May 2023 HollyShorts Monthly Screening!

We’re approaching the halfway point of the year, which means we’ve already seen a plethora of amazing films, but still have plenty of time to enjoy so many more. This month’s screening has over a dozen amazing films to choose from, to be screening in two parts on May 31st, at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles. For those able to attend, it will be a wonderful showcase of some very talented filmmakers, all being celebrated on this special night. For those not in the area or unable to attend, these films will also be available on BitPix from May 31st to June 4th. Let’s take a look at this month’s selections!

The Seance – Andy Ur, Jared Boghosian and Sapna Gandhi star in this fun supernatural film directed exceptionally by Jensen Rule Tierra that explores that art of contacting the dead as Jason (Boghosian) takes his friend Alex (Ur) to visit a known psychic medium, so that Alex can get closure after the death of his husband. To call it comedic would be a bit misleading, though there are some funny moments in it. But the film mostly focuses on loss, spite, and the idea of secrets being revealed after death that can shake the core of those left behind to pick up the pieces. Everyone in this film is terrific, and Gandhi truly shines, playing dual roles as herself and the spirit of Alex’s husband being channeled through her in a stellar performance.

Hummingbird – Lindsey Gary writes and directs this film starring Stella Maeve, Ella Grace Helton and Christopher Allen about a mother who finds out that her daughter has developed a special ability that will not only affect her family, but the world as a whole. Without revealing too much about what that it, it’s developed throughout the film, built in a way that peels away the layers slowly, something that is normally pretty difficult in short films, due to time constraints. But this film paces itself beautifully, adding more and more to the plot until we see how much this change in their lives affects them, their family, and how this eventually relates to those outside of their home. It was a beautifully done film that really stands out among the crowd.

Classified – This short is a fun look into a fictional intelligence agency and the bumbling agents that run it.. Directed by Aemelia Scott and created/written by Chris Carvalho and Chris Plaushin, it tells the story of the IBI, a much lesser spy agency in the branch of US espionage. After the death of their director, the previous deputy director is promoted, with a former CIA operative being demoted to the deputy role. Leading this inexperienced and mostly ignored team, Agent Sadie Gray is tasked with finding the identity of a wanted terrorist responsible for knocking out the power to the entire city of Las Vegas. With spy-related hijinks, a great ensemble cast including Mary Faber as Agent Grey, Mort Burke, Tom Dang, Tony Rodriguez and Eric Roberts, this is a delightful story of stupidity and spycraft.

The Late Set – The pandemic changed a lot of things for many people, musicians being one of the professions that wound up being most affected, thanks to the inability to gather in crowds to enjoy performances. For some, connections were made, and for others, the time spent away from others who shared their skills drove them farther apart. That’s what the focus is in this film from Bren Patrick Burke, as Matt (Arthur Lazalde) and Samantha (Catherine Young) find themselves enjoying playing music together as the world attempts to go back to what it once was. After a jam session, things turn personal as Matt attempts to rekindle the romance they had in what feels like a previous life, while Samantha’s life has changed and she is in a much different place. It’s a wonderful film that really keeps a narrow focus in a way that tells a great story, giving the audience an intimate view of the personal lives of these two people.

Last Night At Paris Blues – Fany de la Chica brings us a beautiful story about the last day at the titular club for Triana, a Latina jazz singer. Starring in the film as well as writing and directing the piece, de la Chica is brilliant as she tells the story of an artist choosing between her love of the person she’s with and her love of singing. It carries a ton of emotion with it, and the way the film is shot really adds to that, cutting between the people at the club and Triana herself in a way that can tell a lot of story without actually saying too much. Starring alongside de la Cruz are Melanie Grossman, Tyron Gavin, Bryan Kelly and Gavin Simons, all of whom deliver excellent performances.

