HollyShorts Film Festival

Penelope Cruz, Whoopi Goldberg, Jane Lynch Among 2018 HollyShorts Film Festival Lineup

[caption id="attachment_31174" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] THE BIRDS SING TO LOUD starring Jane Lynch[/caption] The Oscar-Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival today unveiled the Official Selections of the upcoming 14th edition taking place August 9 to 18, 2018 at the TCL Chinese Theater, Harmony Gold Theater and other locations in Hollywood. Nearly 400 short films will compete for the festival’s top prizes. Last year HollyShorts finalists included 3 out of the 5 Live Action Oscar nominees and the winning short Silent Child from Rachel Shenton and Chris Overton. This year, HollyShorts received an all-time record 5,000 submissions from over 80 countries. The competition will feature Live Action, Animation and Documentary Shorts as well as web series, student shorts, music videos, TV pilots, and VR. The festival also features a screenplay competition where the winning short gets greenlit, shot and shown at next year’s festival courtesy of Evil Slave Productions. This year’s competition lineup is the most star-studded. Standouts include Penelope Cruz’s short documentary SOY UNOENTRECIENMIL which explores childhood leukaemia, Ramon Rodriguez’s (The Affair) ROUND, Liz Lachman’s PIN-UP starring Angela Sarafyan (Westworld), Kelley Kali’s LALO’S HOUSE starring Garcelle Beauvais and Jimmy Jean-Louis, Jarod Einsohn’s Long Walk Home (Produced by Anthony Hemingway) starring Ryan Rottman, Jocelyn Stamat’s LABORATORY CONDITIONS starring Minnie Driver, Kevin Alejandro’s (Arrow) LUCIFER, Fox and Mars Candy Brands short BITE SIZE HORROR (Directed by a team of up and coming horror directors), Choice Skinner’s BLACK LIGHTNING- TOBIAS REVENGE starring Jay Hunter (If Loving you is Wrong), Jack Kenny’s THE BIRDS SING TO LOUD starring Jane Lynch, Mark Lobatto’s STEALING SILVER starring Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), Michael Reilly’s HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME starring Whoopi Goldberg, Oscar nominated animator Bill Plympton’s MODERN LIVES, Guy Nattiv’s SKIN starring Danielle MacDonald (Patti Cake$), Tyler Winther’s GOLIATH 22 starring Jaylen Moore (SIX), R.H. Norman’s HAJJI starring Ross Marquand (Walking Dead), Lisa Edelstein’s (House) UNZIPPING, Omar Benson Miller’s (Ballers) ADVANTAGE OMAR, Jaclyn Bethany’s THE DELTA GIRL starring Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan) and Caitlyn Carver (I, Tonya) among others. The festival will announce additional films in the coming week, include opening night and closing night programs. Image via Twitter
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2017 HollyShorts Film Festival Announces Winners, Brett Rattner Receives Icon Award

