for the onscreen music, and spent the last two years composing the expansive score. To deliver the 3-hour and 4-minute score you hear in the film, and he wrote over 1,900 pages of music.  His journey to film composition began in the recording studio, where he built a remarkable career working with legends such as Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, and Quincy Jones and on landmark films such as Skyfall, Moulin Rouge, and Se7en.  He started working with his mentor, composer James Horner, on Titanic and continued with Avatar in 2009 for which Simon was nominated for a Golden Globe. His production of “My Heart Will Go On” earned him a GRAMMY Award and helped make Titanic one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time.   #avatar #avatarfireandash #avatarthewayofwater #jamescameron #filmscore #musicscore #mileycyrus #dreamasone #cinema #filmmaker #podcast #interview #filmmaking #orchestra #songwriter

Ladies and gentlemen, BAFTA-nominated and BIFA-winning, MAGID / ZAFAR announces a bold new voice in Asian British cinema. Directed by Luís Hindman, and co-written by Sufiyaan Salam, the blistering short unfolds over one sweltering night inside a British Pakistani takeaway, where a fractured childhood friendship resurfaces and long-suppressed tensions erupt. A childhood friendship looms over Magid as he navigates the heat and chaos of a professional kitchen, where long-suppressed tensions resurface and the weight of diverging futures becomes impossible to ignore. As he confronts what has been left unsaid, the film interrogates authenticity, identity, and South Asian masculinity, offering a rare and incisive portrait of manhood shaped by cultural expectation and personal truth. The cinematography is outstanding and fast paced until the moment slows into an emotional and passionate ending. It is great to see films, filmed on real film and this one delivers in every way. #shortfilm #BAFTA #BAFTAAwards #film #cinema #filmmaker #filmmaking #filmdirector #screenwriter #bondoncinema #manhood #masculinity #archetypes #culture

Join us for a captivating interview with Alejandro Vilpa, an internationally published author and the founder of Vilpa Films. We discuss his journey as a writer and delve into the world of filmmaking, exploring the nuances of cinematography and the broader aspects of cinematic education. This conversation offers valuable insights for aspiring creatives and enthusiasts alike, providing a unique perspective on the craft of how to write and produce compelling stories. Ladies and gentlemen, WHAT IF THE SUN DIES is about Saed, who suffers from a rare condition that prevents him from interacting with others—if he sweats, it could be fatal. If he goes outside in the sun, it could be fatal. Despite this, he decides to challenge his limitations and change the course of his life. The film is mysterious and provides a twist that the audience doesn’t see coming. The cinematography and colorization gives the film a haunting, yet unpredictable feel to it, which makes this film stand out on its own. #shortfilm #filmmaker #shortfilms ##cinematography #filmmaking #bondoncinema #film #filmdirector #filmproducer

My guest today is Kerry Browne, who currently resides in Scotland and is working on various writing projects; her most recent film is based on her award-winning screenplay 'Song of the Selkie' and where Kerry makes her directorial debut. The original script received a Remi award for 'Best Short Sceenplay' at the WorldFest Houston International Film Festival, was a finalist in Raindance Script Competition and was a Nominee for 'Best Screenplay' at the British Short Film Festival. She founded her own production company, Seal Woman Productions in 2023. Her aim is to continue to create content surrounding Scotland's diverse cultural heritage. Ladies and gentlemen, Kerry Browne’s short film SONG OF THE SELKIE, is set over two time periods, the story is a mix of English and Scots Gaelic and follows Isla; a young girl who returns to the Scottish Highlands with her father, leading her to the mystery of the legendary and mythical being, The Selkie. This film is a beautiful and tragic love story, not just between a husband and a wife, but also between a mother and a child as well as between the land and sea.  The special nuances in this film are subtle, but those subtleties is what hides the elements of brilliant storytelling. You have to truly watch this film with your heart and soul, to see those nuances come to life and tell a well rounded story.  The acting, the cinematography and the music score work synergistically together to tell a wonderful and makes for a great film to watch.  I simply loved the SONG OF THE SELKIE. #shortfilm #film #cinema #scotland #scottishhighlands #scottishgaelic #filmmaking #filmmaker #filmdirector #selkie #folklore #myths #lovestory #bondoncinema #cinematography 

Luke Sparke, an Australian writer-director known for action/sci-fi films like Occupation: Rainfall, Scurry, Bring Him to Me, and the recent dinosaur/war mashup, Primitive War. Blending his background in costume and prop work for large military productions (like Spielberg's The Pacific) with a passion for genre cinema, aiming for big-scale, effects-driven features with military authenticity and heart, often wearing multiple hats as producer, editor, and designer.  He specializes in large-scale action, sci-fi, and horror, often independently producing films that Hollywood studios deemed too risky. Today, we are taking about his incredible independent blockbuster PRIMITIVE WAR, which is placed in Vietnam during the war in 1968. A recon unit known as Vulture Squad is sent to an isolated jungle valley to uncover the fate of a missing Green Beret platoon. They soon discover they are not alone. The star-studded cast includes Jeremy Piven, Tricia Helfer, Nick Wechsler, Ryan Kwanten to name a few. #featurefilm #independentfilm #newfilm #jurassicworld #jurassicpark #dinosaur #trex #filmmaker #filmmaking #interview #bondoncinema #filmdirector #cinematography #australia

