HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL POSTER ART.
Among the jury for HollyShorts 20th anniversary this year are stars Rosario Dawson, Tyrese Gibson,
Metta World Peace, Rosa Salazar and Rachel Brosnahan
Hollywood’s premiere short film festival HollyShorts returns for its much-anticipated 20th edition from August 8-18, at the TCL Chinese Theater. From more than 6,100 entries, over 400 films form this year’s anniversary program.
Last year, the Academy® granted the Festival its fourth OSCAR®-qualifying award for Documentary Short Film, joining the top awards Best Short Film Grand Prize, Best Short Animation, and Best Short Live Action. The winners of these awards will be eligible for consideration for a 2025 Academy® Award.
Heading HollyShorts brand new Sports category is none other than NBA Champion Metta World Peace; also judging will be Emmy Award-winning producer Jessica Badawi and NBA Agent Colby Schinto.
HollyShorts is devoted to showcasing the best and brightest short films from around the globe, advancing the careers of filmmakers through screenings, networking events, and various panels and forums. The festival showcases the top short films produced in 40 minutes or less.
The Chicago Crusader was awarded credentials, and the films that I was able to preview have been fascinating.
Of note are a few “must-sees.”
Wendi Tang’s stunning new short Fishtank follows Jules (Tiffany Chu), a Chinese American woman, who has been sober for a year, but can’t stop vomiting goldfish. Things take an unexpected turn when she suddenly meets a fish enthusiast. This surreal drama combines traditional narrative with experimental elements to challenge audiences’ understanding of the norms ingrained in society.
Jules seems to have vomited only male fish. When she found love, she no longer became ill. But her new boyfriend was domineering and he got rid of the fish tanks. He was convinced that she needed only him—much to his disappointment.
Take a look at the trailer: https://vimeo.com/912507205.
Will I See You Again? follows the story of two former college teammates who, after 20 years of estrangement, find themselves summoned to their late friend’s estate hearing. To claim their inheritance, they must first confront their past relationship while undergoing a polygraph test.
Hosea Chanchez.
Rising filmmaker Michael Perez-Lindsey makes his directorial debut unveiling his breathtaking new short film. This powerful story offers a poignant exploration of reconciliation and the power of confronting the past.
Cast members include Richard Lawson, Nick Wechsler, Hosea Chanchez and Rosanny Zayas.
Take a look at the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGSrE6gJw9w.
Technicians – Tasked with installing self-service manicure stations at a nail salon, an automation technician meets a Vietnamese American nail tech whose job he is there to replace.
This film really hit me because it deals with technology and AI taking over. The nail salon will lose all its employees, and in an effort to postpone this, one of the employees attempts to sabotage the takeover.
It’s social commentary on the personal interactions that are so crucial in society, matched against what some deem cost effective in the guise of cold-hearted technology. This is a must-see short.
Audrey – Meredith and her wife get a jaw-dropping surprise when Meredith’s brother brings over his unusual new girlfriend, sending their family dinner spiraling into chaos.
Director Julianna Robinson had a masterpiece when the special dinner guest is a gluten-free eating, lactose-intolerant mannequin that the brother met at a garage sale. This short illuminates the need for a personal connection, even if the connection can’t be reconciled in the minds of the married couple. But to the brother, Connor, she is very real—to the point of matrimony.
Terminally Ill – When a rapper is summoned to his grandmother’s deathbed, he engages in a madcap freestyle in a desperate attempt to prevent her from dying.
A touching look at death and its effect on the mourners, directed by Chris Cole.
The grandson is distraught at the thought of his grandmother dying.
“Took me to church every Sunday, sweeter than ice cream.”
“Get up. Levitate do a David Blaine.”
“They got you eating apple sauce. How do I deal with this loss.”—are a few of his raps.
A surprise ending helps the young man cope.
How To Sue The Klan – From Producer Ben Crump. America’s first hate group, the Ku Klux Klan, dealt out hatred and violence for over a century without penalty – until five Black women and a young Black Civil Rights lawyer finally forced them to pay for their crimes. Director Jon Beder.
