22nd HollyShorts Film Festival
Written by Cameron Geiser
This was my first time covering the LA based HollyShorts film festival wherein Short films are eligible to move forward through the awards season and ultimately to the Academy Awards! Many thanks to the great number of filmmakers that reached out to me and Films Fatale for our coverage, I ended up watching and writing about twenty short films. They range far and wide in style, genre, and tone, but they were all compelling and interesting. From Western to Thriller, Giallo Horror to Absurdist Comedy and everything in between, the films I watched presented a group of filmmakers with strong narrative voices and an eye for good imagery. I hope to see these names and faces in bigger pictures or indie features, anywhere they end up, I’ll be there to watch what they do. HollyShorts was an incredible experience and I hope the best for all the artists and filmmakers involved!
Life Goes On
Rating: 4/5
This short film was a real treat. From writing/directing duo Daniel Audritt & Kat Butterfield in their debut short film, Life goes on, we follow Bill (David Bradley) who just so happens to be caught in an infinite time loop on the last day of his life. His day begins, as always, in his Hospital bed, awaiting the end. Bill is a bit cynical about it all and not too pleased to be bothered by all these happy fools he has to suffer through with their smiles, singing, expressions of love, and earnest optimism. Sickening, really. However when nightfall eventually comes he awakens the next day to see the same events repeating just as they had the day before. The same visitors, the same conversations, the same events and mishaps, everything is repeating. At first Bill is perplexed, annoyed by the disruption of it all, but then takes the advice of one of the other patients in his suite and decides to have a little fun and mischief with this anomaly. Slowly Bill starts to observe things and notions that he would have hand-waved away before, the simple gestures of loved ones, the effort and care of those taking care of him, and the vulnerability of death itself. Life goes on is honestly quite funny, heartwarming, and charming!
The Witches of Pool Bottom
Rating: 3.5/5
Written and directed by twenty year old Ava Bounds, The Witches of Pool Bottom is a clever and quirky short film about combatting the trials of being a teenage girl in the modern world. Rachel (Anja Cilia) is preparing for a swim with a friend when she can’t stop hyper focusing on her skin. As we can all recall the horrors of being a teenager; reddening of the skin, too much hair, weight concerns, and worst of all the judgement of others and shame that comes from it. Rachel relents and goes to jump into the pool but finds herself falling into an empty pool. Empty of water that is, for three other women similarly clad in bright red swimwear appear before her. Zitz (Anastasiya Ador), Hairz (Sydney Miede), and Chubz (Georgia Baines) all remind her of her anxieties which prompts her to fight them all in increasingly goofy absurdist ways. That is until she defeats them all and another woman trying to inject Rachel with a “perfection injection” enters the fray. To her surprise Rachel’s slain combatants rise and defend her from this false solution. Decidedly happy with her self image, Rachel then bounds into the real pool with her friend. This was a delightfully surrealist exploration of the anxieties of self image. Especially in today’s world with various giant conglomerates trying to convince young women of the need to change their entire bodies to fit the “acceptable image”. The filmmaking was joyful in tone, defiant, with just the right amount of whimsy. Yet another young filmmaker to keep an eye out for in the future!
Aaron and His Dad Try to Find Closure & Lucy Celebrates Andie’s Birthday at Universal CityWalk Hollywood
Rating: 3/5
Written and directed by Brad Roelandt comes this aptly titled short film with some unconventional filmmaking choices. Shot entirely as a single continuous bird's-eye take, this short uses the Universal CityWalk in Hollywood as its stage, carefully zooming in and out on the two converging plot threads as they unfold. Lucy, dressed (ironically?) like a Minion from the Children’s films in jean overalls and yellow, waits with cake and balloons in hand as she peers through the crowd for her friends. The camera then flows to the other side of the open space to overhear Aaron and his father as they try to find a spot to leave Aaron’s mother’s ashes. Aaron’s father has a folksy almost midwestern manner about him, attempting to do the right thing but getting caught up in oversharing with strangers and barely hearing what his son’s saying half the time. Then the camera’s eye, almost bored by the development, floats back to Lucy as she spots her friends. She begins to run over shouting their names but trips and falls flat on the cake, losing the balloons in the process as well. Andie awkwardly then explains Lucy’s misinterpretation of an invite to her birthday gettogether when Aaron’s Dad overhears and waltzes right into their conversation to try and help them see the silver linings of the mishap. It’s all a decent collision of events and personalities with unique, and clever, cinematography choices. Aaron and His Dad Try to Find Closure & Lucy Celebrates Andie’s Birthday at Universal CityWalk Hollywood isn’t just a long title for a short film, it’s also a creative spin on combining multiple plotlines with an unconventional shooting style that makes it stand out from the crowd.