The Academy Awards® qualifying 13th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival came to a close Saturday night with the HollyShorts Awards. The evening kicked off with a special Keynote conversation by Brett Ratner moderated by Steve Bellamy, Kodak’s President of Motion Picture and Entertainment. Following the Keynote HollyShorts Presented Ratner with its 2017 Icon Award. Previous recipients include: David Lynch, Eli Roth, Paul Haggis, Joe Carnahan, and Matthew Modine. The night’s big winners were: Skinner Meyers who took home the Grand Jury Prize for his short Frank Embree, Kevin Wilson, Jr. who took home Best Director for My Nephew Emmett and Best Short Film went to Konstantina Kotzamani for her short LIMBO.
2017 HollyShorts Film Festival Awards Winners
Best Action Two Bellman Three Daniel Malakai Cabrera | Mark David Spencer Best Animation POST NO BILLS Robin Hays | Andy Poon Best Cinematography The Ningyo Miguel Ortega Best Comedy Hot Winter: A Film by Dick Pierre Jack Henry Robbins Best Coming of Age A Boy Called Su Vedrana Music Best Commercial Making It On Time – Christian Siriano Sophia Banks Best Director My Nephew Emmett Kevin Wilson, Jr. Best Diversity Il Silenzio Ali Asgari | Farnoosh Samadi Best Doc The Tables Jon Bunning Best Drama Benny Got Shot Malcolm Washington Best Editing Miss World Georgia Wu Best Female Director Waste Justine Raczkiewicz Grand Jury Award Frank Embree Skinner Myers Best Horror Wandering Soul Josh Tanner Best International Pushing Night Away Jade Aksnes Best LGBT In a Heartbeat Beth David | Esteban Bravo Best Music Video “Starman” IAMEVE Thor Freudenthal Best Narrative Fry Day Laura Moss Panavision Future Filmmaker Verano 78 Serapi Soler Best Period Piece Hope Dies Last Ben Price Best Producer Oh What a Wonderful Feeling François Jaros | Fanny-Laure Malo Best Romance Just Go! Pavel Gumennikov Best Sci Fi Unbound Maggie Mahrt Best Screenplay Jameson John Humber Screenplay Runner Up Modern Love Hannah Dillon Screenplay Runner Up Echo Chamber Travis Lemke Best Shot on Film Little Bird Georgia Oakley Best Short Film Grand Prize LIMBO Konstantina Kotzamani Best Student Filip Nathalie Álvarez Mesén Best Thriller Midwife Blake Salzman Best TV Category Shoot Me Nicely Elias Plagianos Best VFX Real Artists Cameo Wood Best Visionary The Ceiling Jussi Rautaniemi Best VR If You Go Away Soheila Golestani Best Web Series Gunner Jackson Christian Strevy Best Youth A Birthday Card Anvar Madraimov Honorable Mention Yes, God, Yes Karen Maine
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Filmmaker Brett Ratner to Close HollyShorts Film Festival with Keynote Conversation

Filmmaker Brett Ratner will close the Academy Awards qualifying 2017 HollyShorts Film Festival with a special Keynote conversation presented by Kodak Motion Picture and Entertainment. The Conversation will take place during the HollyShorts Awards this Saturday, August 19, at the Harmony Gold Theater moderated by Steve Bellamy, Kodak’s President of Motion Picture and Entertainment. Because of the overwhelming interest of directors moving back to film and last year’s strong showing of shorts captured on film, HollyShorts added a film-only category this year that received a substantial amount of submissions. Ultimately, 10 shorts were selected: Miss World by Georgia Fu, Frank Embree by Skinner Meyers, Nathan Loves Ricky Martin by Steven Arrigada, Real Artists by Cameo Wood, Goodnight Eulogy Created by Roi Vissel / Director: Yonatan Weinstein, To Be Free by Esther de Rothschild, Little Bird by Georgia Oakley, That Unusual Brick by Jesse Burks, Blood Letting by William Davis. Jason Ruscio’s newly restored film eclipse which premiered at Telluride and won top prize at the Student Academy Awards is also in the category and screens on August 18 at the festival. The 13th edition of HollyShorts, which is LA’s biggest shorts film festival has been taking place this week at the TCL Chinese 6 Theater, Roosevelt Hotel, and other venues throughout Hollywood. This year’s festival received an all-time record of over 4,000 submissions from 65 countries. The 400 + shorts are competing for the Best Short Film Prize and Grand Jury Prize, Best Director among other top categories.
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HollyShorts Film Festival Reveals Opening Night Lineup Featuring Salma Hayek, James Paxton and More