Kathryn Ferguson, an Emmy nominated director of the multi-award winning feature doc Nothing Compares about the artist Sinéad O’Connor.  The project twas natural extension of her ongoing interest in music and power.  Her current award winning short (IFTA nominated / BAFTA longlisted) NOSTALGIE is about a faded English 1980s pop star who is unexpectedly invited to perform in Northern Ireland, pulling him out of musical retirement and into a moral dilemma tied to the unintended legacy of his work. What begins as an exercise in nostalgia turns into a reckoning when he discovers his music has been repurposed in ways that contradict its original intent. Ladies and gentlemen, NOSTALGIE was written by Stacey Gregg and based on a short story by Wendy Erskine. NOSTALGIE explores the intersection of personal vanity, collective memory, and the political afterlife of pop culture. The lead character, Drew Lord Haig, a former '80s one-hit-wonder turned IT entrepreneur, is stunned when a Belfast battalion invites him to perform at their centenary celebration. Flattered and intrigued, Drew accepts, hoping to relive his glory days and recapture his youth. Launching into his hit single, the audience appear unmoved. But on the opening bars of his long forgotten B-side Nostalgie de la Boue, something unexpected happens: the crowd erupts. Word for word, they sing with fervor, elevating the moment into something transcendent. Drew is overwhelmed, until, afterwards, he learns the truth: the battalion had adopted his song during the Troubles, using it as a rallying cry for covert, brutal operations. What he once saw as artistic rebellion had become a weapon, a soundtrack to bloodshed. Reeling, Drew returns home, the weight of complicity pressing down. What began as nostalgic curiosity ends in moral reckoning. His music, once his escape, now binds him to a history he never meant to write.  #film #cinema #oscars #BAFTA #IFTA #irish #northernireland #nostalie #filmmaker #shortfilm #filmmaking #interview #bondoncinema #filmdirector #cinematography

My guest today is Luke Angus, an award-winning filmmaker and seasoned 3D animator known for his emotionally resonant storytelling and visually striking work in animation. He has collaborated with leading studios including Nickelodeon and Framestore. His work spans both commercial and independent projects, with a focus on narrative-driven short films. Ladies and gentlemen, I love films that emotionally move me. Heartfelt, endearing even in the midst of loss, love and emotional perseverance we are given a triumphant ending, but it’s not really an ending, but a continuance of love. SOLSTICE tells the story of a lonely Inuit man who must endure the endless summer daylight in the hope of being reunited with his lost love. Told entirely without dialogue, the film explores grief, isolation, devotion, and emotional perseverance through powerful imagery, with the Arctic landscape reflecting the inner world of its protagonist. Everything about this animated short film is stunning, awe-inspiring animation, perfect storytelling with the right metaphors and juxtapositions that a film needs. Only 2 - 3 times a year do I ever use the word perfection when it comes to a film and SOLSTICE is absolute PERFECTION in every way. #animation #animator #shortfilm #grief #loss #lovestory #articcircle #animatedshort #filmmaker #bondoncinema #filmmaking #filmdirector #interview

Our guests today are writers/directors and animators Andy and Carolyn London. Since 1999, they’ve been creating films, music videos and animated content through their company London Squared Productions. They have created award-winning films that have screened at festivals including Tribeca, Annecy, and Ottawa, and at MoMA’s Talk to Me exhibition. Today, they are hear with their official selection to the Sundance Film Festival, the animated short film 1981. A 14-year old Douglas gets a birthday surprise that will change his life forever. "1981" is a psychedelic coming-of-age story that captures the beauty and terror of teenage desire. Ladies and gentlemen, Andy and Carolyn London’s animated short film “1981” pushes us toward the edge in search of honesty. The film gives us the cringeworthiness and awkwardness of adolescence. We get caught in the moment of embarrassment, but with a smile on our face. This film brought back memories of my childhood where the same feelings came to life. What makes this film unique is the wide range of age groups, different generations who will be sitting in the movie theaters at various film festivals this year and watching this film. The mental and emotional outcome will be vastly different and that’s what makes this film and its concept spot on for 2026. The animation is surreal experience so reminiscent of the late 1970s to the early 1908s and I loved it. #sundance #sundancefilmfestival #oscars #shortfilm #animatedshort #animation #comingofage #teenagers #youth #stripper #birthdayparty #filmmaking #filmmaker #filmdirector #cinema #bondoncinema

