Short films are difficult. It’s easy to tell a story across 90 minutes or a couple of hours, where plot and characterisation can expand and grow. However, it takes real skill to deliver something short, punchy (and more importantly) narratively cohesive within a couple of minutes. This takes us nicely along to Dakota Stone, a new short from director Sherice Griffiths and writer Alfie Scattergood (aka Paul Knight).

Clocking-in at just nine minutes, the film features professional dancer, choreographer, and star of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, Nancy Xu as an ass-kicking ‘fixer’. Offering-up action and characterisation, Dakota Stone is an entertaining little flick that works well within its own confines, while also feeling like an amuse-bouche to a much larger story.

Sherice Griffiths, Alfie Scattergood and Nancy Xu joined the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about Dakota Stone. During the course of the conversation, they discuss how the project came together, the logistics of making a short film in a limited timeframe - as well as teasing the future of the Dakota Stone character in a larger format.

Writer-director Torsten Ruether joins this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to discuss his boxing drama, Uppercut. The film marks Ruether's English-language debut, adapted from his 2021 film Leberhaken, and features an impressive cast, including Ving Rhames, Luise Grossmann, Joanna Cassidy and Jordan E. Cooper.

Uppercut tells the story of Toni, a determined female boxer, and her journey with Elliott, a tough ex-boxing champion played by Rhames.

Torsten Ruether talks about making Uppercut, working with Ving Rhames and how the film developed and evolved from its early origins.

Uppercut is out now in U.S. cinemas, On Demand and On Digital.

First-up there's Martin Campbell, the director of the acclaimed James Bond films Goldeneye with Pierce Brosnan and Casino Royale starring Daniel Craig. This is followed by a chat with Simon West, the director of the iconic ’90s Nicolas Cage pic, Con Air and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie.

Martin Campbell discusses his new film, Cleaner, a high-rise action pic starring Star Wars star, Daisy Ridley and Clive Owen. We not only talk about the practicalities of making an action film, but we also cover 30 years of Goldeneye, the legacy of the James Bond franchise, as well as why we haven’t had a belated second sequel to his brilliant 1998 film, The Mask Of Zorro, starring Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

This was my third time interviewing the great Simon West, so we had great fun talking about keeping interviews fresh, as well as his new comedic action film, Old Guy. Shot and set in Belfast, the film stars the eclectic combination of Christoph Waltz, Cooper Hoffman and Lucy Liu. Simon talks about filming in Belfast and why he was so eager to ditch the stereotype of Northern Ireland’s violent past and shoot the province as a contemporary European location.

Director Michael Polish joins the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about his latest action thriller, Alarum. Fresh off the heels of its January 17th release, this high-octane spy flick stars Sylvester Stallone, Scott Eastwood, and Willa Fitzgerald.

The film sees two married spies - Joe and Laura Travers - who find themselves hunted by intelligence agencies after discovering a mysterious flash drive

This conversation covers Polish's motivations for the project, his collaboration with Scott Eastwood, the intricate character dynamics that elevate this film beyond a typical spy pic - and the joys of online interviews.

Kimball Farley, the star and co-writer of the new off-beat indie film Hippo joins this episode of the Movies In Focuspodcast.

Directed by Mark H. Rapaport, Hippo is a black-and-white coming-of-age story set in the 1990s that explores the lives of two step-siblings. The film's quirky tone - reminiscent of the films of Wes Anderson - is complemented by Eric Roberts' excellent voice-over, which adds depth to the narrative's stylised storytelling.

Kimball discusses the creative process behind Hippo, its unique storytelling approach, and uncovers what makes this film a standout in modern indie cinema

Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, the directors of the iconic horror film The Blair Witch Project join this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast.

Released in 1999, the film not only essentially created the found-footage genre but it also left an indelible mark on the landscape of independent cinema. Daniel and Eduardo share their insights on the film's production - everything from its unique marketing strategy to the challenges they faced in bringing their vision to life.

This is a fascinating conversation with two filmmakers who pushed the boundaries of cinema and redefined horror storytelling. It’s an engaging discussion that will illuminate the legacy of a film that continues to inspire filmmakers and frighten audiences around the world 25 years on. that continues to inspire filmmakers and frighten audiences around the world

Action superstar Scott Adkins joins this bite-sized episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about his latest film Take Cover - a high-octane one-location action flick that’s a real must for fans of the genre.

Known for his athletic turns in films like Accident Man, Undisputed, John Wick Chapter 4 and The Expendables 2, Scott has entertained audiences with his martial arts prowess and charismatic screen presence.

Scott spoke over Zoom to discuss his work in action movies, CGI versus stunt work, his passion for film-making - as well as the potential of him suiting up as iconic superhero, Batman.

Two very different directors talk about two very different films on this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast. First-up, Kevin Smith talks about his 1980s set comedy, The 4:30 Movie and then later in the episode Euros Lyn discusses his vampire-comedy, The Radleys.

Kevin Smith was one of the leading figures in the 1990s independent film scene. His self-financed low-budget comedy Clerks was a massive success and he went on to make the likes of Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back, Jersey Girl and others.

Working with rep company that includes the likes of Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes and Matt Damon, Smith’s films have also had a strong autobiographical bent, incorporating moments and characters from his own life and adding his own style of acerbic wit.

His latest film, The 4:30 Movie is his most autobiographical yet- a 1980s set coming of age story that not only takes place within the confines of Smith’s home state of New Jersey - but also his very own SmodCastle cinema. It’s a witty and heartfelt film that delivers the goods for fans of his work and those looking for a well-honed comedy.

Kevin Smith talks about digging into his past to make the film, shooting in your own cinema - as well as the possibility of a Mallrats sequel.

To say that Welsh director Euros Lyn has had an illustrious career would be an understatement.

His career as a director is littered with some of the television’s top shows including - Casualty, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Sherlock, Broadchurch, Happy Valley, Daredevil, His Dark Materials and Heartstopper.

Lyn’s new film, The Radleys is based on Matt Haig’s book of the same name - and it stars Damian Lewis and Kelly Macdonald as a married couple with a young family - and they all just happen to be vampires.

Euros Lyn’s chat about The Radleys covers bringing the material to the screen and getting such a great cast for his vampire film.