[caption id="attachment_23483" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] 11th Hour[/caption] The 2017 HollyShorts unveiled it’s star studded opening lineup of eight short films featuring John Stamos, Salma Hayek, James Paxton and more. The 13th annual Academy Awards® Qualifying Festival kicks off next Thursday night August 10 at the TCL Chinese 6 Theaters. A record 4,000 films were submitted and 400 are screening in competition August 10 to 19. Below is the opening night program which will follow the special screening of Full Metal Jacket with Matthew Modine Q&A.
2017 HollyShorts Opening Night Shorts Program Lineup
Without Grace Directed by Deborah Kampmeier, written/produced by Angela Cohen, starring double-Emmy-nominee Ann Dowd (Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, HBO’s The Leftovers) and John Doman (HBO’s The Wire). InGenue-ish Written and Directed by John Stamos 11th Hour Directed by Jim Sheridan starring Salma Hayek. Graffiti by Brett Gursky starring Tanner Anderson, Cassie Scerbo Penny Sucker by Erin Elders starring James Paxton, and Debbon Ayer. HollyShorts 2016 Screenplay winner The Son, The Father by Lukas Hassel. Crowbar Smile by Jamie Mayer, Produced by Josh Hutcherson (Hunger Games), starring Tristan Lake Leabu, Serinda Swan (HBO’s Ballers), Emily Robinson, Tate Donovan Control by Kimmy Gatewood (Netflix Original Series GLOW), written and starring Alison Becker (Parks and Recreation)
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2017 HollyShorts Film Festival Unveils Competition Short Films Lineup

[caption id="attachment_11940" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Super Sex[/caption] The Academy Awards® qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival unveiled today it’s official lineup of in-competition short films for the upcoming 13th edition of the festival. HollyShorts, which is LA’s biggest shorts film festival takes place August 10 to 19 at the TCL Chinese Theater, Roosevelt Hotel, Harmony Gold Theater and other venues throughout Hollywood. This year’s festival received an all time record of 4,000 submissions from 65 countries. 400 shorts will compete for the Best Short Film Prize and Grand Jury Prize, Best Director among other top categories. 2017 HollyShorts official selections include: Walking Dead’s Emma Bell’s Directorial debut horror short Scratch; Matthew Modine’s comedy Super Sex starring his daughter Ruby Modine, Kevin Nealon, Elizabeth Perkins, Ed Asner and Efren Ramirez; John Stamos’s short Ingenue-ish; Julia Barnett’s Chasing Grace Produced by Connie Britton starring Christopher Backus, and Lydia Tracy; Joshua Shultz’s Strobe starring Sammi Hanratty; Brett Gursky’s Graffiti starring Cassie Scerbo; Erin Elder’s Penny Sucker starring James Paxton; Russell Simpson’s Home starring Sharon Lawrence and Marianne Jean-Baptiste; Jack Henry Robbins Hot Winter: A Film By Dick Pierre; Bill Plympton’s animated short Cop Dog, Spike Lee’s Lil Joints $15 Dollar Kicks Directed by Jenn Shaw. Tye Sheridan and Nikola Todorovic co-founders of VR production company Aether will oversee the first-ever VR Experience at this year’s HollyShorts. As previously reported the festival will open with a special screening of Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece Full Metal Jacket on Thursday August 10 followed by a Q&A with Matthew Modine.
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Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket” to Open HollyShorts Film Festival

Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam war masterpiece “Full Metal Jacket” will open this year’s HollyShorts Film Festival on August 10. The opening night festivities will coincide with the iconic feature’s thirtieth anniversary — the film first bowed back in June of 1987 — and star Matthew Modine will be on hand to participate in a special post-screening Q&A. Kubrick’s instant classic depiction of Vietnam — and really, war in general — was based on Gutav Hasford’s novel “The Short-Timers,” which Kubrick sparked to after seeking material for a war film for years. The film stars Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Dorian Harewood, Arliss Howard, Kevyn Major Howard, and Ed O’Ross and follows a motley crew of Marines as they train for and eventually go to battle in Vietnam. The film was a lauded success, and earned an Oscar nod for Best Adapted Screenplay. The actor has also offered to display his own personal collection of behind-the-scenes photos from the making of the film, which will be available for viewing at Hollywood’s Chinese Theater during the run of the festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j3_iPskjxk
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SHOK and THE BRAVEST, THE BOLDEST Win Top 2015 HollyShorts Awards | TRAILERS

