We’re sure you, like us, have noticed how ridiculously good student films have become so we’re thrilled to show off these winning and shortlisted commercials from film schools and those starting out in their filmmaking careers. There was much debating among the Porsche Award jury but in the end there were three that really caught our imagination: Eugen Merher’s thrilling action packed road movie for Swarovski; Katarzyna Jarecka and Jakub Skitek’s humorous and clever spot for Durex which we won’t forget in a hurry; and Libby Burke Wilde’s impressive film Absent that imparts a clear message on a rarely discussed topic.

Our favourite director from Gothenburg, Vedran Rupic, has now become our favourite director in the world. Just take a look at this latest video from the supremely absurd team of Vedran and Salvatore Ganacci and you’ll see why.

As an agency creative director by day, David Dearlove is well acquainted with the good, the bad and the sheer interminable length of so-called ‘short’ films. It’s no surprise, then, that when he came to make his own, he decided to lampoon every trope, from shoestring budgets to casting friends and family. The result is a brilliantly self-aware piece of film, which marries beautiful craft with tongue-in-cheek comedy, and stands in stark contrast to his previous hard-hitting charity spots. He talks to 1.4 about the benefits of a fame-hungry father and why directing was a natural step to take.

TAKE US TO SOME GLORIOUS PLACES WE REALLY WANT TO GO TO

Let’s be honest: whether for the sweaty thrill of Kate Winslet’s hand sliding down the steamy window of a cab, or ogling Leo DiCaprio in all his baby-faced glory, most of us have watched Titanic on repeat. For Caviar director Lisette Donkersloot, childhood viewings of James Cameron’s disaster movie instilled a taste for drama and downward spiral storylines – evident in her impeccably styled music videos for Mr Probz and Yellow Claw, and, most recently, her dystopian short Lead Balloons. The self-confessed ‘introvert on the outside, extrovert on the inside’ tells 1.4 why images speak louder than words, and her plans to make a ‘metaphorical’ porn film.

It took a while in coming, but Ben Strebel’s stunning video for Skrillex, Starrah and Four Tet’s track Butterflies is a spot-on portrait of a generation of youth now coming together again after a year of covid isolation. 1.4 talks with the director about making this fantastical choreographed film where the kids morph into exquisite ghosts as a metaphor for liberation.

The Kusp - a social enterprise mentored by Somesuch - is on a mission to “serve the underserved” within fashion, film and television. We asked co-founder Amos to share some of the work from creatives that have been positively impacted by the partnership

The secrets of domestic life are a source of intrigue to us all. Who hasn’t wondered what goes on behind closed doors of their family’s, friends’ and neighbours’ homes? For director Mashie Alam,  this fascination has been a major influence on her filmmaking oeuvre – and as a former architecture student, it’s not only what happens within walls but the walls and space themselves that she’s keen to explore. With her fashion insider’s eye informing styling, choreography and casting, Alam’s films are captivating and contrasting: from the fizzing physical energy of Constant to Boredom, an eccentric ode to ennui. She tells 1.4 about bringing together film, storytelling and architecture and the appeal of ‘slightly off’ subtitles.

Handing over an iPhone to a homeless woman to document her life on the streets would be a leap of faith for any director, but for self-confessed ‘control freak’ Giulia Gandini (pictured right), it taught her the value in embracing the unexpected – and produced a uniquely authentic docu-short which shifts the perspective from the filmmaker to the subject. From homelessness to period shaming, uncomfortable social taboos continue to draw her lens: captured from a strong female perspective and turned into meaningful stories. She tells 1.4 about the joy of improvisation and righting childhood wrongs through film.

Whether it's games, music videos, short films or short funny ads, Studio Birthplace directors Jorik Dozy and Sil van der Woerd's mission is to tell critical stories in unique ways to create awareness and inspire change.

Despite being the scion of a filmmaking family, Natalie Rae avoided directing for a long time – but eventually the pull was too great. And thank goodness for that, because her work – which moves seamlessly between music videos, documentaries and commercials – is rich in all the contradictions and complexities of humanity. In PLAY NEW, her latest spot for Nike, she’s dug deep into Korean culture to challenge established norms and bring back the sheer exhilarating joy of sport – and all from a hotel room. She talks to 1.4 about finding inspiration in kitchen dancing and why she’s determined to avoid being typecast.

The message is the medium

Hitting the sweet spots with humour, horror and harmony

Self-taught talent Franck Trozzo Kazagui has turned his ‘constant outsider’ status into a burgeoning career in visual storytelling. Inspired by the incredible creative energy of Berlin, the fledgling director has already trained his lens on a wide-ranging array of projects, including the wacky tale of a scientist generating cult sneakers from citrus power, and a dynamic passion project exploring the possibilities of movement. He talks to 1.4 about working with a thousand lemons and why he’s happy taking a slower road to success

Seven of this season's favourite films from high street to high fashion

Stunning music and film fo roll through the weekend

Watching the work of Ukrainian director Michael Zvegintsev is like boarding a train to a destination unknown. It’s unsettling, surreal, and a little bit thrilling at the same time, as the scenery changes from familiar to alien and back again. Sooner or later, you start to wonder: is it actually about getting there, or simply enjoying the ride? The creative-turned-self-taught-director certainly revels in giving the viewer an experience to remember, whether it’s a mysterious migration through the woods or a purple blob taking over an art gallery. He tells 1.4 why making a film is like baking a pie (clue: it’s in the layers).

