Bond on Cinema

Writer/Director Alexandr Molochnikov discusses his Oscar Shortlisted Short EXTREMIST

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 

Oscar Shortlisted Best Animated Short THE SHYNESS OF TREES with Director/Animator Sofiia Chuikovska

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 

Writer/Director/Composer Trevor Morris Discusses his Oscar Shortlisted Short BUTTERFLY ON A WHEEL

Writer/director and composer Trevor Morris has contributed to 35 Feature Films and over 700 hours of dramatic Television. He is a 5 time EMMY nominee and 2X winner. He has collaborated with Ridley and Tony Scott, Antoine Fuqua, Gore Verbinski, and Jerry Bruckheimer among others.
BUTTERFLY ON A WHEEL marks Trevor’s first narrative film as writer-director. Here, he fuses music, emotion and visual storytelling into a grounded portrait of mental health, resilience and creative freedom.
With the film’s rich Toronto setting, soulful performances and exploration of OCD and anxiety through the lens of a young artist’s coming-of-age, BUTTERFLY ON A WHEEL is painfully beautiful, but powerfully triumphant. A film that everyone who sees it can find something to relate too, and maybe lead them to their own healing journey.
#oscar #academyawards #shortfilm #ocd #anxiety #music #musiccomposer #filmscore #filmmaker #filmmaking #filmdirector #cinema #storytelling #cinematography 

Former Disney Animator Aaron Blaise and his Oscar ShortlIsted Animated Short SNOW BEAR: A Behind the Scenes Look

Ladies and gentlemen, Entirely hand drawn and animated by Blaise over three years in his Florida studio, SNOW BEAR tells the story of a lonely polar bear navigating a rapidly changing Arctic in search of connection. With stunning 2D animation, the film uses expressive visuals and a poignant original score to capture the emotional landscape of isolation, hope, and ecological fragility.
Blaise drew inspiration from his own personal journey and a profound reverence for nature. With Snow Bear, he set out to capture the universal longing for connection and the resilience it takes to endure life’s harshest seasons. By using hand drawn, frame by frame animation, Blaise channels raw emotion into every image, weaving a story that reflects both personal vulnerability and the fragile beauty of the environment.
The film features a powerful original score by Grammy winning composer Mark Mancina, known for his work on The Lion King, Moana, Brother Bear, and Tarzan. He is joined by composer Marlon E. Espino, whose credits include Moana, The Lego Batman Movie, and The Sea Beast. Together, the duo delivers a sweeping, immersive soundscape that heightens the film’s emotional impact.
The film has also garnered early acclaim from global conservation organizations, including Polar Bears International and the National Parks Conservation Association, both of whom have endorsed the film’s environmental message.
Earlier this year, Aaron received the Winsor McCay Award, one of animation’s highest honors, recognizing his lifetime achievement and contributions to the art form. Now, with SNOW BEAR shortlisted for the 98th Academy Awards®, his legacy expands into new territory, bridging hand drawn artistry, ecological urgency, and deeply personal storytelling.
#DISNET #THELIONKING #MULAN #MOANA #brotherbear #oscars #academyawards #film #cinema #shortfilm #animation #animator 

Writers/Directors Julia Aks & Steve Pinder and their Oscar-Shortlisted Short JANE AUSTEN'S PERIOD DRAMA

Writer/director duo Julia Aks and Steve Pinder and their hilarious Oscar Shortlisted short film JANE AUSTEN’S PERIOD DRAMA.
The film is set in 18th century England and following its successful world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the whimsical live-action short was selected for the prestigious OSCAR-qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival, where it was named one of the top ten films to watch. Personally, I would name this as the Top film to watch, period. Yes, pun intended!
Set in 1813 England, in the middle of a long-awaited marriage proposal, Miss Estrogenia Talbot gets her period. Her suitor, Mr. Dickley, mistakes the blood for an injury, and it soon becomes clear that his expensive education has missed a spot. The stunning cinematography was created by Emmy-nominated Luca Del Puppo and rivals any multi-million dollar Jane Austen film such as Pride & Prejudice.
Co-writer/directors Julia Aks and Steve Pinder’s wonderful partnership began in 2016 when Steve was directing a SOUND OF MUSIC parody whilst studying at USC and discovered Julia’s impeccable Julie Andrews impersonation. In 2019, the two came together once again to co-direct a Julie Andrews parody of Ariana Grande’s 7 RINGS. The parody went viral, and the pair began a string of collaborations for Julia’s YouTube channel. #janeausten #period #comedy #shortfilm #juliaaks #stevepinder #luadelpuppo #filmmaker #filmmaking #tribecafilmfestival #tribeca #soundofmusic #england #cinematography #menstruation