The 2015 HollyShorts Awards winners are crowned, and Jamie Donoughue took home the Zype Best Short Film Grand Prize and $15,000 Cash Prize for his short film called SHOK (pictured above). SHOK is a short film set in Kosovo during the occupation in the 90’s. https://vimeo.com/113622429 The Grand Jury Award Presented by Company 3 went to Moon Molson for his short THE BRAVEST, THE BOLDEST. In THE BRAVEST, THE BOLDEST, two Army Casualty Notification Officers arrive at a Harlem housing project to deliver Sayeeda Porter some news about her son serving in the war in the Middle East. But whatever it is they have to say, Sayeeda ain’t trying to hear it. https://vimeo.com/59462371 Best Director went to Annie Silverstein for SKUNK. https://vimeo.com/92774906 Best Animation went to THE OCEANMAKER by Lucas Martell https://vimeo.com/126090217 Best VFX went to DISSONANCE by Till Nowak https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDphctG9n_g Best Film Shot in LA presented by FilmLA went to TOM IN AMERICA by Flavio Alves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eHAtHdCEdc The Louisiana Film Prize a $10,000 prize for Best Screenplay went to THE IMPORTANCE OF SEX EDUCATION by L. Elizabeth Powers The Evil Slave $10,000 and Screencraft $2000 Consulting Prize for Best Screenplay Award went to LUNCHBOX BRIGADE by Kyle Thiele
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11th HollyShorts Film Festival Star-Studded Opening Night Lineup to Feature Films Starring Rose McGowan, Jason Patric | TRAILERS

The 11th HollyShorts Film Festival (August 13-22) unveiled it’s star-studded opening night lineup today that features films starring Rose McGowan, Jason Patric, Sharon Lawrence, Rose McIver, Beth Grant, Robert Forster, Jennifer Morrison, Josh Lawson, Portia Doubleday, Carly Chaikin, and many more. The festival will also open with a new clip from 2009 HollyShorts Visionary Award recipient Eli Roth’s highly anticipated new feature film THE GREEN INFERNO from Blumhouse Productions, Universal and Focus Features. The film is being released in theaters on September 25. Commented festival director Daniel Sol: “We are thrilled to open HollyShorts with such a star-studded and great lineup of short movies, it’s going to be quite a night and an epic week of incredible content! This year marks the biggest HollyShorts ever and we look forward to helping create opportunities for our filmmakers August 13-22 in Hollywood!” The 11th HollyShorts Film Festival opening night takes place Thursday August 13, which is taking place at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres and OHM nightclub at Hollywood & Highland. HollyShorts opening night celebration will feature the following short films: Weight of Blood and Bones (pictured above) https://vimeo.com/129056788 Chris Ekstein’s western short Weight of Blood and Bones starring Jason Patric, Danny Trejo, Rose McGowan, Mark Boone Junior, Noah Hardin, Marissa Coughlan and Jeff Daniel Phillips. The Weight of Blood and Bones was inspired by characters from Zane Grey’s Novels and tells the story of how the past of a legendary bounty hunter catches up with him and haunts the memories of his young son. The film is Produced by Stacy Ekstein, p.g.a. and Kevin Ragsdale. The Bridge Partner https://vimeo.com/113459769 Gabriel Olson’s The Bridge Partner, written by acclaimed author Peter S. Beagle (The Last Unicorn) starring Beth Grant (Mindy Project), Emmy nominee Sharon Lawrence, Rebecca Brooks, Catherine Carlen and Robert Forster. The Bridge Partner tells the story of a timid housewife who is jolted into a fight for her survival when she thinks she hears her new parter at a weekly bridge game whisper a shocking threat. Warning Labels https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz2z_HQY0Gs Warning Labels Directed by Jennifer Morrison (Once Upon A Time, Warrior, Star Trek), starring Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy), Josh Lawson (House of Lies), and Rose McIver (iZombie). Warning Labels is centered on 2 workers for the Center For Disease Control who meet for drinks, only to discover that love is the most hazardous thing of all. THE GREEN INFERNO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcpYPu9M3bw Eli Roth’s THE GREEN INFERNO centers on a group of student activists traveling to the Amazon to save the rain forest. They soon discover they are not alone after crash-landing on a remote location, and are held hostage by a native tribe they set out to help save.
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2015 HollyShorts Film Festival Announces Official Film Lineup

