T-Port Blog

Bristol-based animator and filmmaker Edie Lawrence uses claymation to explore contemporary issues. Her debut short film, Autophagy, which was picked as part of the 2025 Lighthouse Selections by Kasia Karwan, is a dark reflection on grief, dementia, and the predatory nature of modern systems. 

Developed over two years in her flat and fuelled by deep personal and political concerns, the film marks Edie as a bold new voice in experimental animation. In this interview, she reflects on process, perseverance, and why claymation—with all its imperfections—feels like home.

Professional Subscribers can watch “Autophagy,” which appears on T-Port courtesy of our partners at Festival Formula. 

Hi Edie! Could you introduce yourself?

I studied Animation at the Royal College of Art and I’m now based in Bristol, UK. I’ve always had a passion for sculpture, storytelling and music, so stop motion and claymation naturally made sense. It’s a medium where you can bring various mediums together and experiment in each at different stages of the process. 

I’ve always liked how raw stop motion is and how the imperfections and fingerprints add to the character of a film. I’m a non-linear thinker, so allowing experimentation to eventually form a visual sequence feels like a much easier way of expression and communication to me.

If you could watch one film forever on a loop, what would it be?

Maybe Groundhog Day.

How many films have you made before this one, and what did each new film teach you?

This is my first film, but I’m writing a new one this year.

How did you first start working on this film? What was the process like and what first sparked the idea to make it?

The film is inspired by unaffordable healthcare, poverty and dementia. It’s inspired by the dog-eat-dog / octopus-eat-octopus world we live in.

What would you like people to take away from your film?

Even those lucky enough to have not experienced poverty will have experienced loss and grief. So I’d like to think everyone can take something away from this.

Once you had the idea—how did you go about the production process?

It took two years on and off.

What were the biggest challenges you encountered during making your film?

I made the whole film solo in my flat. So it was hard to stay motivated and keep on trucking when money was low and doubt was high.

What would you do differently if you could go back and do it again?

I would probably make it shorter and less painful for myself.

What did you find (or still find) especially lacking in the process of distributing and promoting your film? What was especially challenging?

I’ve been lucky enough for my producers at Cheerio Publishing to partner up with Festival Formula to represent and submit for me. They’ve been so supportive and helpful. However, if I didn’t have them, I don’t think I’d know where to start. The film world is still very new to me and I’d have no idea what festivals to approach.

What do you feel young film talents lack the most today, after graduating from film school? Where are the gaps in the film industry?

I feel the film festival world doesn’t make it easy for young filmmakers to get their foot in the door. Unless you’re lucky enough to have financial backing, it’s too expensive to submit your film to festivals, no matter how strong it is. This sadly makes it all quite elitist.

 I’ve noticed most directors signed to production companies and winning awards are male. Production companies also seem to be building their teams of in-house makers / animators / riggers etc. more and more. This makes it really hard for self-represented filmmakers to bid for a project against their big teams and really difficult to get any kind of experience on a signed director’s film.

What’s next for you?
I’m writing a new film at the moment. The next steps will be applying for funding later this year.

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