Artichoke
Rating: 4/5
A self described Giallo film, Artichoke, from filmmaker Amir Moini most certainly lives up to the subgenre of Horror’s past. This short film is bursting at the seams with style. From the filmgrain flashbacks to the psychedelic use of saturated colors, and of course, blood spurting violence- all reminded me of Suspiria and Deep Red immediately. Which makes sense as the film was executive produced and narrated by Anna Lou Castoldi, the granddaughter of Giallo director Dario Argento- who made both films just mentioned. The plot is sparse and simple but the short is done with such flair that it reinforces the tried but true narrative of an overbearing man trying to control a beautiful woman. Personally I loved this little flick and hope Moini continues to create as this is a great stepping stone to something bigger.
Vital
Rating: 4.5/5
Talk about heart wrenching. Vital comes to us from Amir Zargara, an award-winning Iranian-Canadian writer and director. This is a story about the lengths two parents will go in attempts to save their children’s lives. The short begins with a statement, “There is only one country in the world where buying and selling human organs is legal.” After which we are introduced to an Iranian Mother who has a sick daughter for whom she has already sold one of her kidneys and is planning to sell part of her liver so the medical bills can be covered. In America we’re shown an Iranian-American Doctor whose own daughter is on the waitlist for a heart transplant. As we see him scroll past potentially hundreds of names, we can feel his desperation at the odds of getting a heart for his daughter before it's too late. What follows is an emotionally devastating exchange of grief, money, and opportunity. The two parents even exchange a knowing tearful stare across a hallway in the Hospital. Knowing the brutality of what has happened to the Iranian people over the last year (and beyond) made this short film that much more crushing as I watched this uneven circle of life unfold. The film’s strength is within the performances of the two parents. If they had not been able to convincingly sell us the weight and hollowing out of their own hearts to make these decisions, the narrative would not have been as impactful as it is. Vital will stick with me for a while, its compelling and haunting nature, and its commendable depictions of grief and sadness.
Grown
Rating: 4/5
Written and directed by Audrey Cicerello, Grown is a coming of age story set against the backdrop of three young women trying to get into a bar in New York City with some fake IDs. Shawna (Olivia Scott Welch), Sabrina (Sydney Leiser), and Frankie (Savy Jackson) are all set to go out and meet some friends at a bar, but destiny has other plans as they get tripped up by several intervening factors along the way. Least of which is the fact that Shawna and Frankie have been dating behind Sabrina’s back because they didn’t know how to talk to her about it. It’s a sweet and charming little tale about finding yourself and being open and vulnerable with your friends. Plus the importance of getting good fake IDs as they are sussed out immediately by the bouncer even after Shawna tries to burst past him into the bar. The filmmaking is very competent but it was the characters’ authenticity and dialogue that drew me in most. Cicerello clearly has a future behind the camera if she wants it, here’s hoping they continue to make more art!
