HollyShorts Film Festival 2023 Selection
A collection of highly recommended shorts directed by women
The annual Academy Awards® Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival (HSFF) is well underway! The festival is in its 19th year - now taking place in-person between 10 - 20th August, 2023 at TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, with the annual Awards Gala set to take place on August 20th, 2023.
The HSFF official 2023 jury is composed of eighteen acclaimed industry professionals, who will be responsible for determining all HollyShorts award-winners, including four that will qualify for the Academy Awards®. This year, the festival will screen 402 films, 180 43.3% are from female filmmakers and 127 30.5% are from BIPOC filmmakers.
Members of this year's HollyShorts Film Festival jury include Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Sam Worthington (Avatar), Zoey Deutch (Not Okay), Alexandra Shipp (Barbie), Josh Whitehouse (Daisy Jones & the Six), Christina Chong (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), Run the Burbs showrunner, Nelu Handa and Academy® Award winner Jaime Ray Newman (Skin).
As well as the screenings of the shorts at TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood, films are also available virtually through the official festival streaming platform, Bitpix.
If you’re wondering what to watch at the festival and which filmmakers to keep a look out for in the coming months, take a look at this selection which focuses on female filmmakers.
Bertie the Brilliant; Dir. Gabriela Garcia Medina
This short is about a boy called Bertie who is obsessed with a magician, Maya the Magnificent. The relationship between Bertie and his grandmother (abuela) is gorgeous, it is gloriously camp, and the costume and production design is particularly noteworthy. Through Bertie’s eyes we see the power and wonder of magic, and it is a joy to experience! This one is sure to capture your imagination and warm your soul.
Murder Camp; Dir. Clara Aranovich
This horror comedy has so much to give, both in terms of the viewer experience (you can’t not find something to love in this short) and with the craft and leadership happening behind the camera too. Clara Aranovich’s partnership with the co-stars of Murder Camp (which you can read more about in this interview) results in a thrilling and funny film which offers a fresh take on the ‘slasher’.
Swipe NYC; Dir. Sue Zarco Kramer
Swipe NYC takes a look at the search for love from the perspective of Syd (Lisa Edelstein), a newly divorced woman. In a series of meet ups (note: not meetcutes - this short is realistic in its stance on romance), we get a good look at the online dating world in all its hilarity, ridiculousness and audacity. It will make you ask the questions: “Are people really like that? Would that really happen?” and answer with, “Actually, I can probably imagine someone doing that…” Syd’s journey as she explores her options is an enjoyable one to be along for the ride for. Be sure to clock the subtle changes in Syd’s appearance and entire demeanour each time she goes on a new date.
Complicated Order; Dir. Emmie Lichtenberg
Director and writer Emmie Lichtenberg delivers a lighthearted look at break ups and the moment that you realise it’s time to move on. Given the way that a relationship ‘communication detox’ had led the lead character (played wonderfully by Midori Francis) to become riddled with panic and self-doubt, the parting slow-mo shot of them skateboarding down the street with MUNA playing as the soundtrack is sonically and visually very satisfying. A lesson to us all to double check the delivery address next time you order pizza (and to not allow ourselves to become wronged by people who treat us miserably)!
Gaps; Dir. Jenn Shaw
Gaps was written and directed by Jenn Shaw and executive produced by Queen Latifah. The main character (pictured) is self-conscious about the gaps between her teeth and the short explores themes of self-love, image, identity and family. It’s a reminder of the importance of staying true to yourself instead of bending to the pressure from others, hard though this might be when you’re still at school!
The Möbius Trip; Dir. Simone Smith
Simone Smith wrote, directed, edited, exec-produced and co-sound-designed The Möbius Trip, a short about a family on a car journey on the way to a wedding - and not the sort that you would want to hitch a lift with. It’s trippy, increasingly uneasy, and as the psyche of each member of the family unravels, reality becomes more and more distorted. Each character is unnerving in their own way and as their troubled behaviour escalates within the confines of the car, the nightmare intensifies. It will screen in the Midnight Madness II block on Sat 19 August, and then at Edinburgh International Film Festival the following day.
Humo; Dir. Rita Basulto
Directed by Academy Member and Stop Motion Animator, Rita Basult, Humo is a sobering, emotive short with a story which is as carefully told as the animation is constructed. The film is set during the Holocaust and follows the story of Daniel, a young boy who travels by train towards a dark destination known as the smokehouse. The creative direction is staggering, with pencil strokes appearing as elements are being constructed on-screen while a muted colour palette and textures are used to evoke ideas and feelings to complement the voiceover.
To the Death; Dir. Rose McIver
In this short, a pair of actors fight it out to triumph as the South Asian woman to be cast in a film. The premise, which holds no bars on tokenism in the industry, is well conveyed and excellently performed by Menik Gooneratne and Yasmin Kassim, who both also wrote the short. There’s action, comedy, camaraderie, accents - they do it all! An important point made with style, humour and sass.
Astonishing Little Feet; Dir. Maegan Houang
Set in New York in 1834, Celia Au stars as Afong Moy, the first documented Chinese woman to come to the United States. The short is a tense and angering watch, as we witness a group of white, American men entirely disregard a young girl’s heritage, culture and dignity as she is forced to showcase parts of herself that they may be able to profit from.
Sara; Dir. Jessica Hinkson
This short cleverly conveys the complexities of life and how difficult it can be. From an earlier review of the film: “Life is full on, and the pace of it can sometimes result in us losing grip on what provides us with meaning. Sara reminds us that people are full of surprises, and although fleeting, you can find them in the most unexpected of places. As the main character realigns and continues on her journey, we are left with a renewed feeling of trust - not in the world, necessarily, but in the possibility of what good there could be just around the corner.” Read my full interview with Jessica Hinkson about her brilliant film here.
Hollyshorts Film Festival runs 11-20th August, followed by the annual awards gala on Sunday 20th August. Four of the awards are Oscar-qualifying so filmmakers could go on to win Oscars!
Visit the site for more info: hollyshorts2023.eventive.org