The time has finally arrived for the 20th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival! With ten days of incredible short films to show off, this is surely going to be the biggest event of the summer in the entertainment world, as up and coming filmmakers, established stars and some of the best known names in the film world come together to display their skills and show off the incredible creativity that they have. Some of the films below are the ones that stood out, but are certainly not the only ones that should be given some attention. With two Opening Night Programs to kick the festival off, these are some of the best of the best, and should be sought out at earliest convenience. Be sure to stick around for an interview with Dr. No Means No writer/director Kestrin Pantera as well. Tickets for the festival can be found here, as the festival runs from August 8th-August 18th at the TCL Chinese Theaters in Los Angeles. For those unable to attend in person, the films will also be available to stream on BitPix shortly after the screening. Enjoy!
Dr. No Means No – Kestrin Pantera’s film about what Bond girls do when they’re not hanging around with Agent 007 is a wonderful, hilarious and action-packed romp that shows just how capable these women are, and honestly, how little we would actually know about them were this an actual Bond film. Starring Breeda Wool, JJ Nolan, Emily Chang, Charlotte Ubben, Eugene Kim, Randy and Jason Sklar, Cool Benson and Alex Klein, this is a great film for fans of the spy franchise that wonder why the women in the life of the super agent don’t get a lot to do, and are not around for long. Lovingly crafted by someone with a lot of time with the franchise, Pantera’s film is a love-letter to the cast aside characters that aren’t named Bond, and how amazing they are in their own right.
Alok – A film by Alex Hedison, Alok focuses on the titular Alok Vaid-Menon, an acclaimed multi-hypenate author, poet, comedian, and public speaker who is also non-binary, and uses their platform to speak out about challenging the way society normally thinks, embracing who you are and expressing that to your fullest. It’s a beautiful, touching story, showing Alok dealing with the pressures of having this kind of platform, of trying to be accepted as who they are, and of living their life to the fullest, for themselves and to serve as an example for those who may be struggling.
Tea – Olivia Nikkanen and Michael Gandolfini star in this film about an awkward young man (Gandolfini), rehearsing to ask out the woman he’s interested in by filming himself outside of his workplace. When he’s stung by a hornet, his allergic reaction to the sting makes his day go from potentially emotionally painful to physically life-threatening, only to be assisted by a nearby employee, who steps in to help save his life. It’s a film that is simple in its premise, but fraught when watching, as we see the young man go from odd, to nervous, to in extreme danger, all in the course of a few minutes. Seeing his adjustment from the potentially life-altering decision to ask a girl out to having to handle something that is much more severe is one that feels relatable, as emergencies have a way of pushing things to the wayside. Blake Rice’s film is one that is small, but has a massive impact on the viewer.
The Grievance – A star-studded comedy directed by Richie Keen, this film is co-written by Andy Gordon and Carol Leifer, and stars Kevin Pollack, Rosie O’Donnell and Adhir Kalyan. It focuses on Louise (O’Donnell), an HR rep who has to settle a dispute between TV showrunner Buzz, and writer’s room staff member Miloff, who is an AI humanoid. The complaint is based on statements made by Buzz in the room, with Miloff able to both recount it perfectly and fully misunderstand how comedy works, instead using data from previous popular television to make their own point. An idea that began during last year’s writers strike, when AI was a big point of contention, this film is a really fun way for the creators to purge some of those feelings and channel it into a very enjoyable comedy.
If I Die In America – Ward Kamel’s heartbreaking film that stars Gil-Perez Abraham, Hana Chamoun, Moud Sabra, George Shakkour and Ilham Malki is a passionate, tragic film that sees Manny (Perez-Abraham) grieving the death of his husband, a passing that only happened hours ago. In that time frame, while he’s still processing the death of the man he loves, his partner Sameer’s (Shakkour) family has already sent a representative Dalal, played by Hana Chamoun) to collect his body to transport it back to the Middle East for a traditional burial, all but glossing over his non-traditional relationship with Manny. This makes for a fraught conflict between the wishes of the family and the grief of the one closest to Sameer, creating a powerful and fraught circumstance that, like learning to accept the loss of a loved one, never has a particularly clean outcome. The whole cast is fantastic, with Perez-Abraham really showing a powerful range of emotions.
A big thanks and congrats to all the filmmakers highlighted here, and to all those who had their films screened tonight. As a special addition, here’s an interview with Kestrin Pantera, whose film Dr No Means No helped kick things off tonight. Thanks for your time, Kestrin!
What inspired you to start making films?
Like most people, I started by making fake SNL commercials in 5th grade with friends.
What were the challenges in making this project?
It was my first time working with a Marvel stunt coordinator and learning the rhythm and flow of fight choreo. Our unique challenge was figuring out how to add a layer of comedic sexual innuendo- like motorboating and 69 wrestling- into a very real and brutal fight where you feel the pain of every hit.
Another big part was making sure every moment was landed in the female gaze, so it wasn’t a pervy male fantasy, but instead was a hilarious and exclusive female Fight Club.
Breeda Wool, JJ Nolan and Emily Chang did a great job landing and taking punches like Rocky- while also accomplishing the way harder task of landing their punchlines. It was a fucking blast. I can’t wait to do more, which is the plan.
Is there any type of message or emotion that you hope the viewer takes away from watching this film?
I have a love-hate relationship with Bond movies. One second of research reveals that my favorite part of the films- the Bond girls- get very little screen time. Ana De Armas clocks 5 min in “No Time To Die,” Monica Belluci tops out around 7 min in “Spectre.” Octopussy’s face isn’t seen until 1 hour 9 min into the film- and isn’t she supposed to have eight pussies?
This is not a complaint about sexism in Bond films, because, why bother? I just want more Bond girls. I set out to answer the question: what do these women do when they’re off-screen? And where are the seven other pussies?
Audiences will have to watch for themselves to determine if we accomplished any of the above.
How does it feel to be able to screen the film at HollyShorts?
It’s a dream come true. I’m honored to open the festival on opening night at the historic Chinese Theatre.
What’s on the horizon for you?
I’m making a feature version of this film, in the early stages of development. I also just wrapped production on a feature with a cast of comedy legends: Weird Al Yankovic (“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”), Tia Carrere (“Wayne’s World”), Jackie Tohn (“GLOW”), David Wain (“Wet Hot American Summer”), The Sklar Brothers (“What We Do In The Shadows”) Sean Gunn (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” Tiffany Haddish (“Girl’s Trip”), Sherry Cola (“Joy Ride”), Joe Lo Truglio (“Brooklyn 99”), Rob Corddry (“The Daily Show”) and Aimee Mann (“The Big Lebowski”)- as well as Dr. No Means No’s Breeda Wool!
There is not quite as much crotch-punching in the new film, but I hope audiences will still like it.
What a fantastic slate of films for our opening night ceremonies. That’ll wrap it up for tonight, though! Be sure to check back tomorrow for day two highlights, more interviews, and a lot more coverage of the 20th annual Hollyshorts Film Festival!
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