Filmmaker Elizabeth Godar captures that crushing moment of a flirtatious brush off and the painful aftermath with her beautifully layered film for Jennie Lawless’ track Shame. 

You can't be serious? Well, we're not. Apart from an important period piece for Bodyform, this month's collection is a lovable show of the ridiculous.

Everyone’s favourite stomping ground… the 1.4 line-up of brilliant music and films

Hello sunshine, sea and hundreds of excellent films at the Conero Film + ADV festival which runs from 6-8 September in the heart of Conero Park near Ancona on the Adriatic Coast of Italy.

An alumnus of Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Arts, Michael Hili’s pivot from production design to directing was an ‘exhilarating’ transition from the limitations of theatre; offering him an array of incredible new tools to explore the essence of storytelling and the bounds of his imagination. But this theatrical legacy continues on in his set-driven, process-led approach to filmmaking – creating immersive, tactile worlds which feel ‘handmade’ in the best possible way. He tells 1.4 why foolishness is his superpower, and how settling for making pretty pictures is a filmmaker’s ultimate sin

No straight faces and only a few punches, here's our end of the week line-up of brilliant films

Some of us take our family issues to the therapist’s couch; others, like Pablo Balderas, go behind a camera instead. Premiering on 1.4, SENIOR is a deeply personal exploration of Balderas’ relationship with his biological father – a “kaleidoscopic portrait of a complicated man” that eschews blame for empathy – and raises more questions than it answers

British-Belgian filmmaker Zeb Goriely has his fingers in a never-ending factory line of pies - from his own creative output as a director and editor, to running the Watersprite Film Festival 2024, to an ongoing PhD in computational linguistics (and going viral with how to win at Wordle - according to science). His most recent project, an experimental piece combining film images of his family and everyday life and snippets of audio, is fresh from winning Best Micro Short at this year’s BFI Future Film Festival. 1.4 catches up with Zeb about the beginnings of his creativity, how to film your family, and taking inspiration from all areas of life.

The world is on a roll...

Vanessa Stachel’s student spec spot Lady Painmaker took us on an amusing romp of agony and ecstasy about a dominatrix who cures a challenging client’s bladder infection. Now she’s come up with a stop-frame film, Delivery for Mr. Frogula, winning much love from juries, most recently at the Young Director Award in Cannes where it picked up two golds.

Research. The ironing. Cleaning out under the bed. Exercising the cat. More research. Anything. ANYTHING to delay the agony of starting a creative project. Aleksandra Kingo spins her wit and visual language into her highly relatable short film Ode to Procrastination.

Likening his creative approach to ‘an AI with a brain haemorrhage’, Vedran Rupic thought he’d be out of a job come the age of artificial intelligence - but in truth, the Business Club director’s blend of surrealist comedy and epic storytelling is more delightful and absurd than any android mind could hope to create (or compute). Whether it’s a centaur on a motorcycle searching for a mermaid lover, or a sandwich-chomping rodent prompting the world’s first round of applause, Rupic’s characters are the vehicles for whimsical world exploration in which insane events happen to ordinary people. And for the brands with the guts to let him loose with a big budget, the creative rewards speak for themselves – as his latest spot for KFC shows. He tells 1.4 why his narratives favour stupidity over morality, and why short films are like ugly kids 

A few of our favourite films which picked up a glossy gold lion in Cannes

You will cry, you will laugh, there is no way you will come away unscathed by viewing these films.

It’s Pride. It’s 1.4. It’s that time of year again. Last year we shone the rainbow on the unimpeachable music video legacy of Kylie Minogue to celebrate June in all its diverse poptastic glory. This year, we’re turning the beauty light towards none other than Boca Raton’s finest, Ariana Grande, to mark her latest album, Eternal Sunshine, and to keep the hype dialled up to 11 ahead of the November release of Wicked. Pull up a chair, grab a notebook and welcome to your crash course in the high-ponied promo history of Her Royal Highness, Ms. Ariana Grande, an artist who has truly mastered her craft - and then some. By STEPHEN WHELAN

Cultivating an artistic sensibility from childhood, Claire Arnold followed her natural curiosity about “how things were made” to every corner of the creative industry – from agency-side to production and editing - and beyond, into editorial and party-planning. A genuine multi-hyphenate, she credits her impressive body of work that spans music videos, docu-style shorts, branded content and commercials to a 360-degree approach that’s inspired more by the message than the medium. Off the back of her latest docu-short for Vans – a blistering-paced, ‘90s-inspired homage to skateboarding icon Lizzie Armanto - she tells 1.4 about changing people’s opinion through entertainment and why she won’t create just for the sake of it

