The Oscar® Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival returns for its 8th edition from August 11- 20th, 2022, with nearly 400 films on the program featuring Academy Award Nominee® James Franco, Golden Globe and Grammy Nominee Wiz Khalifa, Emmy Nominee Colman Domingo, Rosario Dawson, Nina Dobrev, Penn Badgley, Emmy Award-winner Brian Cox, Academy Award nominee June Squibb, SAG Winner Zachary Levi and more
This year’s hybrid celebration of short films will take place in-person with screenings at world-renowned TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and virtually through the official festival streaming platform BITPIX.
Leading films for the 18th edition include FIVE CENTS, starring Emmy Award-winner Brian Cox (Succession); AURINKO IN ADAGIO, produced by Lena Waithe (The Chi); LIFE AND DEBT starring Rosario Dawson (Rent); BAINNE, directed by Jack Reynor (Midsommar) and starring Will Poulter (The Revenant); the all-star short NORTH STAR featuring the multiple award-winning Kevin Bacon, Emmy nominee Colman Domingo (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), Laura Innes (ER), Chris Sheffield (The Maze Runner), and Malcolm Gets (Suits); THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS, starring Zachary Levi (Shazam!); BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR, featuring Academy Award nominee June Squibb (Nebraska) and dearly missed multiple Emmy Award-winner, Ed Asner (The Mary Tyler Moore Show); documentary short STILL ROLLING PAPERS, which follows internationally acclaimed rapper Wiz Khalifa; THE ONE, directed by Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries) and starring Madeline Brewer (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Indya Moore (Pose); TARA MESSENGER OF DEATH starring Grammy and Emmy Award nominated stand-up comedian Margaret Cho; COLOR ME JANE, starring Penn Badgley (You); DON’T WORRY, IT’S GONNA BE OK, directed by Izabel Pakzad (Birds of Prey) and produced byJames Franco (The Disaster Artist); MARKED, starring Academy Award-nominee Eric Roberts; and CELEBRITAS EX MACHINA featuring Dolph Lundgren (Rocky IV), Sean Astin (Stranger Things), and Danny Trejo (Machete).
Additional noteworthy selections include Dylan Bloom’s ELEVATE, produced by Live Action Short Academy Award-winner Andrew Carlberg (Skin) and starring Tracie Thoms (Rent) and Jason Butler Harner (Ozark); HOME, starring Max Irons (The Wife); IN TRAINING, directed by Kayla Compton (The Flash); BUS GIRL, starring Jessica Henwick (The Matrix Resurrections); MALLEABLE, produced by Emmy Award winning Lena Waithe (Master of None); MELONS, starring Brian Huskey (Veep) and Martin Mull (Arrested Development); NEW MOON, starring Emmy Award nominee Colman Domingo (Zola); NINETY-FIVE SENSES, from successful directing partnership Jerusha Hess and Jared Hess, starring Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother, Where Art Thou?); PROXY, starring De Wanda Wise (Netfllix’s She’s Gotta Have It); WILD BITCH, both directed by and starring Kate Nash (Glow); BOOMERANG, starring Marin Hinkle (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel); BLACK EWE, directed and produced by Peter Gadiot (Queen of the South); SAFE, starring Will Patton (Yellowstone); THE MANAGER POSITION, from Academy Award-winning producer Andrew Carlberg; UNBOUND, starring Lauren Lapkus (Orange Is the New Black); URSULA, starring Martin Starr (Silicon Valley); WALTZ OF THE ANGELS, featuring Lisette Alexis (Total Eclipse) and Jason Dolley (The Ranch); THE BOND, starring Yolonda Ross (The Chi), SAUERDOGS, starring August Diehl (Inglourious Basterds); and SHEDDING ANGELS, starring Calum Worthy (The Act).
The winners of HollyShorts’ three top prizes will be eligible for nomination at the 2023 Oscars®. Six HollyShorts films were nominated for the 2022 Academy Awards® with two wins for Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed’s The Long Goodbye and Ben Proudfoot’s The Queen of Basketball.