Breathe – Cheray O’Neal tackles an important and difficult subject in her directorial debut, writing and directing a powerful film starring Chase Tillman that is an incredibly powerful response to the very visual murder of George Floyd, and the numerous killings of Black Americans that have been occurring over the past several years. These deaths, having become more in the public zeitgeist and causing uproar throughout the world, have left an indelible impact on people at large, especially younger Black Americans that have seen people like them being murdered throughout the country with very little reason. This piece is a visual spoken word response to that, with Tillman’s Kobi having to find his way through the world and find inner peace in this world of fear and turmoil. To attend a vigil for Floyd, Kobi skips school, a plethora of emotions hitting him during this trek. Tillman delivers an amazing performance as he encapsulates the grief, both personal and communal, in a way that is hard to describe, but viscerally powerful, displaying the emotional roller coaster that so many went on in the wake of these events, going on a journey of loss, a reckoning with identity and perception, and the incredible resilience of those, especially young black men, who have to deal with this loss and come out the other side. Tillman’s Kobi moves through this world as the embodiment of so many who still live on and try to make their own mark on the world, despite the pain they’ve had caused to them.

Calabaza – Writer Gerardo Maravilla and director Stephanie Osuna-Hernandez gives us a bit of charm, a lot of heart and some deep, complicated feelings in this short that focuses on Martin (Gustavo Gomez), a young Latinx rocker who gets to go on a dream date with fellow music fan Lynn (Alex Felix). When Lynn needs to change the venue or the date to Martin’s house, things fall apart, with Martin’s alcohol-dependent father Lorenzo (Manuel Ariza) causing Martin to come to terms with his own feelings about his life, living at home, and how he treats his father. It’s an impressive feat to bring all of this pathos and narrative into such a short time, but this film pulls it off brilliantly, really pulling emotion and complex storytelling and allowing the cast to portray it all perfectly.

Two Wongs – Frank Harts, in a stellar directorial debut, does an incredible job delivering on a story that is only a few minutes, but gives us a glimpse into a world that is deep, lived in, and engrossing. Cedric (Celester Rich), is an African-American man raised by the Asian family whose store his parents robbed, a conflict that resulted in the deaths of his parents. Since then, he’s been living with the family of Jimmy (Johnny M. Wu), the two raised as brothers. After the death of their mother due to a crime of Asian hate, the two embark on a revenge-fueled journey to exact vengeance on the person responsible. This is an amazing film, the only drawback being that there isn’t more of it. This rich backstory would be very interesting to explore more, and hopefully this is just a snippet of this story’s final form. The cast was wonderful, really living the lives of the characters in a way that was authentic and felt honest.

Exit – A terrifying but incredibly well done film, Exit focuses on one of the more anxiety inducing situations known to humankind; being locked in a elevator with people capable and willing to do you harm. That’s the situation that Marie (Soraya Broukhim) and Max (Federico Rodriguez) find themselves in, as the affectionate couple enjoy each other’s company, until they are joined by Alex (David Gelles) and Jack (Mackian Bauman), who, after some off-color jokes, get some push back and start changing the course of Jack and Marie’s lives with their aggression. It’s well-shot, we don’t get to see much more than the inciting incident and the tension, but it’s fully understood that something traumatic and dangerous happened that we can leave to our imaginations. Everyone in it does an excellent job of ramping up that tension, letting it build and understanding the lingering effects this might have, though we only get a slight glimpse into the situation.

Zelda – Sarah Ullman’s stunning and intense film about a Jewish Partisan during World War II that seduces a Nazi soldier is an incredible piece about the smaller players during one of the worst conflicts in the history of the world and their impact. Zelda (Rhiannon McGavin) leads a member of the Nazi forces, Jan (Timmy Lewis) into the woods for what the young man believes to be a sexual encounter. As the two flirt and make their way deeper into the forest, the unexpected happens, with neither really getting what was expected in this situation. It’s a brilliant film that really shows some of the more unique challenges of the war, and the lengths people will go to fight oppression and potential extinction.