Christopher M. Anthony on Making the BAFTA-Qualified Feature HEAVYWEIGHT | Behind the Scenes

My guest today is writer/director Christopher M. Anthony and his BAFTA-qualified feature film, HEAVYWEIGHT. The film stars Jason Isaacs, Nicholas Pinnock and Jordan Bolger to name a few. 
He taught himself animation and interned for The Jim Henson Company at the age of 15. His first official job in London was for Hensons. 
Over the years he worked on a number of pioneering projects, developing the tools and pipelines that made London a world leader in VFX. The key turning point being Prisoner of Azkaban. He went on to develop perhaps the original atomization effect seen in many films today. 
This was originally for X-Men 3, later used to kill Voldemort and later copied many times over. In 2008 he moved to San Fransisco to work at Lucasfilm on Indiana Jones and became a BAFTA member soon after. 
Today we discuss his BAFTA-qualified feature film, HEAVYWEIGHT, where the greatest fight is in your mind and not in the ring. 
Ladies and gentlemen, HEAVYWEIGHT follows wildcard boxing contender, 'Diamond' Derek Douglas, and his support team ahead of a title fight he doubts he can win. 
The pressure escalates in real-time, as dirty tricks and revelations are revealed. HEAVYWEIGHT is an intense and visceral experience exploring a side of elite sport rarely seen.
This film is character-driven and dialogue heavy, which I love. The film is actually fast-paced and gets to the heart of the story quickly. This is how you do a film right. 
This film is tense, emotional at times, but helps us to learn that in life, the biggest fight is what happens when we let outside sources affect our thoughts. As long as we don’t allow those thoughts to enter our hearts, we still have a chance to win in life. 
#boxing #MMA #fighting #sportfilm #filmmaking #filmmaker #filmdirector #jasonisaccs #nicholaspinnock #jordanbolger #trending #cinema #cinematography #bondoncinema #BAFTA 

This Oscar-Qualified Black and White Film About Forbidden Kissing Is a Masterpiece: TWO PEOPLE EXCHANGING SALVIA

