It’s finally here. The final night of the 20th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival. With hundreds of films from incredible talents, this has been a festival for the ages, and these last screenings are the perfect selection to round out the celebration. Starting early with our second Midnight Madness block, then coming back later in the day with films focused on Parenthood, more Documentaries, Los Angeles locals showing off their skills, and ending with a combination block of Comedies and Dark Comedies. We’ll also have an interview with a filmmaker from our final block, with Thoughts & Prayers filmmaker Danny Farber being kind enough to take some time out. Be sure to check for these films and more on BitPix. Let’s get to our final films!
MIDNIGHT MADNESS II
Make Me A Pizza –Talia Shea Levin directs and co-writes this film that stars Woody Coyote (who co-wrote with Levin) and Sophie Neff, and might be one of the wildest films of the festival. Neff plays a bored housewife with a very specific kink, and after ordering a pizza, attempts to use forms other than money to pay for the dish. Taking an incredible turn on the old adult film trope, this was a stunning, hilarious and amazing absurdist take on a popular theme, with Neff and Coyote really committing to their parts in ways that are truly admirable.
PARENTHOOD
Screentime – Alexandrena Parker’s short is a social commentary on the amount of time developing minds spend looking at a screen, and how it can affect children growing up. The most obvious reasoning for screentime is boredom, but by putting something digital in front of them, they aren’t using their creativity and imaginations in ways that can be more beneficial to them in the long run. Showing various examples of how many young children react to the world around them while lookin at a screen, Parker demonstrates how their worlds shrink a bit, leading to several different results.
DOCUMENTARY III
The Story of Terry Moore – Isabella Blake-Thomas sits with the legendary Terry Moore as she reflects on the ups and downs of an incredible career as an actress. From Academy Awards nominations to her runs on television, it’s a reflection of an amazing life lived on the screen, from the woman herself who is still beloved by many.
LOCALS ONLY: MADE IN L.A.
Bat Boy –Aaron Lemle’s film about a young autistic man who finds himself with a love for the bats that live under the highway near his home in East Los Angeles. Domonique Brown stars as Andre, the young man in question whose passion for these animals leads to him making major change in his home city, as he enlists the help of a biologist (Khandi Alexander) who despite her initially frosty demeanor, is warmed by Andre’s love for these bats. It’s a touching and beautiful story about how a simple act of care can do so much, and Brown is excellent as Andre, bringing a kindness and heart that is hard to look away from.
COMEDY & DARK COMEDY II
Thoughts & Prayers – Anjelika Washinton and Danny Farber star in this film that was written and directed by Farber and is one of the darkest of dark comedies. With school shootings at an all-time high and students getting more and more accustomed to preparing to survive violent acts, this film shows how even in the most terrifying times, after seeing so much tragedy, things can be a bit blunted. Enough to where Tyler and Simone (Farber and Washington), a couple who are currently in the midst of attempting to survive an active shooting, are also having an important talk about their relationship as they attempt to get to safety. Made alongside survivors of school shootings, this is a film that shows how young people have had to grow up with this kind of violence, and how it being such a part of their lives can have a very strange effect. Farber took a real risk with this film, but one that feels like it paid off.
This wraps up the final night of the 20th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival! It’s been an incredible run this year, with so many amazing films. We’ll be back soon to announce award winners, but as a parting gift, please check out this interview with Thoughts & Prayers filmmaker Danny Farber! A big thanks to Danny for taking the time out to talk, and a massive thank you to all the filmmakers who submitted, were selected, and had their films screened. But most of all, the biggest thank you to all of you who’ve been following our coverage of the festival, reading our highlights and interviews, as well as checking out these incredible projects. Next year will likely be even bigger and better, so keep coming back for more!
What inspired you to start making films?