Pillow Fight – Evey Yu (who directs and co-writes along with Preston T. Francis) delivers on a story of relationship problems and the ways that couples can see things differently. After David (Juan Ayala) finishes too quickly with his girlfriend Pieni (Lydia Jialu Li), he wants to blow past the issue, suggesting another round in bed, while Pieni sees it as a much bigger issue in their relationship. This struggle isn’t uncommon among couples, nor are the disagreements that come with it. It’s handled well, and the end result proves how complicated these issues really are, not taking one conversation to fix. A wonderful job all around from the cast and crew in highlighting an uncomfortable issue that should have more spotlight, given how common it can be.

Fully Effaced – This Israeli film really shows the strength it can take to go through the act of giving birth. Directed by Sophie Artus and written by Michal Karni, it focuses on expecting parents Daniella (Karni) and Yotam (Avi Golomb) as they make their way to the delivery room as Daniella is about to give birth. All of the things that need to happen to end this process, one that is usually seen as a beautiful experience, is shown without the rose-colored glasses, as the couple go through all of the waiting, the pain, the exams and the chaos of the delivery room. While the process is one that ends up with the life-changing event that is giving birth, it also shows that pain and mental exhaustion that comes with becoming parents, especially for Daniella, who deals with an overwhelming amount of stress, physically pain and exhaustion as she gives everything she has to bring her twins into the world. It’s a challenging film, but one that feels so grounded and well acted by the entire cast. Karni especially does excellent work, bringing this character to life in a way that just pulls all the emotions out of the audience.

Blinkers – Kerry Corran, who writes and directs this film, displays an awareness and penchant for storytelling in this film, as they tell the story of Jack (Joe Holweger), a gambling addict who is potentially in line to recover some of the funds he lost during a particularly low point in his addiction. While waiting to hear this news, he talks with his partner Daisy (Kerri McLean), who is more worried about Jack, and less about the money. As Jack speaks with the judge overseeing his case (Roli Okorodudu), it becomes more and more apparent how far gone Jack is and the effect it’s having on not only him, but those he cares about. It’s a bittersweet film, but one that is so well done.

Noche Del Inferno (Hell Night) – Andrew Reid directs this film written by Jesenia Ruiz and Vee Saieh about the oldest and most prestigious Latina sorority and it’s barrier to entry. Elena (Natalia del Riego), Gina (Cathryn Dylan) and Penelope (Carolina Riesgo) must go through a night of supernatural and psychological horrors as they deal with the test given to them by house leader Rosario (Vivian Lamolli) that will push the boundaries of their understandings of others, themselves, and the stereotypes put upon them based on their Latin heritage. It’s playful but incredibly grounded, despite the supernatural nature of the film, pushing upon the typical tropes of Latina women and their place in the world in a brilliant way.

What’s The Rule – Jessica Hoechstetter and Kayleigh Jayne star in this film about neurodivergence, high school, the tribulations of family, and the convergence of all of them in this film written and directed by Justin Janoson. The two star as twin sisters Sam and Jack Schneider, with Sam living with ADHD and Jack navigating the world through the lens of her autism. As the two enter a public school system for the first time after the death of their mother, Sam and Jack have to use both the benefits and the drawbacks of their neurodivergence to navigate social situations, the entire high school experience and their own fears of judgement and exile as their lives enter a new chapter. Trying to learn the rules (both written and unwritten) of a school is tough enough without some of the things Sam and Jack have to deal with as well, and the lack of specialized care the two get, now that they’re in the public school system. Both actors do a terrific job, bringing awareness to these conditions with grace and respect. It’s also inspiring to see a film be such an open advocate for the treatment of people who are neurodivergence, especially those with autism, as the film tackles the idea that it’s something to be cured or eliminated, countering with the very accurate and wonderful that that instead of that, let’s help those affected be treated like everyone else, and aid those with autism instead of convincing them that they’re wrong to be who they are. It’s a fantastic film with a great message, weaving the high school experience into something much more complicated, but handling it all beautifully.

That’ll do it for this month! A big thank you and congratulations to all the filmmakers selected for their incredible work. Be sure to check out the official screening on May 31st at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, or from May 31st to June 4th, only on BitPix! Until next time!