It Comes In Waves
Rating: 3.5/5
From writer and director Michael Petruzzelli comes a sentimental coming of age story about two young men sharing a newfound attraction over a Canadian summer at a Cabin by a picturesque lake. No, I’m not talking about Heated Rivalry– It Comes in Waves is a more subtle and heartfelt approach to understanding one’s sexuality and feelings broadly. Toni (Anton Gillis-Adelman) and his cousin/best friend Bella (Alexandra Rada) are at the family Cabin while they dance, swim, and relax the summer days away. Though when Bella pushes for the local convenience store cashier around their age named Paul (Isaac Kragten) to come hangout, Toni slowly reckons with his desires and what that means for him. This was a sweet and charming short film about understanding oneself and being able to buoy these changes in life through family and friendship. It was a compelling and comfortable character study. Yet another delightful new voice in cinema.
Pangea
Rating: 3.5/5
Written and directed by Mimi Davila, who also stars in the short film as Rita, a Cuban-Bulgarian artist with roots in Miami– much like Davila herself. Inspired by a similar situationship years prior in Davila’s own life, Pangea is about two friends and sometimes sexual partners who get caught up in perceptions of identity and the occasionally murky miscommunications between people of multi-cultural backgrounds and appearances. Rita is staying with Echo (Sasha Merci) in New York City while she’s in town and the two maintain their friendship while having discussions about artistic careers, art for the sake of art, and the vulnerability that comes with sharing your deeply connected creativity with others versus seeking out stability to survive. Inspired by the French New Wave, the film is shot in black and white with a film grain look, Pangea indeed shares a lot of similarities with those old French films. Two characters on a walk and talk engaging in deeply personal issues, almost always in relation to art and artists, cue smoking and conversations in bed, and on top of it all, it’s sexy and heartwarming. What’s not to love?
Creators
Rating: 3.5/5
Written and directed by Nikolay Sysuev, Creators follows small-time YouTuber Kieran (Matthew Garry) as he navigates the video platform’s algorithm in the hopes of going viral. The short begins with him attempting to copy other known methods of scrounging up some views by prank gifting strangers in the park. This doesn’t go as planned, but after some quick editing removing the embarrassing stuff he posts it online to dwindling numbers. Sigh. His next idea comes after watching another YouTuber serendipitously saves a man on a bridge from leaping to his death during a news broadcast, quickly gaining him online notoriety. “Suicide Bridge” might be Keiran’s shot at going viral, so he wanders down to the bridge at night. While waiting he eventually spots someone climbing up to jump as he’s setting up his phone to capture the moment. Whilst saving the man’s life, his phone was face down recording nothing but the sidewalk. With the silent jumper (Joshuah Arizmendi) in tow he drives around to see if he can drop the man off somewhere to get help, but he ends up letting him sleep on his couch overnight. Admittedly the rest of the short was rather surprising and I’d prefer to keep the secret alive but just know that the reveal is splendid. Creators is the perfect example of how the modern era is always pushing people to monetize everything, “Sell your soul for a thousand dollars and become infamous!”, but to what lengths? To what end? When does creating content become dehumanizing? When does creating content become content itself? Are we all just victims of each others’ endless greed, obsession, and lust? Plus the short has a delightfully dry and almost cynical bend to its humor, which was absolutely the right choice.
Last Stand at Butte City
Rating: 4/5
Written and directed by Natalie Schwan, Last Stand at Butte City is a Western that deeply resonates with the American ideals of loyalty, love, and grit. Charlotte (Kerry O’Malley) has been living alone in her homestead for years by the time the railroad men come knocking with eviction notices. She attempts to rally her neighbors and the community at large to stand up to the machine of momentum that is civilization knocking at her door. Though most of them have elected to take the money for their land and move on. Through flashbacks we see Charlotte reminded of her past in this place. She’s almost haunted by the memories of the family she built on this land, and how they were taken from her. Through self imposed isolation and determination to never leave the burial grounds of her family, Charlotte has hardened herself to the world at large. It isn’t until a friend reconnects with her through empathy, compassion, and understanding that she decides to live free from guilt and shame through her grief. O’Malley’s performance, and that of Jamie Lynn Richards as the younger Charlotte, are what grounds this narrative in the Western tropes of resilience and standing up to the powerful. It wouldn’t have worked without this commitment in acting, and to that I say Kudos! Well done.
