There’s only a few days left on the 19th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival, but there’s still a lot to share! Dozens of films have yet to be screened, including all of those that are on display for today. There’s a block focused on International films, on just on brilliant VFX, more dramas, more documentaries, and films made by Latinx creators. With such an impressive list of categories, it should be easy to see why this is a premier day for the festival. Not only that, we also got the chance to speak to Oscar Boyson, director of the film Power Signal! Be sure to read until the end to get that conversation with him. But for now, let’s get on with the highlights from today’s screenings!
Veils Around Us – A narrative music video for Anthony Wills (who also stars), this film talks about the institutions of power and how they link us through generations, how societal teachings may not always favor those being taught it. This is shown through the lens of a grandmother (Yollette Thomas-Wunder) and her family through the generations. It’s powerful, with pounding trap music providing the soundtrack to their experience. Director and writer Timm Gillner delivers on something deep and emotional in this, to great success.
Union De Reyes (Union of Kings) – This Danny Pino written and directed. film is one that should have quite a bit of the festival talking. As a man watches over his hospitalized father, he is confronted with the secrets of his family’s past and their ties to his father’s home country of Cuba. Those ties take a very surprising form, as the twist that comes during the second half of this film is one that really changes the entire film to a story about the health and safety of his ailing father to one that makes him question everything. Starring Pino, Tony Plana and Oscar Torre, all of whom are just fantastic in this tense family drama.
Until The Rain Comes Back – Centered in Stratford, California, it tells of members of that community who try to rebuild in the face of incredible drought thanks to a lack of rain and the effects of climate change. These people are doing all they can to bring the city back to its former glory as an agricultural hub. Directed by Lauren Tyler Brimeyer and Jack Bushell. It’s hard to see this film and know it’s only just the beginning of this kind of struggle, with the realities of climate change really beginning to be felt now.
Thirstygirl – Written and directed by Alexandra Qin, this film tells the story of a sister going on a road trip to take her sibling to rehab. As it turns out, however, Charlie’s sister Nic isn’t the only one dealing with addiction issues, as Charlie is doing everything she can to hide her own sex addiction, even as she moves closer and closer to the edge of exposing that secret. It’s a film that shows hat dangers of addiction, how strong they can be, how powerless some can feel to the pull of whatever it is that has them in its grasp. Samantha Ahn and Claire Dunn as excellent in this, making it very believable to see Nic’s recovery struggles, Charlie’s secret struggle with her own addiction, and the toll that can take.
Power Signal – An Oscar Boyson directed film, Power Signal is it’s own world. One that is familiar in one way, and totally foreign in another, as it focuses on the life and cultures of bicycle delivery drivers. After taking a delivery for a friend, Lincoln finds an odd entity that is infecting women inside the city of New York. It’s otherworldly and mysterious, and given the visuals, pretty terrifying. Starring Babs Olusankomun, Will Brill, Brooke Bloom and Angela Sarafyan, all of whom are wonderful in this, especially star Olusankomun who makes this futuristic and scary world feel real.
That will wrap up our highlights for the day, but we still have the wonderful Oscar Boyson here to talk about their journey to this year’s festival, and to talk about their film, Power Signal. Thanks to them for taking the time to speak with us.
What inspired you to start making films?
Growing up in the 90s and discovering movies in that era, I just wanted to participate.
Were there any challenges in making this project?
We shot a full week of overnight exteriors in January, which is about as cold as it gets in NYC. That compounded with the way the Omicron variant had cast & crew dropping like flies made things tough, but fortunately we had a team of warriors.
Is there any type of message or emotion that you hope the viewer takes away from watching this film?
I think just the playfulness of looking at a city and seeing it a different way or seeing something that others don’t. The way the look of NYC changed so much, at least to me, during the pandemic, and that was a key impetus for making the film.
How does it feel to be able to screen the film at HollyShorts?
It means so much to see the film play for a Los Angeles audience, at a legendary theatre no less. As a former projectionist and total cinephile, there is simply nothing better.
What’s on the horizon for you?
Trying with everything I got to direct my first feature! It could be the Power Signal feature and it could be something else.
That will finish us off for day 8 of this the festival! All of these amazing films, as well as all others from the 19th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival will be available in person, at the TCL Chinese Theaters in Los Angeles on their scheduled nights throughout the festival. Tickets for the festival, as well as the screening schedule, can be found here. They can also be viewed digitally, with tickets available on BitPix.
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