Filmmaker Ida Melum follows her BAFTA-nominated and Annie Award–winning short Night of the Living Dread, she returned with Ovary-Acting. The film has been BAFTA longlisted and Annie nominated, marking a significant milestone in its awards-season journey. After its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival this past year, Ovary-Acting went on to win the Best Short Animation Grand Prize at the Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF), cementing its status as one of the most distinctive animated shorts of the year. Ovary-Acting offers a joyful yet incisive look at one of life’s most pressing questions and stands as a vibrant celebration of the continued evolution of stop-motion animation. Ladies and gentlemen, A comedic and deeply personal story, Ovary-Acting explores the emotional rollercoaster of contemplating parenthood in the modern world. With wit, honesty, and meticulously handcrafted animation, the film examines questions of biology, ethics, practicality, and bodily autonomy balancing cheeky humor with genuine emotional resonance. The main character Eva is stuck at her sister's baby shower a thirty-something woman is forced to decide whether she wants to have kids or not after unexpectedly giving birth to her reproductive organs. The project reunites Melum with BAFTA-nominated writer Laura Jayne Tunbridge (Sweetpea, Requiem), whose layered and incisive script deftly balances comedy with heartfelt storytelling. I really loved this film and I’m a guy, but I found the use of humor enlightening as well as a bit informative to try to understand an element of life that many women go through. Us men for the most part, we don’t really understand women, because we don’t take time to listen. I found OVARY-ACTING a film that helps women realize they are not alone and hopefully help men listen more. I can see why this wonderful animated short if BAFTA long listed. #BAFTA #trending #podcast #trendingpodcast #shortfilm #animatedshort #filmmaker #filmmaking #filmdirector #stopactionanimation #animation #ovary #uterus #womanhood #biologicalclock 

Writer/Director Mekhai Lee acted in many professional productions, including Broadway’s “The Color Purple.” He is the writer/director & co-creator of original web-series entitled For the Boys to much acclaim. He i a member of the Half-Initiative Director Program and is the 2022 Director’s Fellow on HBO’s Succession. Mekhai also wrote and directed an original short film called “Them That’s Not” which premiered at NewfestPride ‘25 Film Festival, and has since screened at numerous Film Festivals including Bushwick, Newfest Film Festival, and Chicago International Film Festival where it was the recipient of the Golden Hugo Award, making the film official Academy Award Eligible. He is also one of six directing recipients of the NAACP 2025 Cinematic Shorts Competition, which took place at the 2025 NAACP National Convention. His new short film THEM THAT’S NOT is about a prison furlough brings an estranged father and his distant daughter together at their mother's repass. Ladies and gentlemen, THEM THAT’S NOT is a beautiful film in every way. The storyline of a father and daughter reconnecting, but hidden within their estranged relationship, a secret connection is revealed. This film is a filmmaker’s dream and what I mean by that is the story is told with incredible patience and outstanding visuals. The cinematography places a central role in this film with the correct framing of the characters, that emphasizes their emotions and dialogue. As I said the color palette brings forth the warmth of home and family. The use of sign language keeps the audience focused, as if we lean in to hear a whisper, we can transported into the lives of Drea, Carol and Samuel. I can see why this film is already Oscar Qualified so early in it’s journey to the 2027 Academy Awards. And what a joy it is for me to kick off this year with such an incredible short film. #shortfilm #film #cinema #filmmaker #filmmaking #trending #spotify #itunes #cinephile #screenwriter #storytelling #filmproduction #cinematography #sxsw #filmfestival #oscars #academyawards

Ladies and gentlemen, EXTREMIST is a short film that warns us that censorship of free speech is happening all over the world. Even countries who preach democracy and freedom are slowly taking away our right to free speech. EXTREMIST shows us the absurdity of the lengths that a government will go too to silence its citizens. Sasha Skochilenko decided to stand by her principles in the midst of standing up for the truth, but the blessing of injustice caused her voice to rise above the Russian tyranny.  Alexander’s film is a powerful narrative short, a film that fits into the category of being a social impact film. And we need more filmmakers to stand up for truth, especially if they are willing to face the consequences their actions.  #oscars #academyawards #shortfilm #russia #ukraine #justice #injustice #film #cinema #bondoncinema #filmmaker #filmmaking #filmdirector #cinematography #cinephile #interview #trending 

Sofiia Chui-kov-ska, an Ukrainian artist based in Paris, France. She is one of seven directors of the Oscar Shortlisted animated short film THE SHYNESS OF TREES. The short film won a Student Academy Award in the Animation category of the 52nd Student Academy Awards, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Sofiia was involved in a bit of everything in the project but mainly character animation and compositing. She works as a freelance animator and is developing a short animated film on the side. Their Oscar Shortlisted animated short film THE SHYNESS OF TREES is about Hélène, 40 years old, comes to visit her aging mother in the french countryside. But her mother isn't being her usual self. She seems to have formed a strange bond with the plants, insects, and the old oak tree at the end of her garden. #animation #animator #shortfilm #oscars #academyawards #film #filmmaker #filmdirector #cinema #bondoncinema #lifeanddeath #creation