Los Angeles, CA (July 19th, 2022) — The Oscar® Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival returns for its much-anticipated 18th edition from August 11- 20th, 2022, from an impressive 5000 entries, 161 female directors and 101 BIPOC directors, and nearly 400 films form this year’s exciting program.
As previously, 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.
This year’s hybrid celebration of short films will take place “in-person” with screenings at the world-renowned TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and virtually through the festival streaming platform BITPIX.
Leading Selections for HollyShorts Film Festival 2022
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). The 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 by James Franco (The Disaster Artist). Marked, starring Academy Award-nominee Eric Roberts. Finally, Celebritas Ex Machina featuring Dolph Lundgren (Rocky IV), Sean Astin (Stranger Things), and Danny Trejo (Machete).
Additional Noteworthy Selections
Additional noteworthy selections are 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, starring 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). For additional information and tickets click here.
HollyShorts screenings will take place from August 11-20 at TLC Chinese Theatres followed by the annual awards gala on August 20. Click to view the full list of official selections.
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