Canadian-European director Bobby León prioritises collaboration, exploration and play in her practice to bring us work that ranges from whimsical fashion films to cutting-edge virtual productions. With a background in stills photography and dance, her work achieves a polished feel with fluidity and sincerity, no matter the format. Bobby sits down with 1.4 to discuss shooting her new project in Osaka, the virtues and limitations of ChatGPT’s poetry, and the magic found in spontaneous “pockets of playtime” on set.

Like all good storytellers, Georgia Oakley is interested in human narratives – but it’s the gaps between the lines that really fascinate her. The dichotomy between how a person presents themselves versus their internal reality is one she’s explored time and again in her work – most recently in her debut feature, the BAFTA-nominated Blue Jean, which uses a portrait of a conflicted, closeted PE teacher leading a double life to explore broader, socio-political themes of gay identity in a time of intense upheaval for the community. Having just signed to Eleanor Films for commercials representation, Oakley tells 1.4 how she’s looking forward to pursuing more of these personal-meets-political stories in short form 

Six BIG AND BEAUTIFUL top drawer music videos from the masters of creative happiness

Filmmaker, sculptor, artist, writer, actor – Mac Premo is the archetypal multi-hyphenate creative and craftsperson – or, as he likes to put it, “stuffmaker”. Intrigued by chaos and inspired by order, his highly original shorts marry a classic grounding in art with an energetic DIY sensibility, covering everything from the function of music to the history of chopsticks - and how to upcycle waste into skateboards. Sharp editing, random objects, and evocative sound design are just some of the hallmarks of Premo’s process-driven practice – but, as his latest short demonstrates, some of his best work is just the product of a happy accident. He talks to 1.4 about dropping trucks on plywood boxes and foraging props from dumpsters

As a rising young actor with a passion for performing, Eleanor’s newest signing, Chris Chuky, seemed set on a career in front of the camera – but a twist of fate took him behind the lens instead, where he’s successfully parlayed his acting experience into a knack for casting - and coaxing authentic performances from - talent. Combining stunning cinematography with serious subject matter, Chuky’s work delves into racial stereotypes, family dynamics, masculinity, and the impact of societal expectations with style, panache and more than a hint of retro flair – fitting for a filmmaker who’s described himself as ‘an old soul who’d have thrived in 1970s NYC.’ Off the back of his first commercial for Jack Daniel’s, Chuky tells 1.4 about the ‘sport’ of acting, making projects that demand self-reflection and bringing a Great Dane to heel

Bianca Poletti nails the unpredictable, messy moments of friendship in her latest film Ultra Low. She talks to Niccolò Montanari about humour, chemistry and why she’ll probably steer away from making another film that’s 99% car shots on an indie budget.

With a love for trash aesthetics and a tongue planted firmly in his cheek at all times, Niall Trask is making waves in the world of music video. His latest work for Fat White Family incorporates glittering bodies, a sexy Father Christmas, a variety of raw meats and a Tudor monarch eating Froot Loops. Fresh from signing with Riff Raff, Niall talks with 1.4 about the ‘trashy’ beginnings of his love of film, the shoestring-budget lockdown film that got him recognised, and how he keeps up the good vibes on set.

Cliff hangers and harmonies

It’s safe to say that you won’t see another short film like ‘Notes on a Siren’ this year. Feeling directionless after a creatively fallow period, Valiant Pictures director Justice Jamal Jones set off on an intensely personal journey of transformation and self-acceptance through film – and who better to guide him than his patron goddess, the mythical Haitian voodoo mermaid La Sirene? Interweaving themes of African spirituality, Black queerness and non-binary identity, Jones’ ‘filmic essay’ raises more questions than it answers, as he interrogates the colonial overtones of filmmaking and explores his evolution from fetishised subject of the camera’s gaze to ‘bitchy’ empowered director. Archive footage intercuts with sensual dance sequences and organic, natural imagery meets futuristic iconography in a sprawling, ambitious project that at times borders on chaotic – yet the strength of Jones’ artistic conviction manages to hold it together. He talks to 1.4 about his family’s Vodou lineage, and how making the film taught him the hardest lesson of all: self acceptance.