My guests today are writer/directors Natalie Musteata and Alexandre Singh and the absolutely spectacular medium-length French-language film TWO PEOPLE EXCHANGING SALIVA. 
NATALIE MUSTEATA is a writer, curator, and filmmaker. She holds a Doctorate in art history and a Masters in film from The Graduate Center, CUNY. She is the curator of several exhibitions including if I can’t dance to it, it’s not my revolution, Haverford College, and UNREST: Revolt against Reason.
In 2018, she produced Alexandre Singh’s richly imaginative short film The Appointment, which played in over 40 film festivals where it won several awards for “Best Short Film”, as well as co-curated the exhibition A Gothic Tale at the Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco. 
In 2024, she co-wrote, directed, and produced with Singh a medium-length French-language film TWO PEOPLE EXCHANGING SALIVA, featuring Zar Amir, Luàna Bajrami, and Vicky Krieps.
ALEXANDRE SINGH is a Brooklyn based visual artist, born in Bordeaux, France, to Indian and French parents. His work is inspired by a love of imaginative storytelling. His work is represented in numerous private and public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; and the Centre national des arts plastiques in Paris.
In 2019, Alexandre made his debut short film, THE APPOINTMENT, which premiered at the Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco, in his solo exhibition A Gothic Tale, and then played at PÖFF Shorts, Leuven, and Bogo Shorts amongst many others.
Their mind blowing cinematic masterpiece TWO PEOPLE EXCHANGING SALVIA takes place in a society where kissing is punishable by death, and people pay for things by receiving slaps to the face. And there is so much more.
Ladies and gentlemen, TWO PEOPLE EXCHANGING SALIVA is about In a society where kissing is punishable by death, and people pay for things by receiving slaps to the face. Angine, an unhappy woman, shops compulsively ina department store. There, she becomes fascinated by a playful salesgirl. Despite the prohibition of kissing, the twobecome close, raising the suspicions of a jealous colleague.
There are very few films that leave me speechless and this is one of them. It is one of the most original storylines, one of the most beautiful films cinematically and so engaging you want to watch over and over again. 
The black and white visuals are so stunning, they are very portrait like. It enhances the emotion of every character and the close ups of each one makes you feel you can look into their soul. 
There is something the French can do better than any other filmmaker, and that’s make a film with such romance, even if one is forbidden to kiss. You still feel that romance in the cinematography. The French do it better and TWO PEOPLE EXCHANGING SALVIA is proof we need more French cinema in our lives. 
#love #forbiddenlove #lovers #flirting #jealousy #film #frenchcinema #cinema #filmmaking #filmmaker #filmdirector #filmproduction #shopping #trending #cinematography #cinematographer #blackandwhitefilm #art 

This Oscar-Qualified Director Challenges Climate Change in Cinema

My guest today is BAFTA-nominated and Oscar-Shortlisted Afghan filmmaker Elham Ehsas has he returns with There Will Come Soft Rains.
Elham, whose acclaimed short Yellow earned both a BAFTA nomination and an Academy Award shortlist, is known for illuminating unseen perspectives with emotional clarity and unflinching humanity. With There Will Come Soft Rains, he continues this bold trajectory, casting a woman’s defiance as a metaphor for resilience in a changing world.
Developed in close collaboration with global narrative-change organization Climate Spring, There Will Come Soft Rains challenges how climate stories are told on screen. Rather than relying on common tropes of dystopia and personal blame, spectacle or statistics, the film embeds the crisis in an intimate human story of grief, courage, and connection. It is one of the first films to explore climate change through the lens of Muslim faith and female defiance, voicing an urgent appeal to reimagine how we live, adapt to our changing world.
Co-funded through Climate Spring and Film London’s Hot House Shorts Competition 2023, the production was also one of the first to adopt the Green Rider Handshake Agreement, ensuring a low-carbon, sustainable shoot.
A powerful reminder that the climate crisis is both personal and universal, There Will Come Soft Rains reframes climate cinema as a story of faith, defiance, and human connection. It arrives as a film for our burning moment, timely, defiant, and unforgettable.
Ladies and gentlemen, There Will Come Soft Rains challenges how climate stories are told on screen. Rather than relying on common tropes of dystopia and personal blame, spectacle or statistics, the film embeds the crisis in an intimate human story of grief, courage, and connection. It is one of the first films to explore climate change through the lens of Muslim faith and female defiance, voicing an urgent appeal to reimagine how we live, adapt to our changing world.
Starring Olivia D’Lima as Mira, the film tells the story of a British-Pakistani woman haunted by the threat of rising sea levels who digs up her father’s grave to move him to higher ground. That single act sets faith, family, and the climate crisis on a collision course, forcing her to face tradition, authority, and her longing for sisterhood.
The moment this film started, I noticed the framing and cinematography, which instantly telling me that it’s a multi-layered story. 
Elham is a master filmmaker and he brings his mastery back to the silver screen with THERE WILL COME SOFT RAINS. Think of famed directors like John Ford, Quentin Tarantino and you understand that Elham’s talent sits at the top of the world in storytelling and seeing something profound through the camera lens. 
I’ve watched the journey this film as taken, and it is being talked about even more so than is award winning film YELLOW, which is still one of my favorite short films ever. 
Climate Change is a polarizing topic, and there are millions who stand on the opposite sides of this issue. But Elham makes the topic more human than anyone I’ve seen cover this topic. It’s all about humanity and Elham puts a human face to it, but it gives it tremendous heart. 
#climatechange #trending #global #earth #film #cinema #filmmaking #filmmaker #filmdirector #filmproduction #cinematography #cinematographer #filmscore #savetheplanet 