I used to be obsessed with coming of age stories; School of Rock, Cheaper by the Dozen, (and as I got older) Almost Famous, Dazed & Confused, etc. I wanted so badly to be a part of an ensemble cast in a great story. I started acting in community theatre plays and figured I’d go to college to study acting and the performance arts. Much to my parents’ credit, they implored me to explore potential back up plans. In a bit of a rebellion I told them that my plan B would be to learn how to make movies, so I could put myself in my own projects and still work as an actor. They have no background in this industry but understood that film crews employ hundreds of people and figured that my chances at having a successful career would be increased if I somehow learned how to be a part of the crew. Once I landed my first intern PA position, I was hooked on the process of making films. From there, I spent the next ten years learning everything I could about as many departments as possible. Having that inherent background knowledge about so many different things on set makes acting while directing, just a little bit easier.
What were the challenges in making this project?
Locations. I knew that this was a controversial piece and that not everybody would get what we were trying to do. When writing this script, I tried to make it as easily producible as possible. Keep it in one location. Keep us tied to the immediacy of the moment. With that in mind, I knew I couldn’t really cheat a library for anything other than a real space. We didn’t have the budget to build one and realistically we needed to find a place that we could basically walk into and shoot as is. The trickiest part was finding a school that would be interested in taking the risk by making a statement about school shootings from relatively unknown filmmakers. We searched all around Los Angeles and the surrounding counties. When we found Compton College the energy was unmatched. Not only was their library nearly brand new, they spoke to us to people and not just a blank checkbook (which we very much are NOT). Once we began to talk about the logistics behind the creative it became clear that they were on board with what we were trying to do. I’m proud that we were able to invest the limited funds that we had raised and put that back into a community that aligned with our principles.
Is there any type of message or emotion that you hope the viewer takes away from watching this film?
The film ends on kind of a somber, sober moment. Frankly, it’s pretty intentionally down beat. The film itself is filled with bold satire and a pretty in-your-face style of comedy. I knew that I wanted the takeaway of this film to be more grounded in the reality of this situation. Not only do these shootings happen all too often, they leave a devastating impact on everybody involved. Unfortunately, if it’s not “news-worthy” it’s unimportant to society. When talking with my Co-Star / Executive Producer, Anjelika Washington, she informed me that the school shooting she was involved in had barely made the local news because “only” one person had died (her friend, Bianca). That fired me up and reminded me why we needed to tell this story in the first place. I reworked the whole ending and basically added an epilogue that was audio only. I wanted a dark room full of people to be forced to listen to this extra scene, while watching the haunted faces of the children we as a society had forgotten about. I wanted to remove the humor, the characters, my involvement, everything about what you had just watched and bring it back to the frustrating reality that this happens all too often and we care about it all too little. I hope that message comes through in bleak, stark contrast from the rest of the film and sits with an audience.
How does it feel to be able to screen the film at HollyShorts?
HollyShorts is one of those high-water marks for indie filmmakers. Not only do we get to screen at the iconic Chinese Theatre right in Hollywood, we’re put up against other phenomenal projects and get the chance to meet some incredible filmmakers. This Oscar Qualifying festival feels like a barometer for where I am as a filmmaker and how relevant this story may be to an audience. It’s an absolute joy and a privilege and I could not be more excited.
What’s on the horizon for you?
I’ve been directing these vertical features for the better part of the last eleven months. This week I will go into production on my SIXTH project since October, 2023. It’s pretty crazy to work with international markets and tell these long form narrative stories in a 9×16 format. It all feels really groundbreaking, even if the greater part of the industry doesn’t fully realize what we’re making. I currently have three feature films I’m developing as well. One is a sort of spiritual successor to T&P that tackles the lack of access to abortions in deeply conservative states. Another project is a creature feature about killer cicadas that I am trying to develop with a studio here in town. The last is a coming of age “Oceans 11” at summer camp feature that a close friend of mine wrote — I’m trying to package that and assign myself to direct that one as well! All while still acting and auditioning for projects that I’d be a good fit for. Hopefully there’s a day at the lake where I can sit back and do nothing somewhere in there…
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