The official film lineup of the 2015 HollyShorts Film Festival was announced today, and includes 400 of the top short movies from almost every major continent. The 11th annual HollyShorts Film Festival will take place at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres August 13-22, 2015. The HollyShorts Film Conference, which will feature heavy hitter panel discussions, will take place at IgnitedSpaces August 14-21. This year’s festival feature shorts with talent including: Jerry Stiller stars in Steve Monarque’s Simpler Times, Caity Lotz who stars in Susana Hornil’s short Missed Call, Corbin Bernsen in his son Oliver Bernsen’s short Midland, Dominic Polcino’s animated award-winning short Lovesick Fool: Love in the Age of Like stars Janeane Garofalo and Lisa Kudrow. Joe Magee and Bill Bailey’s Love Song stars Emma Thompson, Brent Weinbach’s I Don’t Dance stars Natasha Leggero, John Henry Hinkel’s HOME stars Robert Forster. JT Mollner’s Flowers in December stars Dee Wallace, Emad Asfoury’s Duality stars Don Most, Sarah Lynn Dawson, Jon Foo and was voiced by Deepak Chopra. Aaron Webman’s After Lilly stars Jack Quaid, Raymond Cruz stars in Alexandra Debricon’s A Gringo Honeymoon. Michael Gross stars in Linda Palmer’s Our Father. This year’s categories include: Live Action, Animation, Documentary, Web Series, Trailers, Commercial, Music Videos. Short genres range from Horror, Romance, Drama, Action, Comedy, Thrillers and much more. Commented Theo Dumont, HollyShorts co-founder and co-director: “We are honored to showcase this selection of the world’s top short movies at HollyShorts. This festival has grown into the biggest and most prestigious annual celebration of short movies and prides itself on providing next level opportunities for our filmmakers. It’s going to be an epic 10 days with receptions every day for our guests.” Added co-founder and co-director Daniel Sol: “We are flattered that other festivals in Los Angeles this year have aggressively contacted our filmmakers with numerous efforts to poach them, this shows the demand for their great works. What those festivals don’t understand is that this is THE filmmakers festival and they’ll do whatever they want here whenever they want, and we encourage that.” The official selection of the 2015 HollyShorts Film Festival.
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HollyShorts Announces 2014 Award Winners, Sets Dates for 2015 Edition

The HollyShorts Film Festival announced the 2014 HollyShorts Awards during a special standing room-only reception at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, home of the 1st Oscars ceremony. At the top of the show, festival founders announced the 11th annual HollyShorts will take place August 13-22, 2015 in Hollywood.

The event kicked off with Felicia Day being presented with the inaugural HollyShorts 2014 Digital Icon Award in front of the audience, which consisted of 1,000 filmmakers from the festival, industry professionals and short form content enthusiasts. Company 3 Awarded $40,000 in production prizes and Method Studios presented a $10,000 VFX prize. The coveted Best Short Film Award went to Francois Jaros for TOUTES DES CONNES (Life’s A Bitch), with the win Jaros took home a $15,000 production prize from Company 3. Best Director went to Una Gunjak for THE CHICKEN. Gunjak took home a $10,000 prize from Company 3.

The Method Studios Best VFX Award went to LOOKING PLANET by Eric Law Anderson. Best Music Video went to Jacob Lundgaard for AS LONG AS YOU WATCH MY HEART. Best Cinematography went to THE LANDING by Josh Tanner. Best Animation went to INTERVIEW by Mikkel Okholm. Best Comedy went to #TWITTER KILLS by Brett Sorem. Best International went to KOSMODROME by Youcef Mahmoudi. Best Horror went to DRUDGE by Kheireddine El-Helou. Best Documentary went to HERD IN ICELAND by Lindsay Blatt. The Panavision Future Filmmaker Award went to Douglas Jessup for GLOW. Best Student went to SWEET CORN by Joo Hyun Lee

HollyShorts also presented the winner of it’s first ever screenplay competition. Mimi Jeffries took the top prize for her short script OPEN ROADS. With the win, Seattle-based production company Evil Slave has optioned the project and will shoot the short with the goal to premiere it at next year’s HollyShorts.