Black Cab
Rating: 3.5/5
Whew! Black Cab is a tense thriller set in the not so distant future that comes to us from writer and director James Arden. Harry (Jay Simpson) is your typical London cabbie, talkative, chipper, and always ready to nab another fare— especially if it steals a paying guest from his driverless competition. The short brings us to a day in the life of Harry and his family, and it is a stressful one to say the least. All he needs is one fare, maybe more for his own pride and validation as a provider and protector for his family, but still, he could use the money. His wife Maggie (Anna-Maria Everett) has an important trial shift for her new job starting tonight and all she needs from Harry is to be there to pick her up at 7:00pm and everything will be fine. Harry’s inability to let the day go by without at least one fare to his name, driven by anxiety and fear of failure, keeps him running ragged as the time ticks ever onward. Black Cab was thrilling, truly. From the subtle hints of synthwave in the score to the near constant rain, I was getting whispers of Blade Runner as Harry gets more and more manic and aggressive with potential clients as the day wanes. Something as industry overhauling as self-driving cars will upend sectors of our workforce and economies and sometimes it makes you wonder just how much thought has been put into the idea of transitioning into this new world. Or if those in power are simply following the money and paving over everyone and everything in their way to get it without a moment of consideration for the lives wrought in chaos by doing so. Black Cab has this notion at the core of its narrative, and uses that anxiety appropriately.
B For Boys
Rating: 3.5/5
Brought to us by writer and director Gerard Vidal Barrena, better known by his stage name The Bird Yellow, B For Boys is a tale as old as time. Four teenagers in a band, played by Isaias Badilla, Nii Adu Clerk, Leo Blumenfield and Archer Carr-Engler, get together for a rehearsal when one of them shows up late and empty handed. They bicker back and forth about his lateness, the funk he’s in from a break up, and how it affects the band’s ability to get music made. Once they all cool off, music brings them back together, amends are made, and the boys are back in action. That is until Brittany the ex calls out of the blue. B For Boys was nostalgic, reminiscent of those early years in life when everything seemed so immediate, so fresh, so brutal. It was a charming and effective look into how music can heal, and that forgiveness between friends should be easy.
The Late in Life Guide to Modern Day Lesbianism
Rating: 4/5
Maybe it was the VHS video static, or the bureaucratic absurdity of our main presenter that reflected a lot of the late 1980’s and 1990s vibes and aesthetic— but I loved this short film. Speaking of the presenter, she’s played by Ashley Gianni, who also wrote the short. Directed by Emelie Claxton and Molly Rangel, The Late in Life Guide to Modern Day Lesbianism is styled like a 1990s instructional video, but with modern references and comedy that honestly made me cackle more than once. Like the quick shot of Kristen Stewart emerging from a window when she bought the Highland Movie Theatre. The film cleverly uses cultural touchstones directed at middle aged Millennials who might need some communal advice if they’re coming out in their mid thirties or forties. The quirky old school deadpan humor totally works for me, and paired with the previously mentioned effort in recreating the home video style just makes this one a win-win all around.
Fault
Rating: 3.5/5
Written and directed by Misha Calvert and inspired by the personal experience of its lead actress Coco Jourdana who stars as Gigi, Fault centers on the reunion of two sisters. Steph (Sarah Rich) is a highly successful Tennis player living in an upscale and expensive little bubble as she practices for her next big game. Clearly stressed while keeping things roiling under just the surface, she hardly welcomes her sister who came to visit. In fact she’s put up walls of ice to separate her from Gigi’s attempts at reconnection. What I enjoyed most about this short was how they played with expectations. Initially Gigi is depicted as the unruly and wayward one of the two sisters. She drives in smoking and she’s a little rough around the edges, seeking out the alcohol, poking around at the interior decorating, going through Steph’s Tennis gear– she’s seen as a problem to worry about. That is until she breaks past the niceties and gets to the point. Both of them have been the victims of sexual abuse and traumatic experiences under the thumb of Steph’s current, and Gigi’s former, Tennis Coach. Who had been calling Steph throughout the day, trying to control Gigi’s influence on Steph from afar. When the breakdown filled with rage and fury comes, it is between two sisters united by the injustices they have suffered at the hand of an Epstein-like man of status. It is a deep, guttural, and personal release of pent up outrage at being controlled and subjugated by the powerful– certainly something a lot of us can relate to these days.
