Daniel Bergmann talks new directing talent

In the last of our series of video interviews with Young Director Award winners from 2020, we talk to Stink Films Managing Partner Daniel Bergmann.

Bergmann's company picked up a Silver in the Producers Award last year for its consistent championing and nurturing of new directing talent. Last year Stink had three directors pick up YDA prizes - Dylan Holmes Williams, Jakub Jirasek and Nick Roney - whose winning work you can see below.

In this 15 minute chat, Bergmann, a previous Chairman of the YDA jury, discusses what he looks for in a new director, how the lockdown situation of the last 12 months has affected new directors coming through the ranks, and why the YDA offers a legitimate path to recognition.

This year the YDA is running a pre-event contest to further highlight new directing talent in which entrants need to create a short film, the brief for which is simply, 'Born to Create Drama'. It can be anything up to three minutes long and can be funny, scary, odd, exciting, unsettling… as long as it makes us sit up and take note. The competition is free-to-enter, and open to everyone, whether you’re filming alone with your smartphone, or go traditional and get a film crew involved – what’s important is the end, not the means. For more information, click here.