HollyShorts Awards 2014 winners are listed below:

HollyShorts Awards 2014 winners are listed below:

Screenplay 3rd place
GLARE / April Rouveyrol

Screenplay 2nd place
THE OLD MAN AND C SHARP / Alexander Gardels

Screenplay 1st place
OPEN ROADS / Mimi Jeffries

Best Web Series
THE AGE OF INSECURITY: a Clinical Romance / Adriano Valentini

Best Female Director
NI-NI / Melissa Hickey

Best Washington State Film
FROM 1994 / Casey Warren & Danielle Krieger

Best Editing
ON/OFF / Thierry Lorenzi

Best Score
TODAYS THE DAY / Daniel Campos

Honorable Mention
HEART TO EARTH / Jeff Pinilla

Honorable Mention
THE LEARNING CURVE / Phil McCarty

Special Jury Mention
APP / Alexander Berman

Best 3-D
THE CHAPPERONE / Fraser Munden

Best Action
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT OF BEING AN ELITE SPY / Matt Wells

Best Sci-Fi
DISTANCE / Aimee Long

Best Narrative
KRISHA / Trey Edward Shults

Best Producer
PLEASE HAND STAMP / Jeff Jenkins

Best Actor
CHECK PLEASE / Jared Ward

Best Actress
GLINDA / Tovah Feldshuh

Best Animation
INTERVIEW /Mikkel Okholm

Best Comedy
#TWITTER KILLS / Brett Sorem

Best International
KOSMODRONE / Youcef Mahmoudi

Best Thriller
NO COMPANY / Benjamin Morgan

Best Horror
DRUDGE / Kheireddine El-Helou

Best Documentary
HERD IN ICELAND/ Lindsay Blatt

Best Drama
QANIS/ Reda Mustafa

Best Student
SWEET CORN/ Joo Hyun Lee

Panavision Future Filmmaker
GLOW/ Douglas Jessup

Best Music Video
AS LONG AS YOU WATCH MY HEART/ Jacob Lundgaard Andersen

Best Commercial
WARRIOR CAT SPEC / Douglas Cushnie

Best Cinematography
THE LANDING / Josh Tanner

Method Studios Best Visual Effects
LOOKING PLANET / Eric Law Anderson

Best Director
THE CHICKEN / Una Gunjak

Best Short Film
TOUTES DES CONNES/LIFE’S A BITCH by Francois Jaros

image via flickr

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Short Films Featuring Danny Devito, Michelle Rodriguez, Hailee Steinfeld Among Lineup for 2014 HollyShorts Film Festival

Today’s The Day starring Danny Devito

HollyShorts has announced the full lineup of short films for the upcoming 10th anniversary of the HollyShorts Film Festival taking place August 14-23, 2014 at the TCL Chinese Theater and Roosevelt Hotel, in Los Angeles. The lineup includes Today’s The Day starring Danny Devito and directed by Daniel Cloud Campos.

Here’s short snapshot of the star powered-shorts showing in the HollyShorts lineup:

The Magic Bracelet starring Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld, Kaitlin Doubleday, Bailee Madison, Jackson Rathbone and directed by Jon Poll.

Last Call directed by Camille Delamarre who is currently directing Transporter 4.

Alex Prager’s Face in The Crowd starring Elizabeth Banks.

Today’s The Day starring Danny Devito and directed by Daniel Cloud Campos.

Bulimia: The Musical starring Gary Anthony Williams, Cedric Yarbrough, Jamie Denbo, Katherine Burns and directed by Kristin McCasey.

#twitterkills starring Sarah Paulson and Nathan Parsons and directed by Brett Sorem.