FarEye
Rating: 4.5/5
Written and directed by Hayden Mclean, FarEye follows the story of Khalil (Djamari Roberts), a young man in Jamaica escaping from an abusive home life. The way FarEye is written and shot has a certain ethereal and mythic feel to it. The way the narrator speaks about the rare gift in some people, about the spark of the soul and that those who keep its embers lit even through the darkest of times can grow into someone or something truly special. There’s something otherworldly about it. Speaking truths about the harsh realities of life and the idea that pain is fleeting but we ourselves could be eternal, (especially when in the context of a child’s experience) is something that I feel is missing in Children’s media over the last fifteen to twenty years. I don’t mean indoctrinating children into a belief system, but rather speaking openly and plainly to and with them about the unknowns in life. Giving children straight up wisdom without talking down to or about them is something we need more of in this world. Children aren’t as gullible or inexperienced in life as we might expect. When the young Khalil does have spoken dialogue, he sounds like a world weary traveller, not a ten year old boy running for his life. Beyond that the way the film is shot and composed was a visual treat, from the rural villages to the open fields and dark green jungles, it was all very well done. I really connected with this short film, and I hope to discover more of Mclean’s work in the future.
Zero, Infinity
Rating: 4/5
Written and directed by Mar Sudac, Zero, Infinity is a bleak dystopian sci-fi short about love in a time of extreme Governmental overreach. Married couple Gus and Clark (Cheech Manohar and Brandon Wilson) are about to undergo the federally mandated procedure to verify every citizen’s sexuality which will affect their ability to get insurance rates, mortgages, the ability to have and raise children etc. So they must wait in overcrowded hospital waiting rooms and be funneled through various hallways and laboratory-like spaces until they come to a Motel 6 looking bedroom with cameras and one way glass barriers so they can be observed having sex through thermal imaging in a controlled space. I imagine this is only good for the shame kinksters out there, no judgments, but still there are more ethical ways to have fun. All this so they can tell you what your sexuality actually is. Not what you believe it to be. What they determine it to be. Because in this world the government appears to believe they control every human aspect of your life whether or not you agree with them. While the short ends with this married Gay couple getting a dog instead and trying to find their own happiness living in defiance while the Government labels them straight on their IDs— I just found it all to be horrifically depressing. Which is probably the point. To this fictional Government I say, “Go Fuck Yourselves”, because it feels very much line with what the current American Government would love to impose on society. Oh and also it was shot on 16mm to give it a tangible almost documentary style look to it all, which only added to this story’s value.
Christmas Angels
Rating: 3/5
Directed by Ida and Remington Hoffman and written by Ida, Christmas Angels stars Ida Hoffman as the Mother of a young daughter (Una Bay Hoffman) who uses imagination and play to shield her daughter from the harsh realities of their situation. Initially the short almost feels like well shot home videos of a mother and her daughter playing, cooking, and making small Christmas angel ornaments out of copper wire. However when a sudden sound of keys jangling and a door opening gives the Mom a wide-eyed sense of panic, things get interesting. Once we see the operation in motion we’re clued into little details of how the two move from house to house while the owners are traveling or just away on Holiday. Things get a little tense when a security officer (Benjamin Chamberlain) waltzes into their propped up illusion of a normal life, but the interaction suggests this isn’t the first time the two have been cornered. Christmas Angels is an interesting short film about the insane wealth gap that exists in America, and the world at large, and how that impacts people’s lives all the way down to the destitute. Certainly a worthwhile idea to explore!
