Short films
Directing
As a director, Jonathan is drawn to surreal, cerebral storytelling, to films that sit slightly outside of reality but speak to something deeply human. He’s directed three short films so far, each exploring themes through abstract visuals, symbolic characters, and a strong sense of atmosphere. These projects have gone on to win several awards and reflect his interest in pushing narrative boundaries while creating space for interpretation and emotion.
But I Don’t Have A Spoon (2022)
Directed by Jonathan Smith & Augustin Podlipajev.
Synopsis
Emet doesn’t feel like he measures up. In a world full of “spoons,” he feels small, insignificant. At a reunion surrounded by old colleagues seemingly thriving, the temptation to embellish his life creeps in. If he tweaks his truth just a little, maybe he’ll finally get the recognition he’s always craved.
But across the table sits a masked figure - calm, haunting, unrelenting. A quiet force urging Emet to face himself, to stop pretending, to nourish his mental health. But how can he begin to do that… when he doesn’t even have a 'spoon'?
A surreal and intimate reflection on low self-esteem, imposter syndrome, and the quiet struggle to care for oneself in a world obsessed with image.
Original Music by Astrid Sonne.
Directed by Jonathan Smith & Augustin Podlipajev.
Music by Astrid Sonne - Moderato.
“Filmed in a month and on a micro budget, the films restrictions ended up proving a positive. All filmed within my University housing, a single location with a single actor, that limitation forced us to innovate and push us to communicate the scripts ideas as best as possible, emphasise the films claustrophobic introspection. ”
Directed by Jonathan Smith & Augustin Podlipajev. Music by To Life - Sunrise Terracotta.
If I Fall (2021)
Synopsis
Told through visual poetry, If I Fall follows an artist as he journeys through the lingering echoes of a past love. What begins as somber reminiscence soon unravels into a poignant struggle between memory and reality. Letting go is not a clean break, but a slow unraveling - one that forces him to confront what he's lost knowing he's not able to move on just yet.
Original Music by To Life.
Roles: Co-Director, Writer, Co-Editor.
Camera - Black Magic Ursa Mini 4K.
Official Coventry Phoenix Film Festival 2022 selection.
Directed & Edited by Jonathan Smith. Music by Kavinsky - Nightcall.
Nightcall (Music Video)
Synthwave inspired music video made for my A-Level Media Studies.
Synopsis
Influenced by Drive (2011), the video follows a masked figure as he pursues a mysterious woman through a hyper-stylised world. He encounters other masked figures representing the seven deadly sins, each a visual metaphor for the internal conflicts that distort and delay his pursuit.
The video blends genre aesthetics, surreal imagery, and moral symbolism to reflect how obsession is shaped, and often stalled, by deeper human impulses.
Roles: Director, Editor
Music: Nightcall by Kavinsky
Nominated for BFI MediaMagazine Production Competition 2018