Despite only recently making the leap from creative to director, Chloe Askari Pope’s debut film feels like the work of a much more established talent. An intimate and sympathetic portrait of loneliness in old age – a fate we all fear – and a simultaneous tribute to human spirit and resilience, Órla and the fish shows us the magic in the mundane. Off the back of her 1.4 Silver Award win, Pope talks to 1.4 about inspiring Iranian puppetry films and why there’s creativity to be found in everyone

Spinning the stunners from recent weeks

1.4's top of the spots

Possessed of a strong artist’s aesthetic, it’s no surprise to discover that New Zealand native Jason Bock began his career as a painter before segueing into filmmaking. More creator than director, his work blurs the boundaries between music video, documentary and commercial, taking the viewer on a round-the-world trip through beautifully constructed narratives about far-flung destinations and cultures. With his globe-trotting temporarily grounded by the pandemic, he chats to 1.4 about the importance of feeling your own work, Balinese demon queens and finding utopia in a nudist colony

Levitating rocks, cannibal slavers and a man muttering ‘spices, spices, spices’ while carrying a huge egg strapped to his back – welcome to the unsettling and utterly compelling world of Chino Moya. A master of surrealist dystopian sci-fi storytelling, the Black Dog director draws on a range of diverse influences, from his upbringing in the ‘liminal historical period’ of post-Franco Spain, to vast arid landscapes, the work of surrealist artist Giorgio de Chirico, and ‘70s album iconography. Returning to the world of promos after his feature film debut, Undergods, he talks to 1.4 about his early introduction to the horror genre and why he’s drawn to explore capitalist nightmares 

Set underneath a bridge, on the outskirts of Amsterdam during the hot summer of the pandemic, Jak O’Hare’s short film captures the genuine conversation between two strangers about life, uncertainty, dreams, vulnerability, and also trust and faith.

A creative polymath from a young age, writer-director Caleb Slain’s career has been defined by one constant: endless variety. From shooting big-brand commercials and music videos to creating an experimental writing app and dabbling in virtual reality with Eminem, his is a talent that refuses to be pigeonholed. His latest film, the 2021 Oscar-qualified short, enough., is a case in point: ten years in the making, it’s a ‘musical cinematic endeavour’ about a Black teenage boy coming of age in America, using interviews captured over a decade. He tells 1.4 about being predestined to become a filmmaker, and why he enjoys leaning into the hurricane.

This past year has been tough for parents: corralled with the kids, trying to hold down jobs while simultaneously home schooling and desperate for some peace and quiet, is it any wonder that strictly policed time on the tablet has become a little more… elastic? Not so for directing duo and brothers Michel & Nico, who challenged their offspring to go an entire month without screens, and captured the journey on film. Moving, lyrical and beautifully crafted, it’s a hymn to a more carefree era of life en , independence, grazed knees, and kids simply being kids – and a worthy winner of a 1.4 Award. 1.4 caught up with Michel to chat about the directing journey of the ‘nobodies from nowhere’ and what it’s really like to work with your nearest and dearest

When life gives you grapes, what do you do? Well, if you’re Nick Ball, you turn it into a beautifully crafted film for Simi wine. A classic coming of age narrative, The Untold Tale of Isabelle Simi follows the epic struggles of a feisty young woman, who takes over a Californian winery in the midst of the 1918 flu pandemic and overcomes family tragedy and Prohibition era constraints to become a winemaker extraordinaire. The director talks to 1.4 about false starts and parallels between pandemics.

Brazilian directing duo ALASKA have never made it to the chilly northern state that inspired their name, but they’ve gone on plenty of imaginary journeys through their fantastical films instead. Whether it’s jaw-dropping CGI worthy of a Marvel franchise or Gondry-inspired ‘conceptual in-camera crafty effects’, they’ve brought their sunny São Paulo dispositions and directorial flair to everything from big-brand ads for the likes of their latest for Mexican beer Victoria, Facebook, easyJet, Pepsi, and Samsung, to music videos about tiny humanoid robots or metamorphic mutants. They tell 1.4 how filmcraft is a vehicle for their craziest thoughts and why they plan to burn all big corporations to the ground. Just don’t tell Amazon.

With a visual style that blurs commercial aesthetics, lyrical storytelling and pure documentary, interdisciplinary filmmaker and producer Eloise King is part of a new wave of creative polymaths flowing between different spaces with ease. From institutional and structural racism, cultural turning-points, the Black liberation movement and gender violence against women, her work seeks to centre marginalised perspectives with authenticity and empathy. With the release of her latest ad for Barbie – an uplifting paean to the potential of young Black girls fronted by Clara Amfo – she reflects on why the next generation needs space to simply be themselves.

Front row seats for our favourite runway collections and yes we know it's so last season but we love it so - Miu Miu's Women's Tale of Parisian confinement, In My Room

Growing up in rural France as the daughter of a bohemian intellectual mother, director Lesly Lynch was ashamed of her mixed-race heritage, her sexuality and her sense of ‘otherness’. But after a childhood spent trying to conform, she’s now set her sights on creating a new normal. Through her progressive production company, Space Cowboys, she’s filling the screen with queer, POC and non-binary talent, amplifying underrepresented voices, and driving change through the medium of film. Using movement and choreography like ‘brushstrokes on canvas’, and rich in dreamlike visuals and surreal symbolism, Lynch’s films celebrate difference, diversity and her enduring, childlike sense of wonder at the world. She tells Selena Schleh about practicing self-hypnosis as a child, swapping law for a life behind the lens, and why the trajectory of life is never a straight line.

Disturbingly the Syrian conflict has now been raging for ten years with more than 600,000 people killed or missing and over 13.7 million now living in internal camps or as refugees abroad.  Director Paul Nevison's  experiences of visiting a such a camp in Lebanon have haunted him ever since and are behind his latest film which captures the resilience and resourcefulness of Syrians trying to protect their families from the horrors of war and displacement.