Phantom Carousel
Rating: 3.5/5
Written and directed by Efosa Osaghae, Phantom Carousel is a satirical dark comedy about a London based corporation that’s hired third party surveillance groups to confirm that their remote workers are actually working. Bento (Alec Christie) is one of the people hired to surveil said remote workers and get proof of their negligence. Exhausted and coerced by his estranged family for financial aid Bento gets his orders and information then goes about his business with a camera and long lens. When Bento arrives at his next stop he begins to question the ethics of his superiors. His next remote worker (Babirye Bukilwa) is even noted as highly efficient and dependable but there’s a one hour window where she’s not been as productive as she could be. After reporting on hours of nothing interesting his superiors call back and pressure Bento to get in her house if he can’t actively see what she’s doing. When he begins to push back they insinuate they’ll just fire him and hire somebody else if he won’t do it. After nearly injuring himself in the process of breaking and entering Bento discovers no impropriety, but he does realize that she’s simply going to pick her son up from school for the hour block of inactivity.
Even then, it’s not inactivity since her work was uploading during that time. After Bento decides not to sell out this remote worker he heads off to the next job, but even he has a tail trailing his every move too. I got a kick out of this short as it perfectly reflects the insanity of the corporate world and how they continue to dehumanize as many people as possible for the almighty dollar. The performances and writing were key here, Christie and Bukilwa both excelled in showcasing the extent of the gig economy’s submission to power through money and how it tries to turn us all against each other, which is why the ending was so bittersweet. Bento defied his overlords who would eliminate any worker if they were found to be not always contributing 100% of their faculties to the holy profit margin. With another corporate stooge following Bento’s every move, he may have helped one person avoid unethical spying and surveillance, but at what cost to his future?
Kaya
Rating: 3.5/5
Written and directed by Isabel Lamers, Kaya is about a young half-Filipina kickboxer who’s attempting to join a prestigious Filipino Martial Arts team. It’s a fairly simple tale, if you’ve seen any martial arts films before the beats will ring true but familiar. However there’s a bit more personality here with Nia (Isabel Lamers) playing to her sense of identity and belonging as someone whose whiter complexion makes everyone assume she’s not from the Philippines. In that search for belonging she seeks meaning in combat, and after she fails her first test she finds fast friendship with Malic (EJ Lipana). Despite being ostracized for his queerness, Malic sees potential in Kaya and begins to train her in secrecy. The choreography of the fight scenes are kinetic and have appropriate weight and momentum. They really did a good job showing how Kaya’s training used her passion, fire, and inner need to prove herself to propel her towards greatness. Lamers performed quite well with the fight scenes, but the real power of her performance was in the quietly devastating arguments with her mother about her own identity crisis. Kaya was a compelling short that stood out from its genre restraints by becoming more personal with the narrative.
Floored
Rating: 3.5/5
Written by Emily Alpren, and directed by Marchelle Bradanini and Alpren, Floored is a modern Black Comedy with a satirical eye towards the isolation and loss of identity that oftentimes comes with motherhood. Eleanor (Trilby Glover) wakes up one morning to find her inattentive Celebrity Husband Steven (Ben Geurens) has booked his next project with an attractive new young voice in Hollywood. After he leaves and her children are carted off with the babysitter Eleanor calls up her guru guide Marla (Sheila Carrasco) and decides to make a day of her appointment and invite her friends Jane (Mara Wilson) and Daisy (Jocelyn DeBoer) who are also feeling a bit lost and aimless. What follows is an attempt by Marla to make these Hollywood women actually connect to themselves and others on a deeper level. To experience togetherness through their true selves and not the personalities they forged in polite society. After some exploration of their own selves and expectations, Steven returns and it ignites the building pressure within Eleanor that pushes her to the extreme. Floored was a neat little exploration of suppressed rage, the primal power of a coven’s connection, and how engaging in real and meaningful conversation and relationships in good faith can do more for the psyche and heart than you might assume.
Cameron Geiser is an avid consumer of films and books about filmmakers. He'll watch any film at least once, and can usually be spotted at the annual Traverse City Film Festival in Northern Michigan. He also writes about film over at www.spacecortezwrites.com.