Clapping for the Wrong Reasons starring Donald Glover and directed by Hiro Murai.

Jordan Bradley and Travis Champagne’s The Sound of Trains starring Daniel Baldwin.

1%ERS starring Michelle Rodriguez and directed by Francesca de Sola.

Resurrection Slope starring John Hawkes and directed by Tamara Feldman.

Life Coach starring Andy Dick directed by Remond Francois.

Interstate starring Gina Rodriguez and directed by Camille Stochitch.

One Armed Man executive produced by Philip Seymore Hoffman, starring Terry Kinney and directed by Tim Guinee.

The Box directed by Jon Huertas and Andrew Bikichky.

Michael Ring & JR Soldano’s Chocolate Milk starring Victoria Justice.

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Short Films Featuring Sophia Loren, Zach Braff, on Star Studded Opening Night Lineup for HollyShort’s 10th Anniversary

Trouble & the Shadowy Deathblow

HollyShorts, is unveiling details of the what it describes as its most star-studded opening night in the festival’s history, for its upcoming 10th anniversary edition which takes place on Thursday August 14 at the TCL Chinese Theater. HollyShorts opening night will feature filmmakers and talent from the most popular TV series and Feature films.

Stephanie Laing, Producer for some of the most popular shows including Veep, Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals, will premiere her short film Trouble & the Shadowy Deathblow. On hand for her big night will be the cast which includes: Tony Hale (Arrested Development), Andy Buckley (Bridesmaids), Jean Villepique (I Love You Man),Tim Baltz (Drunk History), and Frankie Faison (Banshee). Also supporting Laing’s premiere will be friends and colleagues Danny McBride, and Chris Addison (In The Loop) and other cast members from Veep and Eastbound & Down.

http://youtu.be/QAxQamkm0P8

HollyShorts is also premiering on opening night The Visitant, a short film horror by Nick Peterson produced by Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) and co-produced Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville). Directed by Nick Peterson, The Visitant stars Amy Smart (Crank) and Doug Jones (Pan’s Labyrinth).

The Human Voice

HollyShorts opening night will also feature Edoardo Ponti, son of legendary actress Sophia Loren, who will be presenting his short film The Human Voice starring Sophia Loren. The Human Voice, which made a splash at this years’ Cannes Film Festival, is a gripping adaptation of Jean Cocteau’s one-woman play.

Director Renny Maslow will be on hand presenting his short film Effed co-written by and starring Ethan Sandler (The Bourne Supremacy) and Adrian Wenner (Whitney). Effed! also stars Zach Braff, Ted Levine, Talia Tabin and Brian Gattas.

Director David Martin Porras will present his acclaimed short film Inside The Box, which stars Wilson Bethel (Heart of Dixie) and Regina King. The film is Executive Produced by Pau Brunet.

These new additions to the HollyShorts opening night will join the previously announced: Alumni brothers Joe and Anthony Russo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) who are receiving the HollyShorts Visionary Award. The fest will premiere Luke Wilson’s Award-winning short film Satellite Beach, which follows the unique journey of the Endeavor space shuttle as it travels through the streets of LA and the final move of the Atlantis space shuttle to the Kennedy Space Center. The King of Indie Animation Bill Plympton will receive the HollyShorts Animation Indie Icon Award on opening night and premiere his short film Footprints and he will show a clip from his new animated feature film Cheatin’ which is being released theatrical in Los Angeles that weekend. The Russo’s will be showing a 10-minute exhilarating clip from Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

“In just a few year’s I’ve seen HollyShorts explode to become one of the biggest and best showcases of short form content in the world and I’m delighted to have the 10th anniversary celebration kick off with such a star-studded and fun lineup of movies,” said Managing Director Nicole Castro. “It’s going to be an epic 10 days of HollyShorts. We have filmmakers coming from all continents, and over 400 movies being presented, a festival record, we can’t wait!”

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HollyShorts Film Festival

2017 HollyShorts Film Festival Awards Winners

2017 HollyShorts Opening Night Shorts Program Lineup