Oscar-Qualified Short About the Cost of Being Different

DAVID TELLES - FREYR Short Film
My guest today is David Telles, a Chicano filmmaker from Oakland, California, began his career in documentary film and music videos, mediums that continue to inform his narrative work. He believes stories can serve as medicine, offering audiences new ways of seeing the world. With Freyr, David delivers a daring and emotionally charged debut that underscores the transformative power of storytelling.
As an Oscar-qualified film, Freyr stands as both a celebration of artistic vision and a testament to the opportunities fostered by Indeed Rising Voices, now in its fifth season of amplifying bold, underrepresented voices in cinema.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Oscar-qualifying short film Freyr, directed by David Telles and based on an original story by Pulitzer Prize finalist Tommy Orange, has premiered at the Academy-recognized HollyShorts Film Festival. 
Produced as part of Indeed Rising Voices Season 5, the acclaimed initiative from Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Productions and Ventureland in partnership with Indeed, Freyr announces Telles as a bold new voice in contemporary cinema.
A haunting and poetic story, Freyr follows Frank, born with a third hand growing out of his chest, and Tom, the only person who ever truly saw him. At Frank’s funeral, Tom recounts the unlikely bond they shared, revealing a meditation on otherness, belonging, and the human need for connection.
Starring Benairen Kane (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation of North Dakota; descendant of the Hochunk Nation of Wisconsin and Prairie Band Potawatomi), the film resonates as both tender and provocative, exploring how difference can fracture and bind us in equal measure.
#film #cinema #filmmaking #filmmaker #filmdirector #disabilit #chicano #bondoncinema 

This Oscar-Qualified Film About Derek Paravicini Will Change How You See Genius

My guest today is Daniel Persitz, the writer/director of the inspiring Oscar-qualified short film Key of Genius, based on the extraordinary true story of a blind, autistic musical savant and the Queen of England's nephew, Derek Paravicini. 
The film was also co-written by the Academy Award-winning screenwriter David Seidler (The King’s Speech), the short film explores themes of resilience, brilliance, and human connection. By dramatizing the unlikely but life-changing relationship between Derek and his teacher, the film sheds light on the power of inclusion and the boundless possibilities of neurodiverse individuals.
The film’s growing acclaim positions it not only as a powerful cinematic work, but also as an important cultural story about the transformative impact of mentorship and the extraordinary brilliance that can emerge in unexpected ways.
Ladies and gentlemen, the inspiring short film Key of Genius, based on the extraordinary true story of a blind, autistic musical savant and the Queen of England's nephew, Derek Paravicini, has officially entered the Oscar-qualifying circuit. 
Key of Genius is adapted from In the Key of Genius, the acclaimed biography written by professor and piano teacher Adam Ockelford, which chronicles his life as Derek’s mentor. The film captures the remarkable journey of a young man who, though born blind and autistic, discovered an extraordinary gift for music. It also celebrates the transformative role of mentorship, as Ockelford recognized Derek’s genius and devoted his life to nurturing his talent.
This short film is extraordinarily beautiful in so many ways. These are the types of films I live for. Human stories that help us to become better human beings. 
KEY OF GENIUS encourages us to become mentors, to look past a disability or even social status and see the gifts, talents and abilities that live in of us and those around us. 
The message of this film is simple. We may well hold the key to help someone unlock their genius. Let’s be that someone. 
I am going to keep my eye on this film as it makes its run to the Oscars and I want to see this one Shortlisted. 
#genius #savant #neurodivergenct #autism #blind #piano #film #cinema #filmmaking #filmmaker #queenofengland #filmdirector #musicteacher #musicschool #cinematography #bondoncinema