HollyShorts Celebrates Four Oscar-Nominated Alumni With Special Screening!

On February 21st, four Oscar-Nominated films at a special screening at The Aster hotel in Los Angeles. Dozens were on hand for the event, including several of the filmmakers from the celebrated films. The four films; Invincible, The After, Knight Of Fortune and Ninety-Five Senses were aired for the audience, to a terrific response. All four films were recognized for the special projects that they are as they continue to go on to other festivals and praise.

Invincible, written and directed by Vincent Rene-Lortie, is an incredible French film about the last 48 hours of young Marc-Antoine Bernier, a troubled fourteen year-old that is determined to live life by their own rules. Based on the life, and tragic end, of a childhood friend, Rene-Lortie delivers a powerful and deep film that was so satisfying to watch.

The After, starring David Oyelowo, was written by Misan Harriman and John Julius Schwabach and directed by Harriman. It focuses on a father who is recovering from the brutal loss of his wife and daughter after a senseless attack. Years after the event, Dayo (Oyelowo) is out of his high-powered corporate job and working as a cab driver as he continues to heal from the devastating loss. While hard in moments, it really shows the impacts of tragedy and how some of those wounds never truly heal. Oyelowo is incredible as well, truly bringing the sense of grief and struggle to the role.

Knight Of Fortune is a Danish film by Lasse Lyskjær Noer that focuses on grief and loss. Leif Andree and Jens Jørn Spottag star as Karl, a grieving man whose life was just lost, and Torben, a strange man who he meets while going to view his wife, respectively. As Karl struggles to see the now deceased body of the person he loves most, Torben enters his life, and their dual grief and the story that unravels leads to a darkly funny, simultaneously heartwarming and heart-breaking story that takes some wild and incredible turns. Both actors do an excellent job, and this film is one of the most fascinating looks into grief, loss and healing that can be see out there right now.

Jared and Jesursha Hess’ Nintey-Five Senses is an introspective and nuanced look at what goes through a person’s life as they reflect on their past and the decisions they’ve made. Written by Chris Bowman and Hubbel Palmer, the film is told by protagonist Coy (Tim Blake Nelson), as he goes through the five major senses, and how they leave you one by one at the moment of death. Coy, who tells the story of his life while enjoying his last meal before his final moments. It’s somber, emotional, and incredibly well animated, all leading to an excellent and pensive film that definitely deserves all its praise.

Below is a gallery of all the festivities, with filmmakers, guests and others posing at the event.

A big thanks goes out to all the filmmakers and the audience that was able to attend the showing, and for everyone who put it together. These films are all a worthwhile watch, and a huge congratulations should go out to everyone who helped put these films together.