On April 19, 1980, four Black women stood waiting for a cab on Chattanooga’s 9th Street when a car passed, driven by a local Ku Klux Klan leader. His passengers, also Klansmen, worked together to fire shotgun blasts from the open window. The gunfire wounded the four friends, and a fifth woman was struck by flying glass as the Klansman continued up the road, firing more shots. In criminal court, an all-white jury acquitted two of the Klansmen and sentenced the third to just nine months. He served only six. Civil unrest followed the verdict, sparking national attention and that of the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York City. The organization had been waiting for the right opportunity to use a new legal strategy against hate groups in civil court.
Their victory set a legal precedent that continues to inspire the ongoing fight against organized hate.
My Week With Maisy – When uptight retiree Mrs. Foster begins chemotherapy she’s thrown together in the treatment room with Maisy, a whirlwind inquisitive child aspiring to be a lesbian. As treatment progresses, the pair’s fortuitous bond offers healing and newfound hope in unexpected places.
Director Mika Simmons’ latest work is a poignant and often hilarious short that centers around the beautiful juxtaposition of life and death. The story follows retiree Joanna Lumley
and Ellie-Mae Siame, sparking an unlikely bond signaling newfound hope. The film was the winner of ‘Best Women’s Short’ at the Cleveland International Film Festival.
It’s a slow boil, but the two eventually become friends, as they try not to chat about what could soon become their fate.
Take a look at the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcUv7lGKu5A.
The Dog – a sick dog mysteriously appears in the clinic of an overworked vet and tries to negotiate their own death. Over the course of one night at a 24-hour clinic, struggling veterinarian Claire (Kate Walsh, Grey’s Anatomy) contends with the pressures of her shift and a persistent inner turmoil.
Take a look at the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp_ViyqrRNM.
The star-studded jury who will determine which four films will qualify to be considered for the 2025 edition, alongside high profile HollyShorts awards are Adam Rackoff (The Brainwashing of my Dad, Downwind); Alex Winter (Zappa, Bill & Ted Face The Music); Academy® Award Winner Alice Doyard; Adrienne Barbeau (Maude, Swamp Thing); Danny Pino (Hotel Cocaine, Unión de Reyes); David Dastmalchian (Oppenheimer, The Suicide Squad); Jennice Lee; Deadline’s Joe Utichi; Awards Daily’s Joey Moser; Jon Huertas (This is Us, Castle); Josh Hamilton (Reality, The Walking Dead); Academy® Award Nominee Joshua Seftel.
Katherine McNamara, (Shadowhunters, The Maze Runner); Kalani Dreimanis; IMDB Senior Film Editor Keith Simanton; Lio Tipton (A Friend of the Family, Riddle of Fire); Deadline’s Matt Carey; Matthew Modine (The Martini Shot, Hard Miles); Michelle Krusiec (A Million Miles Away, Hollywood); Academy® Award Nominee Misan Harriman; Student Academy® Award Winner Omer Ben-Shachar; Peter Macon (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, The Orville); Rachel Brosnahan (Superman, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel); Animation Magazine’s Ramin Zahed; Rosa Salazar (Alita: Battle Angel); Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka, Common Ground); Samuel Arnold (Emily in Paris, Expectations); Producer and Head of Acquisitions at Flawless AI Ryan Black; BBC/CNN film expert Sandro Monetti; Sarah Shahi (Red, White & Royal Blue, Sex/Life); Tricia Helfer (Lucifer, Battlestar Galactica) and Tyrese Gibson (Fast & Furious, 1992).
This year’s hybrid celebration of short films will take place in person, with screenings at the world-renowned TCL Chinese Theatre at 6801 Hollywood Blvd., 3rd Level, Hollywood, CA, 90028, from August 8-18, followed by the annual Awards Gala on August 18—and virtually through the official festival streaming platform, BITPIX.
To view the official selections, visit http://www.hollyshorts.com.
For additional information and tickets visit https://hollyshorts2024.eventive.org/passes/buy.
